Conference Season Kickoff

Special Events | March 4, 2020

What do tarantulas, roller-skates, and hissing cockroaches have in common? Well, nothing really, other than they all were found in the Exhibitor Hall at the 2020 MnAEYC-MnSACA Annual State Conference! If you were one of the hundreds of people in attendance, we’re sure you agree the MnAEYC-MnSACA annual conference didn’t disappoint! It’s always a reliable choice for valuable knowledge and excitement.

Here at Achieve, the MnAEYC-MnSACA Annual State Conference is an annual highlight as it tends to be our first conference of the year. Our Achieve team members take turns attending conferences throughout the year. You’ll find us hosting tables where we meet people, answer questions, and hand out fun Achieve swag. You may also see us while presenting, volunteering, and/or attending, just like you! Conferences are an invaluable opportunity to come together and make meaningful connections.

Julia, Dani, and Sawe represented Achieve at this year’s MnAEYC-MnSACA Annual State Conference held in January. They’ve shared some of their favorite conference highlights and experiences below.

“I have presented at a couple conferences and attended even more. In 2019, I presented with Dani at the Milestone’s Caring for a Lifetime Conference in Sauk Rapids and attended the annual National Workforce Registry Alliance Conference in Minneapolis. It is always so much fun to connect with people face-to-face and learn about new developments in this field. At this year’s MnAEYC-MnSACA conference, I had the opportunity to experience a whole new side of conferences as part of the conference planning committee. It made for a whirlwind weekend! It was so fulfilling to connect with our colleagues at MnAEYC-MnSACA and help them put together such a wonderful experience for the dedicated individuals in the field. I even held a boa constrictor and a tarantula! Maybe next year I’ll work up the courage to hold a hissing cockroach… Bruce the Bug Guy almost has me convinced that they aren’t that scary!” – Julia, Achieve’s Data Verification Coordinator

“I thoroughly enjoy attending conferences, no matter how big or small. As an exhibitor, conferences are such a great opportunity to promote Achieve and share exactly what we do and the valuable resources we offer to the field. At the MnAEYC-MnSACA conference, I appreciated all the great questions and feedback we received and enjoyed getting to meet with other exhibitors. I also had a great time roller-skating around the conference for a bit, thanks to Skatetime School Programs!” – Dani, Achieve’s Data Verification Specialist

“The MnAEYC–MnSACA conference was my first conference experience! It was a pleasure to represent Achieve and interact with people by offering in-person support. The exhibits at the conference were remarkable. One of my greatest highlights from the conference was trying something I would’ve never imagined doing – I held my very first tarantula and not one, but two hissing cockroaches! It was great to be involved, I learned so much.” – Sawe, Document Intake Specialist

Please come by our tables and visit us at these upcoming conferences:

• The 6^th Annual Early Childhood Career & Education Fair
  • Thursday, March 5^th at the Dakota County Technical College
• The 2020 MN Division for Early Childhood Spring Practitioner’s Conference
  • Friday, March 6^th at Crowne Plaza in Bloomington

As you can tell, conference season 2020 is off to a great start! As always, Achieve is looking for new conferences and training events to attend. If your organization is planning a conference and is interested in Achieve attending as an exhibitor and/or presenter, contact us at support@mncpd.org with the date and details. We’d love to be involved!