For me, the month of February means three things: the Super Bowl, Valentines Day, and Regional Conferences. The first I watch for the commercials, the second I spend with my family, and the third I wait for all year round. Regional conferences are filled with networking, student presentations, and activities. They are the conferences that allow your hard work to be showcased and shared with the schools around you. They allow for reconnection with the friends you’ve made at camp, at LTI’s, at prior regional and state conferences. While the Regional Conference is something that I wait for year round, sometimes it seems to spring it out on you from around the corner, so this fun list of tips will ensure that you are “Ready for Regionals.”
For Showcases:
- For those giving a showcase: make sure you’re interacting with your audience, and don’t be afraid to get them involved in asking or answering questions. Regionals are all about being able to showcase and learn about what other schools do, and the best way to do that is to interact with the other students and schools there.
- For those just listening in: Pay attention, while some of the events and ideas you see might already be implemented at your school, there are often certain unique twists that may put your own event over the top. Ask questions if you’re interested, the presenters want to share these events and resources with you.
For Michigan Student Voice:
- If you plan on presenting, write a speech that you connect with, and don’t be afraid to practice again and again until you are confident in what you want to say. But don’t over practice to the point of forgetfulness, sometimes going with the flow gives the best results.
- For those just listening: be engaged, and if you find yourself attached to a certain speech, seek out the speaker to introduce yourself and ask questions. Not only will they appreciate it, you’ll probably get a lot of out it as well.
Just Have Fun
- Regionals are for more than just showcases and presentations. Embrace making friends with the people there, have your school show up in matching t-shirts, and just enjoy attending a conference with people who share so many of the same interest as you.