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Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? We may have the answer here!
Who attends this Conference?
Why should I attend this Conference?
Are CEU's offered at the Conference on Youth?
What is the cost to attend the Conference on Youth?
What does my registration fee include?
How do I know my registration has been received?
Why is there a registration deadline? Can't I just register the day of the conference?
How can I pay for my Conference on Youth Registration?
Is payment required at time of registration?
Can I pay by credit card?
How can I return my Conference on Youth registration?
Are there group discounts available for the Conference on Youth?
I don't know if I can afford to attend the Conference on Youth. Are scholarships available?
What if I have to cancel my registration?
I attended the Conference on Youth and my name wasn't on the list. I'm sure I registered, what happened?
What is for breakfast/lunch?
I have certain dietary concerns, can you provide a special meal?
What time does the Conference actually start?
What if I have to leave early?
Do I pick just one speaker for my workshop sessions or can I pick more than one?
How are conference speakers and topics chosen?
Do I have to fill out my selection for workshop sessions/Do I have to attend the workshop I selected?
What should I wear to attend the Conference on Youth?
Where can I park?
What about hotel accommodations? Does Great KIDS reserve a block of rooms for the Conference on Youth?
Are children allowed to attend the conference?
Why are there no children's presentations at the Conference on Youth?
My agency would like to be a part of the Service Provider Fair
My agency is interested in helping sponsor the Conference on Youth
Approximately 700 youth and family serving professionals attend the Conference on Youth in a given year. These include representatives from mental health agencies, residential treatment, child abuse prevention, foster care - including foster care parents, law enforcement, juvenile justice, law offices, afterschool organizations, schools- public, private and parochial, universities, Department of Child Services, courts, churches and faith-based organizations, CASA, local government and more. Typically, approximately 85% of attendees live and/or work in Allen County and approximately 10% work for organizations in Northern Indiana.
Why should I attend this Conference?
The Conference on Youth is the only conference in Allen County that exists for the sole purpose of strengthening agencies and organizations serving children and families, and one of the few conferences in the State of Indiana focused on positive youth development. Attendees can expect to hear workshop and keynote presenters who are knowledgeable and experienced, and are leading in their research on and/or work with youth and families. Through grant funds, including grants from the Foellinger Foundation, Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES is able to provide high-quality training for a registration fee that reflects only a fraction of the true cost of the Conference.
Are CEU's offered at the Conference on Youth?
Yes, participants with an LMHC, LCSW, LMFT or LSW license can earn six (6) CEU's for attending the Conference on Youth at an additional cost. Participants must sign-in before the conference begins and out at the end of the conference at the registration desk. Please see the CEU page for more information.
What is the cost to attend the Conference on Youth?
Registration fee for the 21st Annual Conference on Youth is $35 per person. CEU's are available for an additional $8 per person.
What does my registration fee include?
Registration for the Conference on Youth includes continental breakfast and lunch, all conference materials, access to the service provider fair and participation in all keynote and workshop sessions. Parking, snacks, additional drinks beyond what is provided during breakfast and lunch, and any hotel accommodations are at the expenses of the participant. CEU's are available for an additional fee. Speaker publications may be available for purchase at the participant's expense during the conference, at the bookstore located in the Expo Hall.
How do I know my registration has been received?
Registration confirmations are sent out only by email. If you provided a valid email address with your registration, you will receive an email when the registration has been processed.
Why is there a registration deadline? Can't I just register the day of the conference?
As with most other conferences, "count is everything" when it comes to conference planning. In order to ensure that enough meals are ordered, handouts are made, packets are available and service provider fair booths bring enough information, Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES needs to know in advance how many people are attending the conference. Early registration helps tremendously, even if payment needs to come later! Registrations after the deadline are accepted only if space remains available at the Conference on Youth, and are subject to a $5 late registration fee. Day-of-Conference registrations are strongly discouraged, and are subject to a $10 late registration fee should space be available.
How can I pay for my Conference on Youth Registration?
Payment for the Conference on Youth can be made in cash, checks/money order (payable to Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES), or through an agency Purchase Order. At this time, we are unable to process credit cards.
Is payment required at time of registration?
We appreciate payment at the time of registration, but we recognize this isn't always possible, especially if you are faxing in your registration! If you do not pay for your registration at the time you return your registration form to us, we will send out a bill after the Conference on Youth. We appreciate your/your agency's prompt attention to our invoice.
At this time, we are unable to process credit cards.
How can I return my Conference on Youth registration?
Conference registration forms can be sent in the mail to:
Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES
715 South Calhoun Street, Room 208
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
They may also be faxed to: (260) 449-3921
Completed forms may be emailed to: info@greatkidsallencounty.org
Registrations are also accepted in person in Room 208 of the Allen County Courthouse during business hours (7:30am-4:30pm).
Please make all checks/money orders/purchase orders out to: Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES
Are there group discounts available for the Conference on Youth?
Conference registration fees are $35 per person. This fee covers only a fraction of the cost of the Conference on Youth. Group discounts are not available.
I don't know if I can afford to attend the Conference on Youth. Are scholarships available?
Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES writes grants to offset the majority of conference costs and does not have additional scholarship funds available. Participants seeking financial assistance are encouraged to contact Indiana Youth Institute to apply for one of their Professional Development grants.
What if I have to cancel my registration?
Registrations can be cancelled for a refund of the registration fee if the participant contacts Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES at least 72 hours in advance of the conference. Cancellations made later than 72 hours before the Conference on Youth are not eligible for a return of their registration fee, and unpaid registrations will be billed for their registration fee.
I attended the Conference on Youth and my name wasn't on the list. I'm sure I registered, what happened?
Any number of things could have happened to your registration. If you registered, and received an email confirming your registration, we goofed, and we apologize for any inconvenience! Otherwise, here are some tips based on experience, to help smooth the registration process:
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Register as far in advance as possible. Registration forms are available to download online many months before the conference. If you wait until the week of the Conference on Youth, its possible that we were already over at the Grand Wayne Center setting up, and didn't receive your registration form until after the conference was over (it takes a couple of days to set up - another reason to have a registration deadline!)
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Send/fax/drop off a copy of your registration form if you are sending your original to your bookkeeper to process payment. Depending on the agency, payment can sometimes take two weeks to one month to process, which might mean we don't receive your registration form until after the conference. Additionally, we have also received checks from bookkeepers WITHOUT registration forms - they assume you sent it in, and keep the copy/original you gave them for their records.
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Provide your email address: this is the only way we will confirm your registration.
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Write legibly, type or use block script when completing your registration form. This is especially important if you are faxing in your registration, as fax copies lose some quality in transmission. We will try to follow-up on any illegible registrations, but its possible we have you listed as someone else. Please forgive us if we have misspelled your name!
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Avoid including your full middle name in your registration. It is possible that "Sally Jones Smith" will be registered under the last name of "Jones Smith," when it should be under "Smith." We also occasionally find people that use both a hyphenated last name and single last name, e.g. "Sally Jones-Smith," who also goes by "Sally Smith," or have changed their last name from the time they registered for the conference to the day of the conference. In this case, check for yourself under both last names, especially if you can't remember what name you registered under!
Breakfast and lunch are provided as a part of the registration process. Breakfast is typically continental-style with pastries, coffee and juice. Lunch is a plated meal, and generally includes a meat, starch and vegetable, along with salad, rolls and dessert. A vegetarian option (typically steamed vegetables and tofu) is available for those who check the "vegetarian lunch" box option on their registration form. The Grand Wayne Center uses the Hilton Hotel as their exclusive caterer, and selections are made to keep conference costs low to participants.
I have certain dietary concerns, can you provide a special meal?
The Conference on Youth offers a hot lunch and a vegetarian option. Unfortunately, given the scope of the Conference (over 700 participants) we are unable to provide other meal options for our guests. Traditionally, we avoid serving fish and pork as our main course. Guests with dietary restrictions may wish to order a vegetarian lunch, or are welcome to bring their own meal to the conference.
What time does the Conference actually start?
Registration for the Conference on Youth begins at 7:15am outside the Exposition Hall in the Harrison Corridor. Breakfast and the Service Provider Fair will be available from 7:15am in the Exposition Hall. The Conference will commence at 8:15am in the Anthony Wayne Ballroom with a welcome from Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES founder Charles Pratt, Judge of the CHINS Division of Allen Superior Court, Family Relations Division. The first keynote speaker will begin at 8:30am.
What if I have to leave early?
We encourage all conference participants to stay for the entirety of the Conference on Youth. If you do need to leave early, please note that we are unable to give partial CEU credit. No registration discount is available for those attending only a portion of the conference.
Do I pick just one speaker for my workshop sessions or can I pick more than one?
Each workshop speaker will present identical workshops in the morning and afternoon sessions. This way, each person attending the Conference on Youth can attend workshops by two different speakers. When filling out your registration form, please select one speaker for the morning session and one speaker for the afternoon session. This aids us in making speaker room assignments, as not every breakout room in the Grand Wayne Center holds the same number of people.
How are conference speakers and topics chosen?
Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES relies on the input of a Community Advisory Board to help identify training topics relevant to the Allen County community and vet speakers to ensure high-quality training at the Conference on Youth. Community members and conference participants are welcome to suggest topics and/or speakers for future trainings, including the Conference on Youth. It is helpful if you include your name and contact information in your suggestion, as we may wish to follow-up with you to learn where you heard the speaker you are suggesting and/or if you have identified speakers for a suggested topic.
Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES prefers to engage speakers that have been reviewed by a local contact (participant, Community Advisory Board member, staff). Conference planning begins nearly a year in advance, and direct solicitations by speakers are very rarely considered in the same conference year as the proposal. Great KIDS make Great COMMUNITIES does not send out RFP's for speakers.
Do I have to fill out my selection for workshop sessions/Do I have to attend the workshop I selected?
We ask that you indicate on your registration form which workshops you plan to attend. This aids us in making assignments to breakout rooms, as not every room in the Grand Wayne Center holds the same number of people. We would encourage you to attend the sessions you registered for (they will be listed on your name tag) to ensure that there is enough space for all attendees in each session.
What should I wear to attend the Conference on Youth?
As with many conferences, participants can expect to find a range of dress at the Conference on Youth. As a general rule, business to business casual dress is acceptable. Participants are encouraged to bring a jacket, sweater or dress in layers, as some of the rooms in the Grand Wayne Center can be cool, and the Fort Wayne, Indiana weather in October is unpredictable!
How do I get to the Conference on Youth?
The Conference on Youth is held at the in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana at the:
Grand Wayne Center
120 West Jefferson
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
From I-69/Western Allen County:
Take I-69 to Exit 102 (Jefferson Blvd/IN-24)
Head East on Jefferson Blvd approximately 7 miles
The Grand Wayne Center is on the North side of Jefferson Blvd, in downtown Fort Wayne, across the street from Parkview Field/Tincaps Baseball Stadium
Click here for parking options
From Eastern Allen County:
Take IN-24, County Road 424 and/or East Washington Blvd West to downtown Fort Wayne
Turn Left on Calhoun Street
Parking is Available at the Hilton Hotel Garage accessible from Calhoun Street or
Click here for parking options
Click here for a list of parking options near the Grand Wayne Center. Please do not park in parking lots for other businesses - they will have your car towed, at your expense!
What about hotel accommodations? Does Great KIDS reserve a block of rooms for the Conference on Youth?
Because the majority of conference attendees are from Allen County, Great KIDS does not reserve a block of rooms for the Conference on Youth. Information on hotels near the Grand Wayne Center can be accessed by clicking here.
Are children allowed to attend the conference?
The Conference on Youth is open to anyone wishing to attend. However, this conference is targeted for adult participants who are working with children and families, and is best-suited for those college-age and above. The Allen County United Youth Summit, held annually in February, brings together several hundred high-school and middle-school students to learn about engaging with the community and making a difference in workshop sessions and keynote presentations specifically designed for this type of audience. The Youth Summit costs just $5 to attend, and groups of 15 or more youth can receive a discount. More information can be found by visiting www.acuys.org
Why are there no children's presentations at the Conference on Youth?
The Conference on Youth is designed for professionals working with youth and families, and therefore, the attendees are primarily adults. There are other conferences that intentionally incorporate children into participations, including The Search Institute's Big Tent Conference. Locally, a conference designed to engage middle and high school youth in service-learning is offered annually by a coalition of agencies, of which Great KIDS is a part. Check out the Allen County United Youth Summit's page on our website or visit the Summit's website at www.acuys.org for more information.
My agency would like to be a part of the Service Provider Fair
Click here for information regarding the Service Provider Fair and to access a registration form.
My agency is interested in helping sponsor the Conference on Youth
Great! Please contact us and we would be happy to discuss sponsorship opportunities!