Invitation Letter
March 1, 2019
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
On behalf of the American School of Warsaw community, it is a pleasure to invite and welcome you to the 29th annual CEESA Conference in the amazing city of Warsaw, Poland.
Warsaw is the seat of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, University of Warsaw, Warsaw Polytechnic, National Museum, Great Theatre—National Opera, the largest of its kind in the world, and the Zachęta National Gallery of Art. The picturesque Old Town of Warsaw, which represents examples of nearly every European architectural style and historical period, was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980. Warsaw is renowned for its restaurants, art galleries, and, most notably, several dozen museums and outspread greenery, with around a quarter of the city's area occupied by parks.
We are excited that this year’s conference will take place in the center of this beautiful and historic city at the Hilton Warsaw Hotel and Convention Centre. This is important because we want participants to experience Warsaw as one part of this overall robust and engaging conference.
Making the World our Classroom
One less brick in the wall...
This year’s theme is poignant in articulating the aspirations of the coordinating committee to capture the values of CEESA Schools, the aims of the American School of Warsaw, and a goal to reach out to a wide range of voices to capture the true spirit of education engaged in inquiry mode. It also captures a key core value for ASW, making learning relevant and globally centered. With a broad list of speakers sharing rich and powerful stories on our stage throughout our time together, we hope to inspire deep learning and robust conversation, utilizing a methodology that will help us all make meaning and inspire positive change. The workshop formats will allow deeper dives into content, but not overwhelmingly so and in structured blocks to give time and space to absorb content.
To keep us organized and to make sure you understand the choices that will be available, we are using a conference app this year that will help you architect your journey with us. Whova is an industry leading application for managing complex schedules.
To participate fully, you will need to download the application to your own device, or setup your presence via a web browser interface. Updates and sharing will be provided on the app as it becomes our hub for gathering and sharing our insights along the way. Contact information and connections will remain active in this forum long after the conference and all materials will be distributed through this interface. Whova information, app download links, and a preview of the schedule is here.
The final conference information for Whova will launch and be sent to registered participants in advance of travel and arrival. Everything you need will be at your fingertips.
The focus of this conference is on diversity of content and ample opportunity for networking. We have many cohort groups meeting during the conference as well as representatives from both inside and outside the CEESA region totalling 50 countries and 70 schools. A central theme is your opportunity to connect, broadly and across boundaries, to both reach outside of education as well as gathering from within.
We will also have strong cadre of vendors in our midst with products and solutions to meet your needs across a broad spectrum. We’ll have researchers with leading edge products along with our staunchest allies in educational support, ready to help you find the things you need.
Warsaw stands ready to welcome you! Together, we will take on the challenge of preparing ourselves to better inspire learning and accomplishment that will change the world for the better!
Best Regards,
Jon P. Zurfluh
Director