A Brief History of Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) Conferences

1978

The first PEP conference convened in Colorado in 1978 and was funded by a federal grant that included up to four conferences per school year. Eligible participants could attend a PEP conference that offered a specified curriculum, and their lodging and food over the three days would be paid by the Colorado Department of Education's Exceptional Student Services Unit. For 46 years parents with children with disabilities aged 0-21 and professionals who worked with children and youth with disabilities aged 0-21, and their families, enjoyed a respite from home or work, enjoyed learning, lodging, meals, and networking with others with common concerns—all from a Thursday at 5:00 pm through a Saturday at 3:00 pm. PEP conferences were offered two to three times per school year. 

2004

The PEP Team began tracking PEP conferences from 2004 through to the present. The tracking included school years and locations of PEP conferences and comments from parents and professionals who had participated. The PEP Team uses this data both to improve the material offered and how conferences are delivered.

2018

The United States Department of Education (USDOE)’s federal funding removed food and beverages for participants. The spring PEP in April 26-28, 2018, in Crested Butte proceeded without food and beverages. 

2019

Special Education facilitators, advocates, and past PEP participants introduced Senate Bill 19-215 that sought to provide food and beverages for participants at PEP conferences. SB 19-215 was signed into law on March 25, 2019. Food and beverages resumed for participants beginning with the fall 2019 PEP conference. To view SB 19-215. Also in 2019 the State of Colorado fiscal rules changed the mileage reimbursement for all conference attendees. Those who lived less than 35 miles from the hotel venue (one-way) had to commute or pay for their own lodging, including CDE staff working at a conference. After 41 plus years not all PEP participants would have their lodging covered, beginning with the winter January 2020 conference. 

2020

The spring PEP conference on April 2-4, 2020, in Grand Junction, was cancelled due to COVID-19. Due to COVID-19 the PEP Team worked through the summer and fall of 2020 to transition the in-person PEP conferences to a virtual format.

2021

The new virtual PEP conferences were called PEP Academy, and the first online conference through Zoom was presented in winter, January 2021.

2022

PEP conference evaluation data showed that there was still an unmet need among families involved in special education. The PEP Team delivered the first all-Spanish language “PEP Academy in Spanish,” through Zoom on April 22, 2022.

2023

The State of Colorado fiscal rules again changed the mileage requirements during summer 2023: Conference attendees now must follow a 50-mile rule. This rule went into effect for the PEP conferences beginning January 2024. The CDE/ESSU would pay for lodging if a conference attendee’s commute was 50+ miles one way. Participant evaluations consistently mentioned that the 3-day conferences were overwhelming; the information was good, but there was so much to absorb. As a result, the PEP in-person conferences changed from a 3-day schedule (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) to a 2-day schedule (Friday and Saturday). 

2024

The new 2-day PEP in-person format was implemented for the winter PEP in January 2024 and the spring PEP in May 2024.