Missouri Association of Publications
Missouri Association of Publications Publishing Summit (MAP) was held March 3rd - 4th at Memorial Union on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus. It is one of the latest events coordinated by the MU Conference Office. The 2-day event was hosted by the Missouri Association of Publications, along with a few other co-sponsors who are also members of the association. Based on this year's high-turnout and positive feedback from participants, it is safe to claim the first annual summit was a successful event!

There were more than 170 participants, whom were mostly representatives of various magazine publishers, editors, journalists, educators, printers and even college students. They took advantage of this event by attending the workshops and making acquaintances with the other people who share their same interests, thus extending their networking channels.

Ellen Payne, Director of Editorial Operations, Hearst Corporation, spoke on "The Good, the Bad and the Inevitable in Magazine Publishing" during the opening session. Later that same night, “Mr. Magazine”, Dr. Samir Husni of the University of Mississippi, the summit's featured keynote speaker, presented an interesting talk on "303 Ways to Create a Better Magazine". The next day, participants attended workshops led by industry experts and Missouri School of Journalism faculty. These sessions addressed numerous relevant topics such as writing, editing, graphic design, photography, printing, circulation and advertising.

More information about this association can be found at www.missouripublications.org. This summit was coordinated by Irma Mahamad

Crop Management
Every December, MU Conference Office coordinates the Crop Management Conference. This two day event, sponsored by University of Missouri - Columbia, University of Missouri Extension, MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Commercial Agricultural Program in cooperation with MO-AG Industries Council, draws producers, researchers, scholars, professors, and government interested in the management of Missouri's crop planning, and all related topics. Tony Lupo, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science at MU gave the general session address on “Current El Nino Activity and Possible Impacts on Crops”. Also discussed within the conference breakout sessions include Insect Research, Forage Management, Sudden Death Syndrome, Soybean Disease Management and others. Attendees were able to receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from the Missouri State CCA Board of Certified Crop Advisors.

The next Crop Management conference is scheduled for December 14-15, 2005. This conference was coordinated by Lorie Bousquet.

Conference on the Young Years
The second week of March went non-stop for every person in our office. In that one week, MUCO had four conferences take place, three of which were at Tan Tar A in Osage Beach, MO. The end of that week saw 2100 early childhood education and daycare providers gather for the Conference on the Young Years. This three day event - March 10-12, 2005 - is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Those 2100 attendees attended many educational sessions and keynote speakers. Some of the keynote speakers included Sherri Griffin, author of My Big World of Wonder; Colleen Salley, author of such books as Who's That Tripping Over my Bridge? And Why Epossumondas Has No Hair On His Tail. The participants were treated to great performers by Grammy award winner Ella Jenkins; and Roscoe Orman, also known as Gordon on Sesame Street.

Next year's conference will be held in February or March 2006. This conference was coordinated by Lorie Bousquet.

Interface A and B
Missouri's science and math educators gathered together February 24-March 1, 2005 for the Annual Interface A and Interface B conferences. These conferences, divided between primary to middle school and middle school to high school respectively, provide a chance for educators to network, learn, and share ideas. A popular annual conference, Interface A and Interface B is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The teachers become the students as they attend a variety of sessions covering all aspects of science and math. The teacher-students are excited to learn how everyday items can be incorporated into their classrooms as they know their students will benefit. The simple math concepts in “Origami - Safari to Success” prove that there is math every where. “On Assignment: Science, Writing and You” explored ways to incorporate writing into the science curriculum. Matt Forir, Paleontologist, presented the keynote address on the opening night of each conference. He shared his adventures and artifacts found in exploring and discovering the Riverbluff Cave near Springfield, MO. Each three day conference was filled with great sessions presented by fellow Missouri teachers, Missouri Department of Conservation, as well as other outside groups. Participants were able to browse the exhibit area for additional products for the classroom.

These conferences are held each year at Tan-Tar-A in Osage Beach, MO. Join us February 23-25, 2006 for Interface A and February 26-28, 2006 for Interface B. These conferences were coordinated by Cindy Hazelrigg.

Schools and Public Health
The First Annual Conference on Schools and Public Health - Connecting for Healthier Communities was held March 8-10, 2005 at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach Missouri.

This innovative new conference attracted over 650 Missouri health and education professionals and addressed serious public health issues concerning the well being of children and their families by providing a statewide forum for school health, education and public health professionals.

National experts in topics ranging from life-threatening allergies, childhood injuries, lead poisoning and substance abuse prevention shared their expertise with participants. Local experts whose educational and service-related programs that have been recognized as among the best in the state were on hand to share what works in Missouri schools. They, as well as other speakers, addressed such topics as immunizations, bullying in schools, headaches, asthma, sports injuries and healthy weight/exercise.

This statewide conference was sponsored by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The co-sponsors are the Heartland Center for Public Health Preparedness, the Heartland Public Health Education and Training Center at Saint Louis University School of Public Health, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Missouri Coordinated School Health Coalition, sanofi pasteur and the MU Sinclair School of Nursing.

This conference was coordinated by Amy Sheets.