Registration Instructions | Registration Form | Family Information | Student Questionnaire | Child Profile

This seminar is a "MUST" for any parents who will be homeschooling (even if you have homeschooled before) or using national schools to educate their children. This seminar is sponsored by Interaction International and by SHARE Education Services.

Two Prefield Educational Planning Seminars will be held during 2009:

1)  May 4-7, 2009 in Wheaton, Illinois 

2)  Fall 2009 in Orlando, Florida—specific date and location to be determined 

This seminar will help parents answer important questions such as:      

• What educational option is best for our children? Will it work for all our children?
• How can we use the national schools successfully? What do we How can we help our children learn a second language? 
• How can we develop a workable educational plan for our family that fits our goals, values and ministry?
• How do we get started in homeschooling? How do we choose a curriculum? 
• How do we teach specific skills such as reading and writing?
• How can we prepare our children for the transitions they will make in leaving this culture and entering a new one?

These are the questions the Pre-field Educational Planning Seminar is specifically designed to address. Unfortunately, these are also the issues that bring families home from the field prematurely according to a recent study on attrition. 

Seminar topics:

Through interactive workshops, panel discussions, individual advising sessions, etc., an outstanding team of MK educators and caregivers will help parents develop answers that are appropriate for their family and work context. The topics covered at this year's seminar include:

• Parenting and Educating Third-Culture Kids                          
• Developing an Educational Statement
• Evaluating Your Educational Options
• Understanding Your Child's Learning Style
• Choosing A Homeschooling Curriculum
• Using the National Schools Successfully
• Second Language Issues
• Understanding Your Child's Development
• Building Strong Writers
• Teaching Transitioning as a Family       
  

Parents who have attended this seminar have said:

"I wish everyone preparing for overseas ministry could have access to the God-given wisdom that this team of educators possesses. They helped me to ask good questions and think through important
issues regarding my kids education for now and for the future."

"I'm so thankful for the help this conference provided, but I wish we had gotten this information five or maybe ten years ago be- fore we went overseas."

"The single biggest stressor for my wife and I in serving overseas has been the issues and decisions regarding our children's education. This conference has given us the understanding and skills we make and carry out educational decisions that fit our family and work."

"Going overseas without this training and preparation is a bit like getting married without premarital counseling. It can be done, but we learned some things that we would not have learned apart from some painful experiences in the lives of our children."

"Thank you for the most valuable, practical, get your money's worth seminar I've attended. You really dealt with the issues that were causing me
concern. Although they don't know it yet, my children will reap the benefits of this seminar for years to come."

DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS IMPORTANT PREPARATION AND VALUABLE HELP.  Make plans now to attend for the sake of your children and your effectiveness and longevity in ministry. If at all possible, we urge both husband and wife to attend because the information presented is crucial for both of them.

Seminar Logistics:

May 4-7, 2009 - Wheaton, IL

Conference Fees:   $275 for an individual / $325 for a couple

Childcare:

Each year on evaluation, parents report they gained so much from the seminar because they ere able to spend time focusing on their children's education. Consequently, we do not offer childcare at this program. They appreciated the opportunity to discuss each evenin the things that had been presented in the workshops and shared in advising sessions during that day. Parents felt they got far more out of the seminar then they would have if their children had attended. 

 Logistical Information:

The seminar will be held at College Church in Wheaton, IL (located on the corners of Seminary and Washington adjacent to the Wheaton College campus). Breakfast and lunch are included, but participants  are on their own for dinner. When we receive yoru registration, we will send (by e-mail) a complete registration packet which includes housing information and additional forms (on your family and children) that will need to be completed and returned. A wide variety of housing options (at various price ranges) are available nearby. Each family will recieve an extensive notebook fo resources and materials. In addition, many resources are available fro review and some resources are avaliable for purchase. 

Conference Schedule:

The conference will start on Monday, May 4th at 12:30pm for registration and the first session will start at 1 pm. The seminar will end at approximately 5pm on Thursday, May 7st. There will be an evening session on the first day, but the remaining evenings are free. Please plan your arrival and departure tiems so that you are able to attend the entire seminar.

Importance of Both Parents Attending:

We recognize that both parents will not play the same day-to-day role in their children's education, but believe both parents need to be informed about these issues and to actively participate in making these decisions. Consequently, we urge both husband and wife to attend the seminar if at all possible. Previous participants have found it helpful for both parents to hear the information presented, to discuss their questions with an advisor and to work together on developing the educational plans for their children.

Interaction International- Prefield Educational Planning Seminar P.O. Box 863 Wheaton, IL 60189 

Please Download all of the following forms and send to Interaction International to register for this event. 

Registration Instructions | Registration Form | Family Information | Student Questionnaire | Child Profile