August 19, 2007
The 29th ISPA Colloquium “Meeting Individual and Community Needs”
This year the annual ISPA Colloquium took place between 24-28 July in the beautiful town of Tampere, in Finland. The theme, “Meeting Individual and Community Needs”, has reunited school psychologists, scholars and practitioners, from more than 35 countries.
The International School Psychology Association (ISPA), officially founded in 1982, is a Non-Governmental Organisation having a special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and being represented in UNESCO. It gathers school psychologists from around the world and aims, as an association, to promote a psychological healthy development for children everywhere, advance the psychological rights of children and enhance cooperation between professionals committed to improving children’s mental health and well-being.
Photo 1. Opening Ceremony:
A welcoming message from Arja Sigfrids, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee
The 29th ISPA Colloquium has been co-hosted by ISPA, the Finnish Federation of Psychologists Organisation and the Finnish Psychological Association’s Committee on School Psychology. Tampere Hall, as the largest congress and concert centre in Scandinavia, was the perfect venue for an international colloquium.
Photo 2. Tampere Hall, the Colloquium venue
The reunion benefited from an extremely well-balanced programme including both scientific and social activities. Among the scientific activities all participants had the opportunity to attend Keynote presentations in addition to paper or poster presentations (thematic sessions). ISPA workshops before and during the colloquium gave participants the chance to improve their skills on a variety of topics. Social and cultural events represented the perfect occasion to meet colleagues and make new friends as well as learn about Finland and Tampere.
Photo 3. The Moomin show at the Opening Ceremony
By reviewing the main themes presented during the Colloquium one has a better image of what currently concerns school psychologists worldwide: learning motivation and student engagement, teacher and parental support, peer relations (social skills) and well-being, cultural diversity and school adjustment, trauma, bullying and crisis management in schools.
There was the opportunity to visit a primary school, eat lunch as the students do in their dining hall and to spend a session in a classroom sharing and comparing the professional role and practices of the school psychologist.
Interaction groups and research groups meetings allowed participants to discuss their experiences, to share impressions, learn from others and extend cooperation at an international level.
Photo 4. The ISPA Executive Committee at the Closing Ceremony.
From left to right: Prof. Peter Farrell (Past President), Dr. Nora Katona (President), Prof. William Pfohl (next President-Elect), Dr. Roger Chauvette (Colloquium Coordinator), Coosje Griffiths (Secretary), Peter Whelley (Treasurer), Dr. Helen Bakker (President Elect) and Arja Sigfrids (LOC Chairman)
The 29th Colloquium has certainly been a success and to this accomplishment contributed not only all ISPA members involved in the Executive, Organising and Scientific committees but all participants that created the special “ISPA feeling”, a sensation of belonging to the community of school psychologists worldwide. For all those looking forward to a rewarding personal and professional experience there is always the next ISPA Colloquium, “School Psychology in a Changing Society”, held between 8-13 July 2008 in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Meet you there!
Vivienne Seidner, school psychologist,
Department of Education in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Vlad Glăveanu,
EJOP Editor