HARTA Mini-Conference
May 5, 2021
HARTA’s Mini-Conference will be on Wednesday, May 5th from 9:30 AM. to 3:40 PM.
The following sessions have been confirmed:
- Tom Dirsa, a local historian, will do a session on Leduc and District’s History.
- Audra Stevenson, of the Leftover Foundation, an organization dedicated to distributing unused food that would otherwise be thrown out will do a session on how her organization helps provide food at a more reasonable price.
- Noel Cairney will do a session on Laughter Yoga.
- Marilyn Bossert, Past President of ARTA will present the keynote to commence the Conference as well as a session on ACER—CART, the Canadian federation of retired teachers’ associations for Canada’s Provinces and territories.
More about the Presenters
Marilyn Bossert
Marilyn Bossert, ARTA’s current Past President, began her journey with ARTA as a columnist for news&views. That journey continued as she served as a member of the ARTA Board of Directors and, over time, on every ARTA standing committee.
Prior to ARTA, Marilyn taught junior high English Language Arts at JR Robson High School in Vermilion. Within her community, she remains active with the Agricultural Fair and continues to support the Music Festival.
In retirement, her passions continue to be quilting and spending as much time as possible with her family, especially her grandchildren.
Her beliefs coincide with the ARTA Mission Statement that supports an engaged lifestyle after retirement through member-centred services, advocacy, communication, wellness and leadership.
Marilyn will be giving the Keynote Presentation to start our Mini-Conference as well the presentation on ACER—CART (a federation of Canada’s Provincial and Territorial Retired Teachers’ Associations.)
Tom Dirsa
Tom grew up on the tip of Cape Cod in Massachusetts and moved to Alberta, Canada for two years, which became a lifetime.
After a successful 38 year career as a teacher, basketball coach, and school administrator he retired to Leduc, Alberta.
Since his retirement, Tom began a second career as a writer. He wrote the Alberta Distant Learning Preview/Review programs for the Junior High Social Studies courses. In 2017 he was the author of Canada Becomes a Federation as part of the Canada Turns 150 series.
For the past few years, he has published a series of children’s picture books about a child with ADHD as he learns to cope with the world around him. They are based on his experience with his grandson who was diagnosed with ADHD. In 2018 working with the Leduc Public Library he published an updated history book of Leduc called Leduc: Then & Now.
Currently, he is working on a second Leduc history book and speaking at teacher conventions.
Audra Stevenson
For the last decade, Audra has taken ideas and transformed them into solutions that have had a positive impact in the arts, technology, and small business sectors across Alberta. By combining a BFA in technical theatre from the University of Alberta and an MBA from the University of Calgary, Audra has developed the perfect skillset to build creative solutions to large societal problems. Audra has now found her home at Leftovers Foundation, where she has focused on the social innovation of our food systems.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to more families than ever going to bed hungry. Food insecurity now affects over 600,000 Albertans, but at the Leftovers Foundation, we know that we can get food to those who need it by working together. Discover how you can make a major difference in your community with just half an hour of your time and an app on your phone.
Noel Cairney
Noel is a retired educator from Northern Alberta who has worked with students from 18 months to 81 plus years of age. After a fortuitous FaceBook pop up ad in 2009, she discovered the world of Therapeutic Humour and has never looked back. In 2010, in Orlando, Florida, she became a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader and Leader Trainer under founder Dr. Madan Kataria and has also studied with Steve Wilson from World Laughter Tour.
Noel’s passion for Laughter and learning took her to West Virginia for three weeks to work with the renowned therapeutic clown, Patch Adams, who inspired the name of Noel’s breakthrough palliative care project, “The Last Laugh”. She is excited to share the benefits of Laughter, Humour and happiness with you.
This presentation will focus on Laughter and Joy. We will discuss the health benefits of laughing ‘for no reason’ and experience a mini–Laughter Yoga session involving breathing, stretching and playfulness. Noel will share her experience with Patch Adams doing Therapeutic Clowning with incarcerated youth, elderly in care homes and the general public. Get ready to chuckle, giggle and belly laugh!
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