Using Technology to  Reduce our Carbon Footprint
How can we bring new, exciting elements to our conference without increasing our energy use? In Wichita, we are partnering with Bioneers to bring you a satellite feed on Friday and Saturday morning -- live from the 19th Annual Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, California! Bioneers (www.bioneers.org) promotes practical environmental solutions and innovative social strategies for restoring the Earth and communities. Featured speakers will include Paul Stamets, Erica Fernandez, Ray Anderson, Janine Benyus, Dune Lankard, David Orr, Greg Watson, and Sandra Steingraber.

Community Service Project

Join Rainbows United, Inc., in creating an outdoor play space for children with unique abilities. Rainbows is an early childhood, special needs, service provider that is building a new facility to focus on connecting children to the natural world and learning through environmental explorations. You can help Rainbows place outdoor learning components into their new facility. If you are interested in providing children with natural play structures and are willing to break a sweat, join us in serving the local Wichita community during this fun and fulfilling community service project.

Exhibitor Fair Enhancements

Thursday’s Grand Opening celebration includes dinner, poster sessions, and the Affiliate Welcome. New this year – commission, committee, and council members will be on hand to help you get involved in enhancing our profession. A jazz ensemble from Friends University will provide our musical ambiance. Plenty of exhibit booths will offer educational materials and fun activities! On Friday, the Fair is open from 9 am until 3 pm. Also on Friday, visit the Authors’ Corner from noon to 2 pm, when a locally harvested dessert buffet will provide your afternoon energy! Once again we hope to offer an alternative fuel vehicle area with ride/drive opportunities. Exhibit booths are still available for sale – see http://www.naaee.org/conference/exhibitors-and-advertisers to purchase your booth.

Friday Evening Dinner and Stapp Scholarship Auction
Within walking distance of Century II Convention Center and the Hyatt and Broadview Hotels is Exploration Place www.exploration.org, the Sedgwick County Science and Discovery Center.  Inspiring a deeper interest in science through creative and fun experience, Exploration Place is dedicated to providing informal, enjoyable learning experiences.  Participants will get the opportunity to take a little bit of Kansas home with them by bidding on items homegrown in Kansas or even win a chance to spend two nights at the historic British Ranch located in the majestic Flint Hills.  The winner of this item will get to stay in the 19^th century stone house, explore 3,000 acres of virgin tall-grass prairie, meander the rolling hills, and discover waterfalls.  If you think Kansas is flat, you haven’t seen the British Ranch You may even want to go a little WILD and bid on a painting by Sedgwick County Zoo’s resident gorilla artist, Barney.  To donate an item to the silent or live auction, email 2008stappauction@naaee.org with your name, phone, email, and a brief description of the item and its value.

Saturday Night Networking Celebration and Variety Show
How do you capture the attention of your EE audience? With information...and a little pizzazz! Bring your talent (song, dance, comedy, juggling, poetry, or whatever) to our EE Variety Show. Begin the evening with networking, locally-brewed spirits, and other autumn fare. Professional magicians then take the stage and introduce our talented NAAEE members to show their stuff. CASH PRIZES: 1st Place $150, 2nd Place $100, and 3rd Place $50. Tickets are only $25, and include entertainment, non-alcoholic beverages, beer and wine, and snacks.

Arts & EE
NAAEE has been awarded a second grant from the Albert I. Pierce Foundation. Some sessions from 2007 are back by popular demand, and some new options are in the works to surprise and delight you! Two separate hands-on sessions will feature professional instruction in what makes a stunning photograph that tells a story and motivates viewers to take action to help build a more sustainable world. One session will be led by official conference photographers Harry and Debra Spillman. The other will feature Mark Buckler, first place winner of NAAEE’s 2007 Film Contest sponsored by the Albert I. Pierce Foundation. Be sure to bring your digital camera to the conference and take photos for the closing slide show!

The Film Contest

See the conference program for the film descriptions and times that winners will introduce and screen their films. We thank the Albert I. Pierce Foundation for sponsoring this project.

Young Professionals/Students

Highlights include a welcome reception, an informal social, and a skill-building hands-on session.  

K-12 Teacher Support 
We continue to offer a special Saturday day registration rate for teachers.

Research Symposium

The 5^th Annual Research Symposium has been expanded to two days, and by including more varied presentation formats, we hope to foster a learning community of EE researchers that will extend beyond the annual meeting. Louise Chawla, Bob Jickling, Tom Marcinkowski Marcia McKenzie, and Ginger Potter are among the featured speakers.