KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
ALEX LEE
Alex Lee is the self-proclaimed ‘coolest guy other than Cristiano Ronaldo to walk the earth,’ despite being just an eighth grader at Upper Merion Middle School. His boisterous sense of confidence and fancy title come from the effects of being 100 percent included at school since preschool. Since coming to middle school, he has received honor roll every single marking period, given keynote speeches every few months or so, and has just been having an awesome time trying to teach the world about the importance of full inclusion in middle school. At age 14, he already has an impressive resume that includes modeling for Toys R Us, doing a TV appearance on a Sprout show, singing opera in Italian on various stages, and speaking at the UN Headquarters in NYC. Isabelle Lee, Alex’s part time assistant and part time sister, is able to tag along for the ride thanks to her brother who continuously provides the most entertaining stories along with the most profound messages. She has been having quite a time getting invited to do keynote speeches at various educational conferences to retell her family’s story and crack some jokes. She has been advocating for inclusion for all students since she was four years old and doing keynote speeches since she was eleven years old. This young, naturally gifted public speaker has been having lots of fun in the past six years making audiences all over the country laugh and cry with her talks.
PHIL STRAIN
Dr. Phil S. Strain is James C. Kennedy Endowed Chair in Urban Education at the Morgridge College of Education and Director of the PELE Center, University of Denver. He is the author of over 300 scientific publications, has served on the editorial boards of 22 professional journals and has been Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator of grants and contracts totaling over 80 million dollars. He is particularly interested in expanding inclusive preschool options, comprehensive services for young children with autism and prevention and intervention for children with challenging behaviors.