BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA

Area 10 Conference Guide

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island & Vermont

Peer Education Ideas & Strategies:

Unleash Your Potential

Sunday, March 29, 2015

University of Connecticut

BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA Area 10 Conference
Peer Education Ideas & Strategies: Unleash Your Potential

University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT

March 29, 2015

On behalf of the BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA and the Area 10 Leadership Team, we are delighted to bring this year’s regional conference back to the University of Connecticut. The conference is hosted by Joleen Nevers,Health Education Coordinator, and Advisor to the UConn Sexperts.

This year’s conference theme is “Peer Education Ideas & Strategies: Unleash Your Potential.” This conference will aim to explore the many aspects of student leadership and how peer educators and advisors can work to create positive change on their campuses.

The Area 10 Conference is a great opportunity for your peer education group to:

  • get new program ideas on a variety of health & wellness issues relevant to working with college students
  • gain new knowledge and skills to support your peer education efforts
  • network with other peer educators & advisors from across New England
  • learn how to revitalize, recruit and reenergize your organization
  • learn more about how the BACCHUS Initiatives of NASPA can support your efforts

Read through this guide for full details on registration, program proposals, award nominations, and travel/lodging.

Conference Website

For the most current information about the Area 10 Conference, visit:

Important Deadlines

Award Nominations: Friday, February 20

Call for Programs: Friday, February 20

Early Registration: Friday, March 6

Late Registration: Friday, March 27

Schedule

Use the following schedule for planning travel. All conference participants will receive a detailed schedule of all breakout sessions and conference activities when you check-in at the conference.

8:00 am to 8:45 am Conference Check-in and Continental Breakfast

8:45 am to 5:00 pmConference Activities, including Welcome & Opening Session, Keynote Address, Breakout Sessions, Lunch, Raffles, and an Awards Ceremony!

Questions?

Contact the appropriate member of the planning committee listed below.

Registration/Travel Joleen

Awards Nominations Karen

Program Proposals Beth-Anne

Amanda

All other questions should be directed to:

Ryan Travia, Area 10 Consultant (617)-496-0133

A Message from Your Conference Host

The University of Connecticut is delighted to host the BACCHUS Area 10 Spring Conference this year, and we are eager to welcome peer educators and advisors to our beautiful campus in Storrs, Connecticut!UConn is eager to bring together the members of Area 10 so that we can share our ideas, experience and passion for peer education. During this conference we hope that each participant energized and refreshed. We hope participants leave ready to bring their energy back continue to do great work on their campus and in their communities. Thank you for attending and we hope it is a great conference!

Conference Etiquette

Attending a BACCHUS Area 10 Conference is a great opportunity to network, gain valuable information from other institutions and possibly present to fellow peers. For some students, this is the first opportunity to attend a professional conference. This etiquette guide is offered to advisors and student participants to provide information on what to expect and how to maintain professionalism while at the conference.

The Area 10 Conference typically has an opening ceremony and general sessions where all of the peer educators come together in one room. This allows for participants to meet students from other institutions and to see all of the participants in one space. There will also be break-out sessions where students will be able to pick one session out of several topics offered during each break-out session. The break-out sessions are in smaller rooms and can be led by students, advisors or other professionals. The BACCHUS Area 10 conference strongly encourages student-led workshops for the growth of the participants.

Every session may not appeal to each institution. Therefore, students should seek different experiences and look at the approach in addition to the educational material. For example, a school where sex education cannot be taught should consider attending a sexuality program so that they might be able to take aspects of the program and apply them to the topics they are already implementing. Similarly, a sexuality peer education group should consider attending an alcohol and other drug presentation so that they can incorporate aspects of it into their programming. Attending sessions with different topics may be helpful for individuals to not only learn about, but also apply the information gained from these sessions in other settings or opportunities that may arise. Being exposed to a variety of presentation styles and campus perspectives may help students approach their peer education work in a new way.

For Advisors:

Advisors are strongly encouraged to attend the conference with their peer educators. However, whether an advisor is attending the conference or sending students on their own, please consider having a conversation prior to the conference about these points:

  • Encourage students to be respectful and to listen to all speakers, especially in large groups such as general sessions.
  • Assign or split up the group so that students are attending the majority of the workshops instead of just two or three.
  • Ask students to get to know at least two students from different institutions.
  • Challenge students to move out of their comfort zone and to sit away from the students that they know during break-out sessions.
  • Create a space to talk about the conference after it concludes and ask students to hold on to criticism until this time.
  • Ask students to share positive information with other members of the group who weren’t able to attend the conference.
  • Discuss what information or ideas might be implemented from the conference.

For Participants:

  • Challenge oneself by getting to know other individuals from different campuses.
  • Keep side conversations and comments to a minimum in both the general sessions and break-out sessions.
  • Exchange contact information with people you would like to follow-up with after the conference to share resources, programming ideas, continue conversations, etc.
  • Constructive criticism is helpful. Please include it in the evaluations so that presenters can learn and improve personally and conference planners can improve the overall experience of the conference.
  • Some criticism can be destructive to oneself and a group; oftentimes, students don’t know who is around them hearing the criticism. If a person has to share this criticism, please do so away from the conference.
  • Choose different sessions to attend on your own and share information with your peer education group.
  • If attending a session with your peer education group, sit separately to get to know different students.

Conference Registration

Peer Education Ideas & Strategies: Unleash Your Potential

University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT

March 29, 2015

Registration Link:

Registration Fees

  • NASPA Member ($95 after March 6)$65 per person
  • Non-Member ($125 after March 6)$95 per person

Fee includes conference materials, facility fees, continental breakfast, lunch, and a snack. Payments must be received as soon as possible after registration, but no later than the start of the conference on March 22, 2015.

Cancellation Policy

Because this conference is coordinated on a small budget, we ask you to consider the following: If a cancellation is made, the conference planners are usually unable to recover costs for items that are arranged well in advance. These include printing and other material costs. When the planners are able to reduce the costs (i.e. meals up to one week before the conference) then partial refunds may be possible. Specifics regarding the cancellation/refund policy are listed below.

The cancellation deadline is March 13, 2015. Requests for cancellations must be in writing and sent to Ryan Travia at . A $25 cancellation fee will be deducted from your refund.

Institutions/Organizations may elect to substitute participants. All efforts will be made to accommodate any requests for substitutions after March 13, 2015, but cannot be guaranteed.

Conference planners and sponsors cannot be held responsible for changes of conference plans due to weather, transportation, acts of terrorism, acts of God, or other possible incidents that may result in non-attendance. In the event of unforeseen situations, every effort will be made to refund any costs that can be recovered by the conference planners. There is no guarantee of any refund in this situation.

Call for Program Proposals

Peer Education Ideas & Strategies: Unleash Your Potential

University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT

March 29, 2015

The Area 10 Conference relies on its attendees to submit Program Proposals to fill our schedule of breakout sessions. All sessions are 60 minutes long. Please be sure to note on page 8 your audio/visual needs.

Follow these directions to submit a Program Proposal:

1. Review program proposal form (pages 7 – 8 of this packet) and collect required information.
Designate one person as the Program Coordinator for the Program Proposal. The Program Coordinator should be prepared with the information required on the form before submitting your program proposal. Missing information may result in your program not being considered.

2. Submit your completed Program Proposal no later than Friday,February 20, 2015.
Complete all fields accurately and review carefully before submitting. E-mail completed program proposal forms toBeth-Anne Vieira . Proposals submitted after February 20 will not be considered.

3. Look for program notification no later than Friday, February 27, 2015.
The Program Selection Chairs, Beth-Anne Vieira and Amanda Vann, will notify the Program Coordinator via e-mail no later than Friday, February 27, 2015, as to whether your program proposal has been selected for presentation.

4. Questions?

If you have questions about your proposal, wish to withdraw your proposal from consideration, or can no longer present your program, please contact the Program Selection Chairs:

Beth-Anne Vieira, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth
MA State Coordinator

Amanda Vann

ME/NH/VT State Coordinator

Program Proposal: Area 10 Spring Conference

University of Connecticut

March 29, 2015

Your Program Proposal must be submitted no later than 12pm (noon) on Friday, February 20, 2015. Program Proposal should be e-mailed to .

BACCHUS Area 10 invites you to submit a program proposal to present a 60-minute breakout session at our Spring Conference. Proposals from peer education groups and advisors are given preference. Proposals from other staff, faculty and prevention professionals are also welcome. Presenters should register for the conference by Friday, March 6, 2014, and pay applicable registration fees.

Organization Information

College/University name or Agency Name:

Please complete the following four items if you are a peer educator or group advisor

Peer Education Group Name:

Advisor Name:

Advisor E-mail:

Advisor Phone:

Program Coordinator

This person will be notified if the proposal is accepted and contacted with any questions. This information is REQUIRED for consideration.

Name:

E-Mail:

Phone:

Program Proposal

Program Title:

Presenter 1 Name/Title:

Presenter 2 Name/Title:

Presenter 3 Name/Title:

Presenter 4 Name/Title:

Presenter 5 Name/Title:

Presenter 6 Name/Title:

Select up to three topic categories addressed by your program (Please bold your choices):

Health Topics:

Alcohol & Other Drugs

Impaired Driving

Mental Health

Nutrition & Fitness

Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention

Sexual Health

Stress Management

Tobacco Cessation

Other Wellness Topics

Peer Education Issues:

Advisor Needs

Assessment & Evaluation

Diversity

Group Development & Training

Health Promotion Theory & Practice

Leadership Development

Program Development & Event Planning

Marketing & Publicity

Recruitment & Retention

Program Abstract

Please describe your program in 125 words or less, as you would like for it to appear in the conference booklet. This will help participants decide whether to attend your session.

Program Description

Please describe your program in 750 words or less, including a brief program outline, intended learning objectives, and what opportunities for audience interaction should be included. This description is critical in the selection process, as it determines whether your program is selected.

Audio/Visual Needs

All rooms will be equippedwithDVD, projection, screen and a CPU. Be prepared to provide your own equipment for other A/V needs not listed below. You are encouraged to bring your own laptop. Please bold your additional needs.

We will need an easel pad/newsprint with markers.

We will need a projector/screen.

We will need a room with flexible seating or open space.

We will need a separate DVD player.

This program will be loud; please separate us from other programs.

Please list other needs:

Acknowledgements

By submitting a program proposal, you are acknowledging the following:

  1. I have reviewed all information on this program proposal for accuracy, including correct spelling. Please understand it will be used to create the conference booklet as written.
  2. I understand that the Program Selection Chair will notify me by email no later than March 6 as to whether this proposal has been accepted or not. I understand that I should contact the program chairsif I have questions or wish to remove this proposal from consideration.
  3. I understand that all presenters must register to attend the conference and pay the appropriate fees.
  4. Please print or save a copy of your proposal.

Thank you for considering submitting a proposal to the BACCHUS Area 10 Conference.

Awards Nomination

Peer Education Ideas & Strategies: Unleash Your Potential

University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT

March 29, 2015

The Area 10 Conference presents awards to the most deserving individuals and groups for their efforts in the past year. One award in each of following five categories will be presented:

  • Outstanding Peer Educator
  • Outstanding Advisor
  • Outstanding Program
  • Outstanding Peer Education Group
  • Outstanding Alumnus

Only BACCHUS Network-affiliated peer educators, advisors, and groups are eligible to be nominated. Alumnus must have been an active member of a BACCHUS Network-affiliated peer education group prior to graduation.Award winners for Outstanding Program and Outstanding Peer Education Group will each receive one free scholarship for the 2016 Area 10 Conference.

Follow these directions to submit an Award Nomination:

1. Review awards submission form (pages 10 – 11 of this packet) and collect required information.

Designate one person as the contact person for the Award Nomination. Missing information may result in your nomination not being considered.

2. Submit completed Award Nomination no later than noon on Friday, February 20, 2015.
Complete all fields accurately and review them carefully before submitting. E-mail completed award nominations to Karen Flanagan at . Nominations submitted after February 20 will not be considered.

3. Look for a confirmation e-mail. If a confirmation e-mail is not received within three business days, please contact Karen Flanagan at .

4. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony at the Area 10 Conference.
Award nominees do not need to be present at the conference to win.

5. Questions?

If you have questions about your nomination or wish to withdraw your nomination from consideration,
please contact the Awards Selection Chair:

Karen Flanagan, Sacred HeartUniversity

CT/RI State Coordinator

Awards: Area 10 Spring Conference

University of Connecticut

March 29, 2015

Your Award Nomination must be submitted no later than Friday, February 20, 2015, at Noon.

BACCHUS Area 10 invites you to submit an Award Nomination for our Spring Conference. Please utilize the Award Nomination Form below to nominate a deserving individual or group. Only Area 10 BACCHUS Network-affiliated peer education groups, advisors and peer educators are eligible to be nominated. Alumnus must have been an active member or advisor with a BACCHUS Network-affiliated peer education group. Winners will be announced during the Awards Ceremony at the Area 10 Conference. Nominees do not need to be present at the conference to be nominated or to win. Be sure to review the form for accuracy and spelling.

Award Categories

Area 10 will present one award in each of the categories outlined below. Feel free to use these criteria as a guideline while completing the Award Submission Form.

1.Outstanding Peer Educator

A peer educator, who has demonstrated commitment to their peer education program, excelled in leadership roles, maintained academic success and who has made a significant contribution to your peer education program.

2.Outstanding Advisor

An advisor who has shown commitment to their peer education group, leadership in health and wellness, positive role modeling, and has brought unique perspective/talents to their role as advisor.

3.Outstanding Program

A program which has impacted individuals and/or the campus community, effectively involved peer educators, fostered growth of individual peer educators or the group as a whole, created collaboration with other campus groups or organizations, demonstrated effectiveness, and incorporated creativity and appreciation of diversity. This is designed for stand-alone programs, not a series of events for an awareness week or month.

4.Outstanding Peer Education Group

A peer education group which shows commitment to impacting their campus community, accepts growth and leadership opportunities, works effectively as a team, collaborates well with campus groups and organizations, and demonstrates passion, creativity, and follow-through in activities.

5.Outstanding Alumnus

An alumnus of either a peer education group or an advising role who has, since graduating or leaving the position, contributed to their community through their work or philanthropy and has served as a positive role model to BACCHUS.

Award Submission Form

  1. Please list the contact information for the individual/group submitting the Award.

This person will be contacted with any questions regarding this Award Nomination.

Name:

Email: