2019 Special Events
All-Conference Event
All Conference Dessert Reception and Closing Fireworks Celebration at Epcot!
NAFSA Region VII Annual Conference attendees will be treated to a spectacular evening of deserts, drinks, and fireworks! Please join us.
- 7:15pm – 8:00pm: Shuttle Buses from Conference Hotel to Epcot Center
- 8:00pm – 9:00pm: Desserts and Drinks
- 9:00pm – 9:30pm: Exclusive access to view Disney’s newest fireworks show – Epcot Forever
- 9:30pm – 11:00pm: Free access to Epcot for Extended Magic Hours; buses will return to the hotel during this time for attendees.
*Attendees are encouraged to consider purchasing an “After 5 PM” ticket to go to Epcot early, before the Dessert Reception. Epcot is holding its annual International Food & Wine Festival during the Region VII Conference, and it will be a great time to get dinner and a drink with colleagues before the All Conference Dessert Reception. Purchasing of the “After 5PM” will not prohibit you from joining the All Conference Event. Just make sure to bring your conference lanyard.
“After 5 PM” tickets are less than $65 (before tax) and will grant access to Epcot from 5:00 – 11:00pm. When purchasing tickets, make sure to select “Partial Day Product.”
Get tickets for Epcot and all Disney Parks for evening outings and for any part of your stay using our special discount rate: https://www.mydisneygroup.com/nafsar72019. This is a great time of year for a family vacation as it is not peak season and less crowded.
Sponsored by ISP: International Student Protection
Plenary
Join us on Monday, November 18 for a special Plenary Lunch Event with The Orlando Fringe. Alauna Friskics, executive director of the Orlando Fringe Festival, will speak about the festival and its unique global appeal, followed by a monologue and musical performance by two artists.
Orlando Fringe
Orlando Fringe (OF) is the longest running Fringe Festival in the United States and is one of the largest in North America, drawing over 75,000 people in 14 days to experience 14 indoor theatrical venues, a free outdoor stage, visual art, and activities for kids, teens, and adults. Now in its 29th year, Orlando is modeled after the original Edinburgh [Scotland] Festival Fringe (est. 1947) whose founding principle is to be an open access festival that accommodates anyone with a desire to perform and a venue willing to host them.
Orlando Fringe was created in 1992 by Terry Olson, Andy Anthony, and Rick Kunst. Orlando Fringe has grown from the gritty, empty storefronts of Downtown Orlando to more than 16 performance spaces within Orlando’s Loch Haven Cultural Park, such as Orlando Shakes, Orlando Museum of Art and The Orlando REP. Aside from the ticketed performances, Orlando Fringe hosts a free outdoor stage, Fringers of the Future teen program, free Kids Fringe, Visual Fringe, and so much more. Orlando Fringe prides itself on being the oldest Fringe in the country and works closely with artists and mentors other festivals to encourage growth.
Alauna Friskics is executive director of Orlando Fringe, a non-profit organization that hosts a 14-day arts festival each May that draws 75,000 people and artists from all over the world. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics and theater from Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, and a master's degree in performing arts management from Columbia College Chicago. Her professional background spans from event production to development, acting to backstage work, marketing to strategic arts consultation. Prior to Fringe, Alauna led the renovation and re-opening of the Garden Theatre in 2008. This historic venue was the catalyst for economic redevelopment of historic downtown Winter Garden, where she served as an officer of the Winter Garden Downtown Merchants’ Association, and as part of the Florida Hospital Community Advisory Board. Alauna has presented at Fringe conferences around the globe, from Canada to Scotland, and will host over 50 international Fringe Festivals professionals at the World Fringe Congress in Orlando 2022. She also volunteers as a festival consultant for Howard Middle School, a performing arts magnet. She resides in Gotha, FL, with her husband and fun-loving 5 year-old daughter.
Tymisha Harris (Josephine), has been performing professionally for over 20 years. Her early credits include assistant choreographer and backup dancing for the 90's pop group N*SYNC, backup dancer for LFO, and multiple roles at Universal Studios Orlando, and a featured role in the hit movie series Bring It On. More recent endeavors include the national tour of Rock of Ages, a European tour with the innovative and world-renowned Pilobulus Dance Theater Company and founding member and assistant director/choreographer of the successful Orlando-based troupe Variatease. Josephine, a burlesque cabaret dream play combines cabaret, theatre and dance to tell the story of the iconic Josephine Baker, the first African-American international superstar and one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th century. The show has won numerous awards and accolades, and toured throughout Canada, the U.S. as well as a run in Edinburgh, Scotland. Josephine completed an off-Broadway run in NYC in 2018, and will travel to Australia in 2020.
Lindsay Taylor (The Lightweight) is an award-winning writer, director, and producer, her pride and joy being "Lil' Women- a rap musical." She has toured to almost 20 North American Fringe festivals in the last six years, and has been the recipient of the New Producer Award, Veteran Producer Award, and Spirit of the Fringe for Orlando Fringe. In addition to numerous Patron's Pick awards, she also won a Critics Choice Award for Best Book of a Musical for 2015's Robyn da Hood. Lindsay is the current theatre producer for Orlando Fringe, and a show producer/coordinator for WeFlip Entertainment. Her newest show The Lightweight toured to three cities this summer to critical acclaim, and is the story of a super nerd finding redemption by becoming an amatuer boxer. Two gloves. One super-nerd. A whole lotta redemption.
2019 Case Study Competition and Team Presentations
New to the field of international education or a graduate student? We want you to sign up for the 2019 NAFSA Region VII Case Study Competition!
The case study competition is an opportunity to network in a fun environment, get mentorship from a seasoned international education professional, and present your solution to an international education challenge in a supportive environment. The winning team members will receive complimentary early-bird registration to the 2020 NAFSA Region VII conference in Birmingham, AL. Complimentary registration to NAFSA's Global Learning Lab on Wednesday, May 27 in St. Louis, MO, as well as a recognition plaque. All participants will receive a certificate of participation. Space is limited, so register today! Learn more about the case study competition and register to participate.
Sponsored by AIFS Study Abroad
Winners receive:
- Complimentary early-bird registration to the NAFSA Region VII 2020 conference.
- Complimentary registration to NAFSA's Global Learning Lab in Washington, DC.
- Award plaque and certificate
Questions can be directed to Angie Edwards.
Networking Dinners
Sign up for a fun, social networking dinner with colleagues on November 18th, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm at one of the selected restaurants below. Each group will be led by a volunteer guide from Region VII to the location for which you signed up. Our wonderful Local Arrangement co-Coordinators (LAC's) have made these arrangements to welcome up to 10 people each. You are kindly asked to honor your commitment to participate if you sign up, or delete your name if your plans change. In this manner, another attendee may participate and the LAC's will be able to provide final estimates to the host restaurants for their prep.
Note: Dinner costs are individual and not covered by registration
Newcomers' Orientation and Volunteering
Newcomer's Orientation: Monday, November 18 at 11:15 a.m. in the South Ballroom.
All newcomers to NAFSA and / or to the field of international education are invited to convene for this a great opportunity to learn how to navigate our conference. You'll get a useful overview of NAFSA as a professional organization and resource; learn about involvement and leadership opportunities; and meet the current Region VII team. There will be an interactive and fun networking activity also. Everyone is welcome and no registration is required!
Volunteering
Open to all conference attendees, volunteering is a great opportunity to network, share best practices, and help others. Volunteers should report to the volunteer Table 15 minutes prior to their session start time. Volunteer slots are typically 1.5 - 2 hours.
- Prior experience or knowledge is not required to volunteer. All the information you need will be provided when you report to the Volunteer Table.
- Feel free to sign up for more than one volunteer slot and day.
- Questions?
- Duty descriptions for each role appear on the sign-up link below.
- All volunteers will receive a separate invitation to a special "VEPS" Reception (Volunteers, Exhibitors, Presenters and Sponsors / Advertisers) as a thank you!
What's next: When your check-in time arrives, go to the volunteer management desk, located in the Exhibit Hall, Center & North Ballrooms at NAFSA Booths 9 - 12.
Resume Reviews
Looking for a new international education position or want to help fellow NAFSAns by sharing your professional insights and career advice? Back again by popular demand, we'll be offering resume review opportunities at the Region VII Conference in Orlando.
Book Club Info
Monday, November 18, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Crystal Room
The Good Neighbor, The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, by Maxwell King
The lessons and life skills that were espoused by Fred Rogers were applicable when we were children on the playground, but, more importantly, they are pertinent to us as international educators and higher education professionals today. Rogers a 1951 alumnus of Rollins College and former Orlando area resident is known the world over as a model for being a good neighbor.
In Maxwell King’s book, The Good Neighbor, The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, we are presented with Fred Rogers’ personal and professional history as well as with the lessons he taught to the people around him. It provides guideposts that we can incorporate into our daily practices to help shape our students and ourselves into the people that Mister Rogers always believed we could be. We invite you to join us for a discussion about King’s book at the Region VII Conference in November. In a time when fears, concerns, and questions about the world often arise from our international students, we are excited to have the opportunity to discuss the engaging and important story of Fred Rogers and the ways we can utilize his lessons to become better neighbors.