--- title: "Conference Circuit: School’s Out" id: "32518" type: "post" slug: "conference-circuit-schools-out" published_at: "2016-03-17T23:44:17+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T15:43:37+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/03/17/conference-circuit-schools-out/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/03/17/conference-circuit-schools-out.md" excerpt: "The National AfterSchool Association’s 2016 Annual Convention is set to start in Orlando this weekend." taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "afterschool" - "AssociationsNow" - "conventions" - "Meetings" - "Professional Development" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Conference Circuit: School’s Out ## The National AfterSchool Association’s 2016 Annual Convention is set to start in Orlando this weekend. More than 2,000 afterschool professionals will be in the Sunshine State for four days of engaging, informative, and insightful programming and networking. **Association:** National AfterSchool Association **Conference:** 2016 NAA Convention **Venue:** Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center **Location:**Orlando, Florida The [2016 NAA Convention (opens in a new tab)](http://naaweb.org/convention) will kick off on Sunday with an evening general session. Eric Rowles, president and CEO of Leading to Change, will help attendees channel their inner superhero and identify the powers to help them transform the lives of young people. Also on the lesson plan: **Learning in action.**The convention’s Learning Expo is much more than rows of booths and tchotchkes. Attendees can test experiences and products through the show floor’s Learning Labs. Among them is a STEM Lab equipped with the latest and greatest curriculum and materials and a space where Andy the Science Wiz will perform experiments and demonstrate activities designed to engage and inspire critical thinking. **Saving the world.**This year’s convention theme is superhero-related: “The power of afterschool, the power of you.” Not only will the opening general session hit on this topic (attendees are even encouraged to wear costumes), but there will also be a Superhero Selfie Station in the expo hall, a Hero Hangout on Monday evening, and one of the meeting’s five conference strands—“Super People, Super Powers”—is dedicated to it. **Making a comeback.**Some of the 2015 meeting’s top workshop presenters will be making an appearance again this year. Their sessions include “Eight Habits of Highly Effective Afterschool Leaders,” “You Can’t Make Everyone Happy. You’re Not Pizza,” and “Beyond Race: Tools to Teach Social Justice.” Want to school yourself on the meeting from home? Check [Twitter (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/NatlAfterSchool) ([#NAA16 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23naa16&src=typd) ), [Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/NationalAfterSchoolAssociation?ref=hl) , [Instagram (opens in a new tab)](https://www.instagram.com/natlafterschool/) , and [Pinterest (opens in a new tab)](https://www.pinterest.com/NAAtoday/naa-annual-convention/) . [Samantha Whitehorne](https://associationsnow.com/author/samantha-whitehorne/) Samantha Whitehorne is a former editorial director of Associations Now in Washington, DC. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/samantha-whitehorne/) Tags: [#afterschool](https://associationsnow.com/tag/afterschool/) [#conventions](https://associationsnow.com/tag/conventions/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#Professional Development](https://associationsnow.com/tag/professional-development/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoLakisha Woods, CAE Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/lakisha-woods-cae-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) - [VideoDJ Johnson Shares His Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/dj-johnson-shares-his-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents Practical AI-How Associations Are Putting It To WorkJanuary 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/01/29/associations-now-presents-practical-ai-how-associations-are-putting-it-to-work/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2016%2F03%2F17%2Fconference-circuit-schools-out%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !