The Conference Schedule
Youth Gathering – Wednesday Evening
Come meet other youth, unwind from your travels, and get a sneak preview of the conference experience.
Youth Center
The Youth Center is a laid-back place to hang out with your friends and to make some new ones. It was designed by young people for young people and has something for everyone!
The Youth Center is open Wednesday until 10:00 p.m., Thursday and Friday until midnight, and Saturday till noon, but never during the assemblies.
10 Reasons to Hang Out in the Youth Center:
- Relax
- Listen to your favorite music – bring your mp3 players along!
- Meet new friends from around the world
- Challenge others at board games and cards
- Explore your role as a change agent
- Answer the question, “Who am I?” through interactive surveys
- Enjoy movies
- Interact with other youth leaders
- Reflect on the conference experience
- Be inspired by others’ stories
Participant musician rehearsals
Do you like to sing and meet others who do as well? Our resident musician, Harry Pickens, invites you to sing in the official Conference Choir. Harry has composed music especially for this conference, and you’ll be amazed at the music you and your fellow participants will make together. The choir will perform during the closing assembly on Saturday, November 7th! Two practices are required—one of your choice from four options and one on Friday evening.
Give Back
Put conference theme Surviving to Thriving into action (in your free time). Kids Against Hunger is a Cincinnati-based program that supplies nourishing, life saving food to hungry children here and around the world. Thanks to generous businesses who have provided the financial resources for the supplies, you can donate 1 or 2 hours of your time to pack enough nutritional meals to feed a starving child for an entire year! You will receive more information a few weeks before the event.
Breakthrough to Thriving - General
Listening to respected leaders speak to a large group is inspirational, but the chance to interact with them in a smaller group can be life changing. This is your chance to participate in a more intimate exchange concerning trends, movements, and ideas that have the potential to create a major breakthrough to thriving.
Gather and Gab
These comfortable seating areas scattered throughout the Millennium Hotel and the Duke Energy convention center are designed to help you take advantage of the opportunity to connect with others from around the world who are in similar situations, experiencing similar things, or who are uniquely different! Watch for scheduled topics, sectors, and affinities, or create your own by emailing an idea to jeffp@search-institute.org, or drop by the conference office in room 260 with a suggestion!
The Pit
One of the things we expect you to do at the conference is have a little fun. You spend most of your time helping others, rarely taking time for yourself—now have some fun! Enjoy interactive video games, Wii games, old school favorites, and everything in between. Challenge your colleagues or new friends in a game of basketball, pool, air hockey, foosball, or skeeball, or run the inflatable obstacle course!
Tips and Tools for Real Conversation between Youth and Adults
In past conferences attendees have wished for more intergenerational conversations. One of the fabulous ways to think about these conversations is to use a great tool called Appreciative Inquiry. The activity, which includes dinner, is going to give you some familiarity with the approach, a chance to try it out (with someone who is NOT your age!) and a "crib sheet" to take home so you can use the process again. Come and have a great time...and an even greater conversation!
Boxed Lunch
Go to the registration page and order a boxed lunch!
Ideas That Cook
Come share best practices, glean from the experience and creativity of others, or connect with those who may be facing a similar situation as you. This is not a learning session, but a place to find inspiration! Do not be shy, show off those T-shirt designs, handouts, gadgets, and whatever else has made an impact on your work.
International Convocation: Creating a Learning Network for Asset Building Internationally
