by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

Sixteen years ago, my first day with IECA was at the start of the spring conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. I believe there were fewer than 250 attendees, including some 80 IECA members. There was no NATSAP back then, Small Boarding School Conferences were intimate events, and The Association of Boarding Schools, just separating from NAIS, was years away from hosting its own conference. Today with more school conferences, therapeutic conferences, college conferences, plus LDA, CHADD, and more, I contemplated the role of IECA gatherings. I wondered if we are we simply duplicating efforts, and more importantly, whether IECA makes a significant contribution to the welfare of students.

To be sure the IECA conferences have grown. Upwards of 1,200 people have attended our conferences, including as many as 300 consultants. There has been a surge in college participation, while attendance from schools and special purpose programs grew rapidly in the first half of the decade and has stabilized. Even as the economy turned sour and where other associations reported 25 to 30 to even 35% percent drops in attendance, IECA has exceeded expectations with only minor declines. As a friend of mine, the director of another educational association, said to me recently, “The rest of us feel lucky to be hanging on…IECA is doing great and YOU’RE the one wondering how to change, improve, and redesign conferences? People come because there’s value to attending.” But again I wonder, with so many other choices out there, what IS the value? What makes IECA conferences unique and valued?

I recently asked a representative of Wintergreen Orchard House, a veteran of trade shows from coast-to-coast, about our conference. “The IECA Conference is a must-attend,” she told me. “It goes on my calendar first.” When I asked why, I was told “No where else can I meet people across disciplines: those in college placements, boarding school administrators, LD experts…it allows me to connect with all of the communities we want to reach.”

I asked an IECA member who has been around for years, someone who I’ll see at NACAC or other regional gathering from time to time. Her view was that IECA conferences provide something no one else does: a holistic view of adolescents. “We see teens as far more than a commodity to be placed or a potential student at a small private college. We know that to understand placement you need to understand the entire child: hopes, fears, learning style, anxieties, traits, and flaws. No where else do I get workshops on so wide a range of topics.”

While attending NATSAP last month I sat down and spoke with the head of a small emotional growth boarding school. He indicated that a few events each year are “musts.” This includes the two IECA conferences, because “…no where else can I speak to educational consultants who directly deal with students and families who are desperate and emotionally spent, and need a real professional to help them through a crisis; and then, turn around and talk to wilderness programs that could feed into my school, then traditional schools that we may feed into, and even colleges who want to understand better who we serve. Where else could I find that?”

And one more: a dean of admission from a college who jokingly told me many years ago that he would “never” tell his admission colleagues about IECA because it was one of the best kept secrets: “The last thing I want is more colleges to come. No where else do I get this wonderful opportunity to talk about my school with professionals who are MUCH more likely to work with students considering private colleges and MUCH more likely to explore colleges out of state. Why would I want my competitors to know about IECA?”

What then does IECA offer? First of all, the unique crowd that assembles: colleges, traditional boarding schools, gap year programs, emotional growth schools, therapeutic programs, and summer opportunities—all who believe in a holistic view of the student. Also, a schedule of workshops that range from NCAA rules to Asperger’s, and from learning communities to parent advocates. And we have worked in recent years to strengthen the academic offerings, even while expanding opportunities for networking in both formal and informal settings. As I look toward Toronto, I can say with confidence that “No Where Else” will such a gathering be possible.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

Last night came the inevitable battle between the two world powerhouses in women’s hockey: USA vs. Canada. The two teams have dominated the sport for many years, and the impending contest at the Olympics resulted in a pressure cooker building for years leading up to the contest. One game, winner takes gold. Imagine trying to motivate the players, or more exactly, ensure that they peak on the right day at the right time without allowing the stress, pressure, and anxiety to take over.

Peter Jensen

Now you understand the role that Dr. Peter Jensen plays for the Canadians. As founder and director of Performance Coaching, Jensen is the sports psychology trainer for the Canadian women’s hockey team, and has been the sports psychologist for 40 Olympic medal winners. In recent years Jensen has taken his techniques and applied them to real life, instructing leaders in business and education, and parents, in how to “ignite” the kind of passion and commitment in others that Olympians have.

We are pleased to announce that fresh off his Olympic success, Dr. Jensen, author of Igniting the Third Factor, will serve as keynote speaker at the opening session of the IECA conference. He will focus on five actions that all of us can take to motivate students to succeed.

Early Bird registration ends today, so if you haven’t registered be sure to do so today. For more information, go to our conference page.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

Based on overwhelmingly positive feedback from consultants and school representatives, we are pleased to announce that the Speed Meetings test-run in 2009 will return as part of IECA’s upcoming Spring Conference, although a few key changes will make them even more valuable. Two sets of Speed Meetings have been planned: one for traditional boarding schools and the other for special purpose and therapeutic schools and programs. They will run simultaneously on Wednesday morning, May 12, just prior to the opening of the conference.

The Speed Meetings are designed to have a maximum of 40 consultants in each session, with a similar number of schools or programs. The event features a series of eight-minute private one-on-one meetings to give the consultant a feel for a school’s philosophy, approach, and unique offerings. The cost to schools is just $175, a very cost-effective way to get quiet networking time with more than 15 consultants. The $35 fee charged to consultants is refunded after they complete their full slate of “appointments.”

A few other changes are based on feedback. We’ve increased the time of the meetings from six to eight minutes, and schools may now have two representatives present. We urge only one of these to be an admissions representative with the other being an administrator, counselor, or other school professional.

Here are a few comments we heard after the trial Speed Meetings run in Charlotte:

from Dana Harbert, Eagle Hill: “Eagle Hill School participated in the consultant speed conferencing. I am grateful that we as a school were chosen for this venue. I think six minutes for conferencing proved to be a decent amount of time to start discussions (and in some cases to finish the discussions). I want to stress, however, that these speed conferencing sessions should always be in addition to the swap on Thursday morning. This was my eleventh IECA conference and it was by far the best.”

from Andrew Weller, Ridley College: Thanks for selecting Ridley College for the first of the speed meetings—it was great. You asked for feedback and I only have one thing really: It would have been great to have at my table a list not just of all the consultant attendees but a list of the ones I was seeing—in order. On the whole, I heard very positive comments from folks and imagine you did as well. Most people in the room were disappointed when it ended! That said, the one criticism I heard from others was that six minutes was not long enough. I respectfully disagree. I think these meetings function best when the goal is to assess whether or not the conversation needs to continue outside the scope of the event (meet later, visit someone in their office, have them to campus, etc.). I imagine those unhappy with the short time probably did not have a good game plan or were expecting too much in just a short time. My singular goal for each meeting was to simply determine if there was mutual interest in continuing the conversation—and the time allotted was sufficient for that.

from Maryline Deschamps Kruger, educational consultant: I had my doubts about the speed meeting format, but after participating in the therapeutic program Speed Meetings I’d like to report that I was pleasantly surprised. I found them extremely informative and believe that the information I gathered will prove to be helpful to my consulting practice. Thank you IECA!

From Brian Fisher, AdmissionsQuest: The speed meeting approach gives admission officers and educational consultants a quick, defined time to exchange substantive information. It could be a new introduction. It could be catching up on what’s new. This new approach represents a purposeful exchange. Schools & consultants agreed that it’s an excellent modification to the conference format.

(from an anonymous source in conference evaluation:) Overall, this was the best IECA conference I have attended in six years. It was so well attended, and I enjoyed all the opportunities to network. The speed conferencing was spectacular. I thought six minutes would be too little time. It was fine though. Probably ten minutes would be perfect.

(another evaluation comment) I participated in the Speed Meetings. These were GREAT! Made the IECA conference more valuable than any I have attended in years. The time flew by for me and the use of breaks during the morning was helpful and sufficient. I do hope more consultants sign up next year. I feel as though the information from Rachel about what to bring and what to prepare was helpful and accurate. I felt really ready for my meetings and the time with the consultants was really valuable. Only change (aside from two to three more minutes) I would suggest is making it longer so we can meet with more consultants!

Schools will be given the opportunity to apply to participate in the Speed Meetings AFTER they complete their conference registration. For consultants, the registration for Speed Meetings is part of the conference registration process. Those who may have already registered for the conference but wish to add participation in the Speed Meeting, may access their online registration by following the directions on their confirmation e-mail.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

Our spring conference registration opened less than a week ago, and registration is already approaching 250. Early bird discounts end THIS FRIDAY (February 26), so if you are planning to attend our gathering in Toronto (May 12-15), get your registration completed right away. Full details on the conference are posted on the IECA Web site (http://www.iecaonline.com/conferences.html) and additional information, including details on all breakout sessions, will be added to the site in the next few days.

I have gotten a few questions and welcome this opportunity to clarify:

“I really don’t work with Canadian schools or universities (or ‘We don’t really get any students from Canada’). So maybe there won’t be as much for me at this conference.” Hold on!  Just because we are meeting in Canada for the first time doesn’t mean our focus is shifting. Of the first 225 registrants, just 15 are Canadian consultants, schools, or universities. The other 210 are from the U.S. What we expect is full participation by our IECA members from across the U.S. with a bit of an uptick in non-U.S. participation, reflecting how much easier it is for consultants in Asia, South America, and Europe to travel to Canada. We expect all of the schools, colleges, and programs that typically attend IECA conferences to be joining us in Toronto, but with the added bonus of greater participation by Canadian institutions. Remember, school, program, and college representatives from Nova Scotia to Vancouver helped us plan the conference!

“There’s so much going on before and after the conference, I’m still trying to figure out what to do, so I can’t register yet.” Wait a minute! We don’t want you to lose out on the early bird discount. Register for the conference now and get your discount. You can always sign back on using our Web-based registration system and modify your registration. That way you won’t miss the discount. We know there’s a lot going on: pre-conference activities include IECA tours of Ontario universities; special tours of Ontario boarding school and gap year programs; the popular Speed Meetings—actually two of them: one for traditional boarding schools and the other for therapeutic programs; and a pre-conference workshop on LD issues as well as one on Web-based marketing. Whew!! Post-conference activities include TWO different college tours: one of universities in upstate New York and the other in Nova Scotia. There’s a school tour in Nova Scotia as well.

“I just got a conference/tour price list via e-mail and it looks like the prices really went up.” NO! That was an e-mail from some other association! Don’t be confused. The cost of our three-day college tours (pre- or post-conference) is still just $95—not the $200 the other group charges. Our conference fee for members, including meals and special events and even including a pre-conference workshop, is unchanged at $395 ($370 early bird)—not the $595 the other group just e-mailed for their conference and pre-conference registration. IECA works hard to keep our costs as low as possible (with thanks to our conference sponsors). As proof: our membership dues have not changed in 30 years! Finally, even non-members can save a bundle. Our conference and pre-conference workshop full registration for non-member consultants is $530—not the $745 others are charging, according to that e-mail. Of course, cost is just part of the story. We are confident that everyone will get a great deal out of participating in the IECA conference: amazing speakers, great educational sessions, and lots of opportunities for networking.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

Registration for our Spring 2010 Conference will be opening soon and details of the scores of speakers, breakouts, seminars, and more will be posted on our Web site. I do want to share a little information about one of our featured speakers. Dr. Peter Jensen is a member of the Canadian Olympic team, soon to travel to Vancouver to help the host country’s athletes. Jensen won’t be on the snow or ice, however. His role is to get into the heads of the athletes, providing them with the mental preparation needed by elite athletes to improve personal performance. Author of The Inside Edge, Jensen has been advisor to athletes for many years, including the last six Olympics Games.

Jensen will be joining us at our Toronto Conference just weeks after the 2010 Olympics. But what does such a professional offer to IECA members and school admission staff? His new book, Igniting the Third Factor gives us the answer.

In his new book, Jensen looks at the techniques parents, counselors, and educators can use to motivate students to succeed. At our conference he will offer solutions on motivation, engagement, self-reliance, and developing adolescent initiative using humor and stories based on his own experiences. The heart of his presentation will be five actions that separate igniters from extinguishers, something every parent and educator needs to know, as well as a wealth of strategies that can immediately be put into action.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

We are excited to announce that many of the innovations that IECA introduced as experiments at the 2009 Fall Conference were so enthusiastically received that we are bringing them back, with a few changes to make them even more valuable.

When IECA gathers in Toronto this May, the Speed Meetings will return at a new point in the schedule, and the popular Master Class and Point/Counterpoint sessions will be held with new topics and presenters.

The Saturday morning Master Class will feature Dr. Efrain Bleiberg, one of the nation’s leading authorities on adolescent personality disorders. Bleiberg is a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine where he serves as chair in psychiatry and developmental psychopathology, as medical director of Professionals in Crisis Program, and vice chair of the Menninger Clinic.

The previous afternoon, a general session will feature an examination of the question, “Are 12-Step Models the Right Approach for Treating Adolescents?” A number of panelists will explore the use of 12-step models and also the view of some that “being an addict” and “never using again” are not appropriate for 16-year olds. As was done in last year’s discussion, the session will allow for participation by programs and consultants in offering opinions and raising questions. There remain openings for panelists. Those interested should contact IECA conference manager Rachel Diamond King at Rachel@IECAonline.com.

The Speed Meetings return, and will be held as a pre-conference event on Wednesday morning, May 12. The schedule change ensures that the Speed Meetings will not compete with other parts of the program and should make for a more successful session, similar to the great success of the traditional boarding school meetings in November. Applications to participate in the Speed Meetings will be sent to programs and schools after they have registered for the conference itself. Based on feedback, therapeutic schools and programs may bring two representatives to the Speed Meetings, with a strong preference for one being a therapeutic, rather than a recruitment, professional.

The Information Swap, Conference Central, networking reception, Foundation Gala, and so much more are scheduled. Make plans now to join us in May. Conference registration will open February 1. A reminder that travel to Canada is simple, but attendees will need a valid passport to return to the States.

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

Departing NC

I am minutes away from leaving the Westin in Charlotte. That means the staff is minutes away from finalizing plans for our spring gathering in Toronto. Help us by posting your thoughts about the conference in Charlotte. What was interesting? Valuable? What worked? What needs tweaking? Please post your comments, and especially consider the new developments: more extensive, advanced-level pre-conference seminars, the Speed Meetings, Conference Central, Saturday’s Masters Class, the Friday point-counterpoint. Thanks in advance for your input!

by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

IECA associate member Bola Adeniyi-Taiwo (Canada) made the four-hour train ride from Windsor, near Detroit, to attend the planning meeting for the IECA Conference to be held in Canada next spring. The planning meeting was held in what will be the conference hotel in Toronto. The surprising thing was that Bola was not the furthest traveler. Mike Rosson of EduNova, a consortia of colleges from the province of Nova Scotia flew in the night before.

Toronto Planning Meeting Attendees

Others in attendance throughout the province of Ontario included consultants, boarding school representatives, therapeutic program representatives, and others  joined in the meeting led by IECA Vice President for Conferences, Mary Mansfield, IECA Conference Manager, Rachel Diamond, and me.

This was the first time a planning group invited such participation from non-member consultants and admission representatives, and the response by these partners was very exciting. Among the local institutions represented in the room: Carleton University, Pine River Institute, Ryerson University, University of Guelph, University of Toronto, Upper Canada College, and York University.

For some who wanted to participate but couldn’t be in the room, the three hour gathering was joined via conference call, allowing IECA member Rosa Moreno (FL)  and Paola Baca, representing a consortia of colleges from British Columbia, to participate.

The group was very efficient, suggesting important topics to be addressed, including those directly dealing with U.S. / Canadian educational issues as well as those issues that span all parts of the world including autism, parent involvement, transitioning to college, and more.  They also identified amazing possibilities for keynote and featured presentations that could make for a unique conference.

As a group they also came to agreement on what makes Toronto special as a way of zeroing in on themes. Diversity of the population and a commitment to a healthy sustainable planet everyone felt summed up Canada’s largest city.  In addition, many ideas were floated for special events, off-site possibilities, and performances that would make attendees at IECA’s first-ever conference outside of the United States a great place to be next spring.