Family Education Conference 2010

One of my favorite parts of my job at TCIS is my involvement with AERC or Asia Education Resource Consortium. AERC is an organization that provides education consultants and support to foriegn families working within Asia. Each year in either January or February, AERC puts on the Family Education Conference for these families in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We put on a educational conference for the parents while providing a children's program for their kids. As the Children's Director for AERC, I have a big responsibility of organizing 200 kids into their groups and overseeing registration and teacher training. We have the blessing of have students and adults with The Potter's School (an online homeschooling community) plan and implement the children's program. We also have other volunteers from around the world come help with the program as well.

This year our family had the privilege to serve these amazing families together. Patrick had permission to travel with me and served as a teacher in the children's program. He also was an amazing dad and support to me in that the first three days we were there, I had to sit at the registration table from morning till night and he had kid duty. Our room was on the 12th floor this year so Patrick and the kids would often look down at me from up high whenever they weren't swimming at the pool :).

Zachary enjoyed running the halls of the hotel. They would often hang outside the door while Shelby Grace was sleeping so Zachary could run a bit more.

This year I also had the opportunity to present two workshops for the parents. I guess I just wanted to make sure I kept really busy leading up to the trip and make sure I had plenty to do. :) I presented two workshops called The Reading Teacher's Toolbox of Fun and Defining Learning Disabilities.

Patrick was able to help me with the reading workshop. Our reading toolbox consisted of a variety of activities that parents could do at home to make the school day a more fun for the kids and the parents. The parents got to experience the activities I brought to them instead of just showing them what to do.

I was very proud of the groups for trying out the twister comprehension game.

Patrick worked with a group of 11 and 12 year olds for the week. In the afternoons, the older kids left the hotel and went to Grace International School for some outside activities.

The Potter's School has an amazing asset in a woman named Lori Rosie. She wrote an amazing curriculum this year that was based on the FEC science theme. She is able to connect all activities to scripture and how God designed the world to be in a perfect order. The kids got to make solar systems, investigate their finger prints, make slime, and even glue organs onto life size posters of themselves. These kids had an amazing time learning about God, science, and just being together with other TCK's (third culture kids) like themselves. For some of these kids, this may be the only time during the year where they are with other foreigners their own age. We know that at least 8 kids made a decision to follow Christ this week. So many come back each year to celebrate their spiritual birthday. What an awesome event to be a part of!

Since both of us were busy during the conference, Zachary and Shelby Grace had the chance to be in the children's program. They had some rough moments getting used to a new place but they did very considering. Zachary was the only boy in his class but he survived. Here he is performing in the program for the parents at the end of the conference.

We didn't have a lot chances this week to sight see or enjoy Thailand but we still had a good trip. We were able to meet up with some NC church friends who are serving in China but happened to be in Chiang Mai at the same time. One day we will get a chance to be tourists again but for now I will leave with the sweet picture of Shelby Grace with the flowers in the Chiang Mai airport as we prepare to leave. :)