IECA San Diego 2013
This month, Jessica Breton, Program Director for the Optimum Performance Institute, and I attended the Independent Educational Consultants Association conference November 13 – 16 in San Diego. OPI’s founders and long-time supporters of IECA, Dr. Robert Fischer and Anne LaRiviere asked us to represent the Optimum Performance Institute and its OPI Intensive. We enjoyed our entire week of networking and promoting OPI & Roanne.
Pre-conference, the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs held its Link & Learn event for educational consultants on November 12, which we found to be extremely valuable. Link ‘n Learn is a relationship-building workshop, and is a means for educational consultants and member programs to become better acquainted. The NATSAP/IECA Link ‘n Learn is limited to 25 member programs and 20-25 educational consultants. This is a great opportunity for educational consultants to learn more about specific programs and widen their knowledge base for the benefits of the children and families that they serve.
Overall, the pre-conference and main conference provided several days of inspiring talks and in-depth discussions. In particular, one of the IECA keynote speakers presented a personal story that resonated with conference attendees. Jonathan Mooney, one of the most sought-after speakers in the country, gave a talk entitled, “Redrawing The Lines: A Compass to Change.” He is the author of “Learning Outside the Lines” and “The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal,” which have made him a leading voice on neurodiversity. Not having learned to read until he was 12, Mooney later earned a degree from Brown University in English Literature. Many say Mooney can be credited with creating unique pathways to college and careers for those who are at risk. He shared his compass for a changing world with an appreciative audience.
Both conferences also gave us great opportunities for personal interactions with professionals in the field. We were able to make several new connections and re-connect with those who already know of and have relationships with OPI & Roanne.
We also found the “School and College Fair and Therapeutic Program Information Swap” events on Thursday and Friday to be highly valuable. The buzzing energy and conversation, vibrant table displays, and eye-catching giveaways provided a great atmosphere to meet and interact with many different professionals in a short amount of time. Through these swaps, we felt we were able to broaden our network of resources, which will ultimately benefit potential and current clients.
In closing out the week, we sponsored the networking cocktail hour and had so much fun. It was a great way to relax after a long, busy week in a more casual setting. It allowed us to follow up with education consultants and program personnel we had met throughout the week and wish everyone well post conference.
Reflecting back on the conference, Jessica and I both appreciated being part of this experience, and we look forward to putting into practice much of what we learned.