Intended Audience

AVID partners entering year two and beyond of implementation:

• District leaders
• Site leaders
• Educators

Webinar Topics

• Understand the challenges AVID Ignite was designed to address.
  
• Learn about a new daily session included on top of the Community of Practice.
• Envision how to support individuals or Site/District Teams with AVID Ignite.
• View sample schedules that enable additional individual reflection or site/district-hosted gatherings.
• Understand the types of resources included for the school year to help AVID Ignite participants:
  • Share bite-sized pieces of learning with colleagues.
  • Inspire colleagues and students alike.
    
• Hear how one school district will use AVID Ignite in conjunction with district-hosted onsite activities to help educators prepare for the year ahead.

Mary Anne Send, M.Ed
AVID District Director

Mary Anne is the AVID District Director for Irving ISD in Texas. She became part of the AVID site team in 2012 and implemented strategies in her English classes as soon as the school year began. Moving into the campus AVID coordinator role, she supported teachers and campus initiatives by implementing WICOR schoolwide and celebrating student success. As a district coordinator, the impact of professional learning has become clear to her mission to align campus initiatives with the AVID Framework to ensure opportunity for all students. In 2021 she joined the team of AVID Staff Developers.

Ellen Nickerson, M.S.
Director, Teaching & Learning

Ellen currently serves as the Director of Teaching and Learning at AVID Center. She brings expertise in AVID, professional learning, curriculum, and instruction to her leadership role in developing AVID's programs, products, and services. Ellen joined AVID in 2005. During her tenure, she has supported districts in the Eastern Region, facilitated national and regional professional learning, and overseen professional learning and resource development and AVID Schoolwide. Throughout her career, Ellen has provided leadership to teachers in instruction and school reform and has taught at the elementary, middle, secondary, and postsecondary levels.  

Laurie Kirkland, M.Ed
Director, Digital Learning 

Laurie is the Director of Digital Learning at AVID Center. She joined AVID in 2016. Laurie was the lead writer for the first Digital Teaching and Learning strand that was added to the AVID professional learning catalog in 2018. She has supported teachers and provided professional learning in math, STEM, blended learning, and technology integration through a variety of district level specialist positions. Laurie brings expertise in integrating technology meaningfully to engage students in meeting learning outcomes with the support of digital tools, resources, and various learning management platforms.