Region 11
The Minnesota Centers of Excellence for Young Children with Disabilities is the statewide professional development system for early childhood special education (ECSE). Professional Development Facilitators (PDF) in each of the state's eight economic development regions work to connect, support and empower local leaders to build capacity. Through these joint efforts, young children and their families are accessing and benefiting from high-quality programs and services throughout the state.
In some instances, the boundaries of educational districts do not align with the eight economic development regions' boundaries. In instances when a cooperative or district's boundaries are found in more than one region, the district's PDF and service region are assigned based upon the county in which a program's leader is housed.
Counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington
Jennifer Blank
jennifer.blank@brightworksmn.orgJennifer Blank is an ECSE Professional Development Facilitator for Region 11. She has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in early intervention since 1997, and brings experience from the St. Croix County Birth to Three and Hudson School District ECSE and 4K programs. Jennifer’s service model practices include PSP/coaching, itinerant services, co-taught/full inclusion 4K, Headstart/ECSE partnerships, preschool speech-language groups, individual SL therapy, and SL consultation. Leadership projects around Child Find, 4K-5K Alignment, Primary Service Provision, Engaging Families in Early Literacy, EC Networking, and Crisis Response round out some of her involvement and interests. Collaboration with families, teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists, administrators, and other community partners has always been her goal when supporting high quality inclusion for preschoolers.
Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from the College of New Jersey, and earned a Master of Arts from the University of MN -Twin Cities. She holds educational Speech-Language licenses in both MN and WI and her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Jennifer lives in Hudson, WI with her husband, three daughters and no-less-than-three dogs.
Chastity Engelstad
chastity.engelstad@brightworksmn.orgChastity Engelstad is an ECSE Professional Development Facilitator (PDF) for Region 11. Chastity earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Language Hearing Sciences and a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Special Education. She is currently working toward completion of a Director of Special Education Program through Minnesota State University Mankato. Chastity holds a MN teaching license in Early Childhood Special Education and Physical and Health Disabilities. She has been in the field of education since 2000 and has spent most of her time as a Part C early intervention teacher, evaluation specialist, and peer coach with high quality inclusive practices as a priority. Outside of education, Chastity lives in Savage, MN with her family that includes her husband, four children, and many pets. She enjoys music, sports, biking and anything outdoors.
Jess Moen, Program Coordinator
Jess Moen is an Early Childhood Special Education Professional Development Facilitator with the Metro ECSU in the role of MN Centers of Excellence (MNCoE) Coordinator. Jess holds a Minnesota state teaching license for birth to third grade as well as a Minnesota state teaching license for special education: deaf/hard of hearing birth to age 21. Jess has primarily taught as an itinerant teacher in Bemidji, MN and surrounding school districts in Northwestern MN. She also works as the MN Statewide Specialist for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI).
