1st International Conference on Children's Spirituality

Conference report

1. Overview of conference structure. Sunday July 9 – Wednesday July 12 including:

• Sherry reception and conference dinner on Sunday evening.
• Jazz band and barbeque on Tuesday evening.
• 4 international keynote speakers.
• 38 collegiate papers.
• 9 workshops.
• 8 round table discussions exhibition hall for displays, resources and publishers.
• Helpdesk staffed by college students throughout duration of conference.

2. Pre-conference planning and publicity:

Aims:

• To encourage international discussion in the arena of children’s spirituality.
• To bring together professionals from different backgrounds and interests to debate the issues in this area.
• To provide an opportunity for delegates to experience a range of presentations, styles and formats across a variety of specific topics.

Planning:

• Regular meetings for planning and arrangements for the conference took place over a period of 18 months.

Website:

• The development of a website proved an invaluable tool for promoting the conference as well as providing easy access for information, booking places, submitting general inquiries.
• The site was regularly updated with information as arrangements were confirmed, e.g. collegiate papers, timetable for conference, copies of mailings.

Publicity:

• Website
• Brochures
• Advertising in The International Journal of Children’s Spirituality and other related publications produced by Taylor & Francis.
• General mailshot;
• Flyer swaps with other conferences, mailings and events (e.g. Soul Education Conference, Roehampton’s Education, Spirituality and the Whole Child Conference)

3: Delegation

Number of bookings: 132.

Delegate breakdown:

– By country

• Australia 9
• Belgium 1
• Canada 4
• China 1
• Finland 1
• Germany 1
• Ireland 3
• Israel 1
• Malta 1
• New Zealand 1
• Norway 1
• The Netherlands 1
• UK 86
• USA 16

– By profession

• Higher Education UK 20
• Higher Education outside UK 18
• Religious / Church bodies & Diocesan Advisers UK 38
• Religious/ Church bodies & Advisers outside UK 23
• Research 13
• Schools (e.g. teachers, heads, heads of dept.) 4
• Other 1

4: General feedback:

• Evaluation forms were included in conference packs and 80 completed or partially completed forms were returned (see below for analysis of evaluation forms).
• Other feedback in the form of personal emails and cards were received from 25 delegates.

5: Outcomes

• Edited volume of selected proceedings from the conference.
• Papers published in the International Journal of Children’s Spirituality.
• Association.
• Further conference at University of Haifa, Israel, 2001.
• Further conferences every two years in UK.