Faculty and Students-
I am reaching out to you as educators and students in the field of parks and recreation across the state of Illinois in the hopes that you will help us spread the word of some opportunities for students coming up.
As you may be aware, we are just four weeks away from the largest park and state conference in the country, happening in ChicagoJanuary 18-20, 2018, the Soaring to New Heights Conference. We have student scholarships available- the deadline for these scholarship applications is Wednesday, January 3, 2018.
For students, there are ways for them to offset expenses to make conference more affordable. These are the steps we would suggest to students:
1. First, sign up for FREE student membership in Illinois Park and Recreation to get free member benefits and opportunities for the next twelve months at: https://ilipra.org/ILIPRA/Join_Now/Student_App.aspx
2. Then, register for conference at the student rate of $110 at https://www.cteusa.com/ilparks9/
3. Select the option for "Student" at $110, then check the box where it asks, "Students: I would like to participate in the Awards Luncheon at no additional cost."
4. At conference, we have several unique options just for students to learn new skills and advance their careers including:
a. University socials for several Illinois colleges and universities where current students and alumni get together to grow their professional network.
b. “Sponsor a Student” which matches up students with professionals at the Awards Luncheon, which is free only for students. In this program, you will be matched with an agency and you will be their special guest, to allow you to meet high level professionals in the field and make more connections. Students have found these opportunities helpful for when they are later looking for employment opportunities. To sign up for the free Sponsor a Student program, be sure to select it on your conference registration form.
c. Professional Connection- whichprovides a relaxed, social atmosphere and an informal setting for talking with, and getting to know, professionals currently working in a variety of areas of interest. Use this time to set-up summer internships!
d. Mock Interviews/Resume Review where a current professional will help you prepare.
e. We also have a wide variety of social events, keynote address, and over 150 educational sessions.
5. There is a PDF option if you would prefer to register on paper, but if you renew on line, you receive a $25 discount, bringing your out of pocket expense to just $85.
6. Then, for full time students, sign up to be a student volunteer at conference and volunteer four hours during your time at the event. The deadline to sign up is January 5. The student volunteer sign up is at http://www.ilparksconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2018-Student-Volunteer-Form.docx
7. If you volunteer your full commitment, you will be reimbursed for the $110 within six weeks of conference.
8. If you apply for a scholarship (deadline is January 3, 2018) you can receive additional funds to offset the rest of your travel expenses such as hotel and gas. There are a limited number of scholarships available, but each one awarded is $400. The application is here: https://www.iliprf.org/ILIPRFoundation/Scholarship_Opportunities/ILIPRFoundation/Applications/Scholarship_Home.aspx?hkey=69860004-08f8-4d4c-83ec-0b90ec794971 Or just go to www.iliprf.org and follow the buttons to scholarship opportunities, then student scholarship applications. This will be reimbursed to you after conference.
9. Many students choose to offset costs further by sharing a hotel room with another student in their group, carpooling, or taking Amtrak to the conference from outside the Chicago area.
We hope to see both students and faculty at our event next month. Let me know if you have questions. Thank you for helping us spread the word.
Debbie Trueblood, MSW, IOM, CAE
Executive Director
Illinois Park & Recreation Association
536 East Avenue
LaGrange, IL 60525
P: 708-588-2285
