It Starts with Us.
Annual Online Conference for Administrative Support Staff
in East Asia
Bilingual Online Conference | March 13-24, 2023
Each ticket includes access to the full conference and ALL sessions.
Schools that have registered for our past conferences:
Designed for ALL Support Staff.
This facilitated, live online conference is specifically designed for all non-teaching support staff. It is also relevant for teachers and academic administrators who work closely with support staff. This conference aims to help participants develop skills and practices in partnering with their academic counterparts, thus assisting students in achieving their full learning potential.
Meeting the challenges of delivering a 21st century curriculum and a world-class quality education ultimately depends on the staff to give their best. Unfortunately, workplace dissatisfaction is higher among support staff members than among teachers and supervisors because some support staff feel undervalued, have fewer opportunities, and believe their achievements go unrecognized. Improving people’s skills to achieve better quality outcomes is a powerful strategy for creating and sustaining a feeling of fulfillment and enjoyment that staff members derive from their role. PD opportunities help support staff gain new skills in areas that are both relevant for them individually and aligned to the school’s priorities.
What will I learn?
The Administrative Support Staff Conference seeks to provide staff members with the skills, insights, and networks needed to excel in their work. The conference is an excellent professional development opportunity for all non-teaching support staff.
In this conference, presenters will share tools and strategies they use to improve effectiveness and efficiency at work.
By the end of the conference, participants will be able to:
Improve their interpersonal and intercultural relationships and communications
Manage priorities, people, and projects better
Acquire some essential management and leadership knowledge
Learn problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills
Network with other non-teaching professionals from other international/bilingual schools
We have also prepared a Visual Thinking Routine Worksheet to help participants take notes and collaborate.
Target Audience
All Support Staff – Personnel from Finance, Human Resources, Facilities Management, Operations, Admissions/Marketing, Communications, IT Help Desk, and Procurement and Academic Assistants.
Interested teachers and academic administrators are welcome to participate.
Duration
2 weeks (Mondays to Fridays)
Mar 13 (Monday) to Mar 24 (Friday)
3:30 pm – 5:45 pm (China Time)
*Session on Mar 17 (Friday) ends at 5:15 pm and Session on Mar 24 (Friday) ends at 5:30 pm.
Platform
Whova
We are using Whova conference app for our conference, and this is where you will access all the conference material. You can access Whova on mobile devices and web browsers.
On Whova you can:
Join live-streamed sessions
Interact and network with speakers and other participants
Easily check conference schedule and speaker info
Gamify your participation!
Certificate Course
A certificate of participation will be awarded.
Registration Fee
Cost Per Participant
Per Participant: USD 175.00
2-5 Participants per School: USD157.50/p
6-10 Participants per School: USD140.00/p
11-15 Participants Package per School: USD122.50/p
15+ Participant Package per School: USD105.00/p
Each ticket includes access to the full conference and ALL sessions.
Our Keynote Speakers
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Douglas Prescott
Head of School, Canadian International School of Beijing
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Claire Peet
Senior Manager L&PD and Quality Assurance, Yew Chung Yew Wah Education
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Dan Brown
Director of Professional Learning and Development, Dulwich College (Singapore)
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David Shirley
Head of School, Shanghai Singapore International School
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Jack Hsu
Founder and CEO, Ivy Group International, Inc.
PD Academia invites you to submit a proposal for presentation at our annual online conference for administrative support staff.
It Starts with Us.
Presenters do not have to pay to present. If the presenter wants to register as a participant, they will receive a special discount on registration and may qualify for free registration.
Praise From Our Past Participants
“I came, I grow.”
— Annie Lv, Suzhou Singapore International School
“[If you] want to be better [at your job], please join us at the next conference.”
— Carrie Chu, Dulwich College Beijing
“Learning, improved, and inspired.”
— Vicky Gao, Hangzhou International School
“The whole training is very informative and really inspired me in many ways.”
— Sonia Zhang, Tsinghua International School
“Learning from awesome people from different backgrounds.”
— Jane Zhang, Nanjing International School
“Everyone here understands you.”
— Effie Sun, TEDA Global Academy
Agenda
Mar 13 (Monday)
Opening Day
3:30 pm – 3:50 pm
Welcome & Introductions
3:50 pm – 5:20 pm
It Starts with Us! - Opening Message by Douglas Prescott
5:20 – 5:45 pm
Conference Schedule & Guidelines
Mar 14 – Mar 23
Elective Sessions
3:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Keynote Speech
3:45 pm – 4:40 pm
First Sessions
4:50 pm – 5:45 pm
Second Sessions
Participants are welcome to attend as many sessions as they desire. They are also free to take as few sessions as their time allows. Highly flexible.
Mar 17 (Friday)
Elective Sessions
3:30 pm - 3:45 pm
Keynote Speech
3:45 pm - 5:00 pm
Elective Session
Mar 24 (Friday)
Closing Day
3:30 pm – 4:45 pm
Job-Alike Session
This session provides an excellent opportunity to share resources/information and engage in discussions among professionals with similar job responsibilities, broaden their perspectives, share knowledge, and network regionally.
4:45 pm – 5:00 pm
Wrap Up & Evaluation
How will I learn?
Based on extensive research, we have developed a model for virtual professional development that will:
Enable participants to enjoy a mix of content delivery methods to meet the needs of various learning styles and preferences, including but not limited to mini-lectures, case studies, role-plays, discussions, and video productions.
Challenge participants to apply knowledge and tools introduced throughout the conference to their own working context.
Connect participants to process content collectively and share unique experiences and perspectives in small and large groups.
Allow participants to review the presentations at their own convenience for 12 months after the conference to reinforce their learning.
What Our Past Participants Are Saying
“I met some fantastic people and learned a lot about my role as a TA.”
— Gabrielle McCann, Australian International School Hong Kong
“Education is more than just about academics. Emphasize character building; it is what will make the world a better place. Your actions matter.”
— Isma Hussain, Yew Chung International School Hong Kong
“In this conference, you are not only a learner but also a teacher. You will think about your job differently after interacting with many peers who play the same role in other schools.”
— Nini Ni, Beijing City International School
“TAs are also ‘Teaching Angels’* who shouldn't underestimate themselves.”
— Christel Luo, Nanjing International School
*Sue Larkey coined the term ‘Teaching Angels’.
Pricing
Each ticket includes access to the full conference and ALL sessions.
Cost Per Participant
Per Participant: USD 175.00
2-5 Participants per School: USD157.50/p
6-10 Participants per School: USD140.00/p
11-15 Participants Package per School: USD122.50/p
15+ Participant Package per School: USD105.00/p
The registration form on the right side accepts USD payments via credit card.
We also accept:
USD payments via bank wire transfer
RMB payments via:
Alipay
WeChat Pay
bank wire transfer
Please note that Fapiao is only available for RMB bank wire transfers. If you would like to opt for the above payment methods, please email erren@pdacademia.com with your preferred payment method, the name, job title, and email address of each person you would like to register and we will email you payment instructions.
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Refund Policy
If notice of cancellation re the registered participant is received:
30+ days pre-event: 80% of fee is refundable
15-29 days pre-event: 40% of fee is refundable
Less than 15 days pre-event: no refund
Online PD Programs - No refund will be granted re participants commencing an online PD program and withdrawing part way through. Course material fees (re DiSC surveys, book fees, etc) are not refundable once access is granted.
Refund due to PD Event Cancellation
In the event of cancellation of a conference, workshop or online PD program, we will fully refund the registration or sponsorship fee(s) paid. However, we will be unable to refund any travel, visa or accommodation expenses incurred or course material fees where access has been granted.