2015 AMERICAN SCHOOL HEALTH ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE-OCTOBER 15-17

Dear Florida School Counselor Association, The American School Health Association (ASHA) is holding our 2015 Annual School Health Conference in Orlando, Florida during October 15-17, and we would love to see you there! About ASHA and the Conference ASHA is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to transforming all schools into places where students learn and thrive. ASHA is the only national organization dedicated to a coordinated school health approach to health and learning. Our annual conference is unique, bringing together health and education professionals from across the country to discover what’s new and what works in school health. You will interact with like-minded professionals from the fields of nursing, medicine, health education, physical education, school administration, nutrition, mental health and counseling, and more. You will leave the conference motivated and inspired, ready to share new ideas and strategies with your colleagues! Planning Your ASHA Experience: Conference Overview Our programming begins at 9am on Thursday morning and continues through 12 pm on Saturday. We’ll kick things off with a choice of two pre-conference sessions titled “A Magical School Health Story to Use and Remember” and “Gender Identity Issues Impact Us All” (a separate fee of $55 is required for pre-conference sessions). Pre-conference session descriptions are provided further below. Your full conference registration fee covers sessions beginning at 1 pm that will focus on advocacy, research and emerging issues, and teaching strategies. These will be followed by a “first timers welcome” session and our 2-hour Sip & Stroll poster session featuring over 60 diverse posters. Friday morning’s keynote speaker will be Kenneth Ginsburg, MD, MS Ed., a pediatrician and specialist in adolescent medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Director of Health Services at Covenant House in Philadelphia. Dr. Ginsburg will speak on “Resilience in Action: Preparing Children and Adolescents to Thrive”. Friday's schedule includes a variety of workshops, the ASHA Awards Luncheon, and an evening reception sponsored by Indiana University (all included in the registration fee). Exhibits will be open throughout the day on Friday. Saturday morning will feature Dr. Wayne Giles from CDC speaking on the “Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child” model of coordinated school health. Saturday morning sessions will end at 12 pm. *Click here to access the full schedule of oral sessions and register today. Sessions to Meet Your Needs: Conference Tracks To keep you up-to-date on trends and evidence-based best practices in school health, the conference offers multiple continuing education opportunities for Certified Health Education Specialists (CECH and Adv. CECH), Nurses (CNEs) and Registered Dietitians (CPEU). By attending sessions covered by the four key areas below, you’ll leave the conference reinvigorated: The Administration, Coordination & Leadership track features sessions focused on the implementation of PreK-12 coordinated school health programs at the national, state, and local level. The Programs & Services track features sessions focused on the innovative delivery of school health programs and services. The Research & Emerging Issues track features sessions focused on research that impact members of the school health team and that address child and adolescent health issues. The Teaching & Learning track features sessions focused on health education and physical education instruction in PreK-12 school settings or the university-based preparation of individuals for school-based health education and physical education instruction.​ Pre-Conference Sessions On the morning of Thursday, October 15th, you can participate in one of two great pre-conference sessions. Please note that a separate fee of $55 is required for these workshops and CEUs will be awarded. The three-hour sessions allow for more interaction and activity and focus on two timely topics: Gender Identity Issues Impact Us All Presenters: Nora Gelperin, Advocates for Youth; Dan Rice, Answer This workshop addresses the need for all school health professionals, regardless of grade level, to be educated about and proactive when addressing issues related to gender identity, including transgender students, staff and their families. Gender identity, often confused with sexual orientation, impacts instructional programs, athletics, access to facilities and even comfort among professionals as they struggle to ensure their school reflects the latest recommendations around inclusion. This interactive workshop will engage participants in the latest information about gender identity, share examples of its impact on school health education, and feature best practices and resources for school health professionals and educators at every grade level. A Magical School Health Story to Use and Remember Presenters: Jessica Lawrence, Cairn Guidance; Kymm Ballard, SPARK In this session, attendees will participate in an activity called a “School Health Storyline” that describes one local school’s adventure through the coordinated school health (CSH) process. Tools used within a CSH program will be shared as well as sample agendas, action plans and implementation successes. Attendees will be actively engaged in a variety of activities, brainstorms and sharing opportunities. Details, Details, Details… Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista: Book your reservation before September 14th to take advantage of the group rate of $149 per night. Reserve your hotel room online, or call 1-800-782-4414 and be sure to identify yourself as part of the “American School Health Association.” ASHA has secured special discounts to Disney theme parks and golf courses for you and your guests. Please visit here for details.  Sponsor and exhibit opportunities are still available! Please contact Trish Smith at tsmith@ashaweb.org or 705-506-7675 for assistance. We hope to see you there! Sincerely, ASHA Headquarters ** Please note that you will need to login to the ASHA site to register for the conference. If you are an ASHA member or have an existing profile in our database, login and proceed to the “Online Store.” If you are not an ASHA member and have never logged in to our site before, complete the “New Visitor Registration” form under the “Login” tab and then proceed to the “Online Store”.