2006 National Smart Start Conference

Welcome to the 2006 National Smart Start Conference Website.

Who Should Attend?

Smart Start partnership staff, board members, services providers and volunteers; representatives of national early childhood-related organizations; representatives of local and state governments; nonprofit organizations focused on the development of early childhood programs and services; child care teachers, owners and administrators.

Conference Registration Information

To register for the 2006 National Smart Start Conference, you have the following options:

Complete the online registration form and pay by credit card online.
Complete the online registration form, print a copy of the form and then mail your check with your registration form to the address listed on this page. Your check must be mailed with the original of your registration form to assure the proper credit.
Complete the registration form that you received in the mail and mail it with your check to this address:

NC Partnership for Children/Smart Start Conference
c/o Meeting Details
1464 Garner Station Boulevard, Suite 144
Raleigh, NC 27603

Registration Deadlines and Fees

Your registration fee covers your attendance at the conference, receipt of conference materials and participation in some meals (See Conference Meals). The actual cost of the conference is much higher than the fee that you pay. Through the generosity of private donors, we are able to offer you this opportunity at a much more affordable price.

The registration fee covers your attendance at the entire conference. We are not able to offer a special fee for persons that can only attend one day.

Early Bird: $130 (registration fee must be received by 5:00 p.m. on January 12)
Regular: $180 (registration fee must be received by 5:00 p.m. on February 9)
Late/Onsite: $260 (registration fee must be paid either prior to or upon arrival at the conference)

Cancellation requests must be received by Januray 12, 2006 to receive a full refund. Cancellations after that date will not be refunded. All cancellations and/or substitutions must be submitted in writing via fax to 919-639-8635 or email to djersey@meetingdetails.com

Duke University Certificate in Nonprofit Management – Credit Hours

Thanks to our partnership with Duke University, you can earn 5 credit hours towards the nonprofit management certificate while attending the conference. To earn the credit hours, you must pay an additional $75 program fee. (We are required to pay Duke this amount in order for you to get credit.) If you would like to get the credit hours for the nonprofit certificate but are not yet enrolled in the Duke program, please go to the following website to learn how to enroll: www.learnmore.duke.edu/nonprofit

Other Credits
In addition to the Duke University Certificate program referenced above, we have also secured approval from the NC Division of Child Development to offer credit hours for specified workshops. We can also provide a conference certificate of attendance if you need verification of attendance to secure credit from other organizations or entities.

Conference Meals

As part of your conference registration fee, you are invited to attend the following meals that are scheduled as part of the conference:

March 7th Evening Reception
March 8th Continental Breakfast & Celebration Dinner
March 9th Continental Breakfast

Pre-Conference Sessions

Your registration fee also includes an opportunity to attend some of our special pre-conference sessions to be held on Monday, March 6, 2005. Detailed information on these sessions will be provided at a later date. Persons planning to attend the pre-conference will need to register for the pre-conference sessions they want to attend in advance as space is limited. There is no additional cost to attend pre-conference sessions.

If you are interested in attending a pre-conference workshop, mark the appropriate box on the registration form and we will contact you once the pre-conference advance sign-up begins.

Special Conference Opportunities

Among the special opportunities that you will be able to take advantage of with your registration at the conference are:

Advocacy Center: Get great ideas and information on successful advocacy and outreach efforts and talk to those who lead the Smart Start advocacy effort.

Early Childhood Program Resource Room: Pick up brochures, program information and resource materials from a variety of early childhood-related programs from North Carolina and around the country.

Merchandise Sale: Take advantage of special conference prices on resource materials, technical assistance papers and Smart Start items.

Special Events: Your registration fee includes an invitation to:

Evening Reception and Resource Marketplace (Tuesday, March 7th, from 5:00–8:00 p.m.): Mingle with your peers from around the country, conference presenters and early childhood leaders; visit the resource marketplace and talk with our generous sponsors; and bid on an exciting array of prizes at the Silent Auction. All this in one big event!

Celebration Dinner (Wednesday, March 8th, from 6:30-9:00 p.m.): Join us for this annual celebration of Smart Start’s history and successes over the past year and hear what noted speaker Stedman Graham has to say on the topic of maximizing leadership and achieving success for young children.

Keynote Speakers

Conference Opening Keynote Session: Michael Brandwein
Now a full-time speaker and internationally recognized innovator and trainer in education and youth leadership, Michael Brandwein has been a trial lawyer and partner in a 55-member firm, as well as a writer and performer for two years on an Emmy award-winning educational television show. He also wrote and appeared in a live production with Jim Henson's Muppets for the American Library Association and HBO. He is a graduate of Chicago's famed Second City improvisational theater, and has been a professional magician for over 25 years. Michael's diverse background includes a degree in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

Celebration Dinner: Stedman Graham
Stedman Graham is a businessman, educator, and speaker and often presents on the topic of maximizing leadership and achieving success. He has authored nine books, including the New York Times bestseller, You Can Make It Happen: Nine Steps to Success. Graham holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Hardin-Simmons University, a master’s degree in Education from Ball State University and an honorary doctorate in Humanities from Coker College. In addition to his public speaking and consulting, he also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he teaches a leadership course based on the Nine-Step Process that he created. Among the awards he has received are the Franklin Covey Humanitarian Service Award and the National Urban League Community Service Award.

Conference Location and Hotel Information

The conference will be held at the Sheraton Hotel and Koury Convention Center, located at 3121 High Point Road at I-40 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Special rates have been arranged at the two hotels listed below. The deadline to guarantee the special conference rate for both hotels is February 9th.

The Greensboro Sheraton Hotel at Four Seasons is a part of the Koury Convention Center, the site of the National Smart Start Conference. The rate is $111/room for single or double occupancy (excluding taxes). For reservations, call 336-292-9161 or 800-242-6556, or use the registration form on our website, and fax it to the hotel. Ask for the Smart Start Conference Rate. Space is very limited this year so call early in order to assure that you can reserve a room at the special rate.

The Park Lane Hotel at Four Seasons is located down the street from the Koury Convention Center. The rate is $79/room for single or double occupancy (excluding taxes). For reservations, call 336-294-4565 or 800-942-6556. Ask for the Smart Start Conference Rate. Space is very limited this year so call early in order to assure that you can reserve a room at the special rate.

Questions related to your conference registration?
Email Deirdre Jersey at djersey@meetingdetails.com.

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