Sharing A Vision: Making It Happen

The 6th Illinois Statewide Collaborative
Early Childhood Conference

November 1-3, 1999
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield, Illinois

Welcome

Dear Conference Participant,

Mabuhay (mah-boo-high) is the Tagalog word for welcome. Literally it means to live and by doing that we can make things happen. This year's Sharing A Vision conference them of "Making It Happen" eoncourages us to turn our dreams and ideas to reality—to live out those dreams—to make IT happen for the children and families of Illinois.

To provide you with ideas on how to make it happen, our dedicated planning committee worked diligently the last 13 months to make this conference a reality. The 6th Sharing A Vision conference promises to be a memorable event for everyone. We planned a conference filled with sessions and activities that we hope will challenge your mind, nourish your heart and body, and extend your network of friends.

Look through your conference book to find where the "happening" places are and make sure that you don't miss any of it! We invited nationally and locally recognized speakers to share their expertise on various early childhood topics during our plenary, full and half-day workshops, and early bird sessions. In addition, we invited various state programs to showcase their ideas, resources, and information. Finally, we encouraged local and national exhibitors to sell quality materials and supplies throughout the conference.

For our "seasoned" Sharing A Vision conference attendees, nothing pleases us more than to be able to say Welcome Back! We read your comments from the 1997 conference. We took notes on what you liked and what you would like to see done differently. We hope that you will be pleased with the changes we made at this year's conference.

Your feedback is very important. Please take time to complete the evaluation forms included in your packet and return them to us before you leave the conference. Your feedback will help us plan the 20901 Sharing A Vision conference.

As we turn our eyes towards the new century, let us not forget who and what brought us here. This being hte last Sharing A Vision conference for the 20th century makes it much more important to recognize the many individuals who supported us through the years. It goes without saying thatthe children and families of Illinois have greatly benefited from your continued support of this conference. Our heartfelt gratitude to all of you.

On behalf of the 1999 Sharing A Vision Conference Planning Committee, I hope that you enjoy the conference and Mabuhay!

Amy Santos
1999 Sharing A Vision Conference Co-Chair

Sample Topics

As Good as It Gets: Creating Optimum Learning Environments for Children with Autism
The Project Approach: Introduction and Simulation—A Hands-On Experience
Writing an Interagency Agreement between Early Childhood Programs and Public Schools
Enriching Preschool Emergent Literacy Skills Using Assistive Technology
A Single Point of Entry—Rockford School District and Head Start

Photos

Click on the thumbnail image to view a larger image.

Photographs by Debbie Bruns and Amy Santos.


The registration booth was busy throughout the conference with over 1,900 conference attendees checking in!

The calm before the big rush at the registration booth.

There were always snacks to munch on in the the exhibit hall.	With about 50 exhibitors showing their ware, the exhibit hall was bustling!	State Superintendent Max McGee at the opening session.

Associate Superintendent Mary Jayne Broncato at the opening session.	A view of the audience from the podium during the opening session.

Lynette and Tweety (holding an Isabel Bloom sculpture) talk about the Jeanette McCollum service to the field award.	The very entertaining Jim Gill.	Jim Gill having fun with the audience!

The audience having fun with Jim Gill!

Swing dancing was a hit with the attendees.	Swing dancers all in a row.