Thanks to everyone who made the 2009 Opening Minds Conference a success! Outlines of workshops will be posted by March 1, 2009.
Click here for information on this year's Head to Toe Infant/Toddler Conference!
Next year's Opening Minds will be held on January 28-30, 2010 (pre-conference day on January 27).
Dates: January 22-24, 2009 
Location:
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
2233 S. Martin Luther King Drive
Chicago, IL 60616
map/directions
Opening Minds is for anyone who cares for or works with children!
Opening Minds is the largest early childhood conference in the region. Over 5,000 early childhood professionals come together each year to get real world advice from experts in the field, make connections, and grow professionally.
Earn professional and continuing education credits at Opening Minds:
- Eligibility to apply and/or achieve a TIER/Star Level for Illinois' Quality Rating System
- Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs)
- Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for Licensed Social Workers
- Early Intervention Credits
- Child Care In-Service Training Certificates
- Child Development Associate (CDA) Hours
Click here for details on gaining professional credits.
New This Year!
Plan your entire conference schedule
Chicago Metro AEYC is proud to offer an Interactive Conference Planner as a scheduling tool for attendees. With the Planner, you can browse workshop titles, presenters and descriptions, as well as when and where they are being held.
Register a username and password and you will be able to create your own, personal Opening Minds schedule, which you can either print or download to your phone! Click here for more details on this exciting new feature.
Get real-time conference updates via text message
Twitter is a web application that lets you stay in constant contact with a person or an event. We will be using Twitter to blog live about what's going on at Opening Minds (including schedule/room changes, Business Bingo drawings, and cancelled workshops).
A big-screen projection of Twitter is available in the Regency Foyer, or you can get Opening Minds updates on your cell phone via text message!
It is highly recommended that you sign up for Twitter phone updates BEFORE you get to the conference! Click here for more details.
Exhibit Hall Bingo
Win great prizes from over 25 different vendors -- just for browsing the Exhibit Hall! Click here for details.
The Second City Comedy Night
The most famous brand in live comedy comes to Opening Minds for one-night only! This event is free for members -- please sign up at the Upcoming Events booth in Registration. Click here for more information.
Know Before You Go to Opening Minds
Things to keep in mind to make your conference safe and enjoyable:
- Arrive early - give yourself enough time to park and navigate through the hotel before your first workshop begins.
- Wear comfortable shoes - you will be walking between the Hyatt and McCormick Place for workshops and trade show exhibits.
- Dress warmly and layer - it is winter in Chicago; temperatures could be as cold as 0 degrees or less! It is wise to layer, too, since some parts of the conference venue are colder than others.
- Be a safe driver - check the weather and travel conditions before you depart for the conference. You may want to arrive ahead of a predicted storm, or even stay at the Hyatt the night before.
