top of page

MKN Conferences and Professional Development

MO-KAN-NE offers a variety of professional development opportunities for TRIO and GEAR UP professionals to expand their skills. ​​

MKN Annual Conference

Annual Conference

The Missouri-Kansas-Nebraska

(MO-KAN-NE) Chapter of the Educational Opportunity Association (EOA) will be holding its 45th Annual Conference,

 

 April 12-14, 2023

Where - Kansas City, MO. - Country Club Plaza Marriott 

Theme - Power in the Collective: Creating Change, Empowerment, and Access

Contact- Brandon Hammond, MKN President-Elect/Conference Co-Chair - bhammond1@sfccmo.edu
Rona Prater, Conference Co-Chair - rprater1@sfccmo.edu 

Our Annual Conference is a place where we can increase our engagement, learn pertinent skills, be inspired, provide support, network with colleagues, and share our expertise.  

Hello MKN Chapter Members:

The Annual Conference Registration Ticket option for those who are needing to pay by check is now available.

Please select pay in person, if you need to pay by check!

Check Payments are due by March 31. 

Hotel Details for Reserving Rooms:

MO-KAN-NE Chapters Conference 2023

Start Date: Monday, April 10, 2023
End Date: Friday, April 14, 2023
 
Last Day to Bo
ok:
Tuesday, March 21, 2023


Hotel offering you a special group rate:

  • Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza for $171 USD - per night


Book your group rate for
MO-KAN-NE Chapters Conference 2023

Click here to Book your group rate for MO-KAN-NE Chapters Conference 2023

Hotel Information:  Here's the reservation link you can use to make reservations: Click here to Book your group rate for MO-KAN-NE Chapters Conference 2023 Event Summary: MO-KAN-NE Chapters Conference 2023 Start Date: Monday, April 10, 2023 End Date: Friday, April 14, 2023   Last Day to Book: Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Hotel(s) offering your special group rate: Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza for 171 USD -  per night Book your group rate for MO-KAN-NE Chapters Conference 2023

Goals

The purpose of the annual conference is to create workshop sessions is to increase the knowledge of and provide practical tools for the attendees to utilize and that support the work we do with students, staff, colleagues and within the community. 

Knowledge

 We encourage our members to consider sharing their knowledge and skillsets with their colleagues

Development

Members can submit a best practice to share their expertise on successful programs and activities, such as motivating, engaging, and inspiring employees, strategies to impact students virtually, online recruitment, and innovative practices and procedures with your TRIO/Gear Up and other educational opportunities program colleagues.  

Leadership

 Our conference is a place where we can increase our engagement, learn pertinent skills, be inspired, provide support, network with colleagues, and share our expertise.

MKN Pre-Conference Session

MO-KAN-NE 2023
Pre-Conference Session

MHFA-Pre-Conference (002).jpg

Registration Is Now Open! 

The conference planning committee is excited to bring to the MKN chapter, Mental Health First Aid for Youth, as our

pre-conference session. The University of Missouri Extension is excited to partner with MKN to offer this informative and impactful pre-conference session. 

 

Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in youth. This training is offered in a hybrid model with 2 hours of pre-work and 4.5-hour in-person training gives adults who work with youth the skills they need to reach out and provide initial support to children and adolescents (ages 6-18) who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.

 

Common signs and symptoms of mental illness in this age group, include:

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Eating disorders

  • Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)

 

Common signs and symptoms of substance use:

  • How to interact with a child or adolescent in crisis

  • How to connect the person with help

 

Course Format:

  • Participants must complete 2-hours of self-paced training at least 3 days prior to the pre-conference.

  • The 4.5-hour portion of the course is a small group-interactive training at the pre-conference session. 

 

Registration Fee Includes: 

  • Lunch for Attendee 

  • MHFA Certification

Individuals who sign up for the pre-conference session have the understanding that prior to the session at our annual conference, attendees will have to complete coursework totaling 2 hours.

Requirements for Pre-Conference Session: 

  • By signing up, you agree to complete the required coursework before the pre-conference session. 

 

The session fee is $120.00, and we can only limit 30 participants, the deadline will be March 10, 2023

The deadline for registration is
March 10, 2023

Contact -Brandon Hammond
MKN President-Elect
Conference Co-Chair 
bhammond1@sfccmo.edu
For questions about Pre-Conference Sessio

2023 MO-KAN-NE Achievers

Nominations are now open for the 2023 MO-KAN-NE Achievers Award. The recognition ceremony will take place at the MKN Annual Conference in April. Nominate your MKN achiever today!

What is a MKN Achiever?
A MKN Achiever is an outstanding former TRIO/GEAR UP participant that has received recognition within his/her profession or for outstanding academic achievement.  They are individuals who have made significant civic, community, or professional contributions.  

MKN Achievers are recognized at the MKN Achievers banquet at the Annual Conference.  It is a special event that gives our MO-KAN-NE community an opportunity to congratulate our alumni on their success. This award further serves as a source of pride in the knowledge that MO-KAN-NE continues to make a difference in the lives of thousands of first-generation and low-income students throughout the MO-KAN-NE region and the United States.  

For 2023, the MO-KAN-NE Chapter will honor up to three (3) MKN Achievers. 

Criteria for Selection of MKN Achiever:
The MKN Achiever nominee must:

  • Be a former TRIO/GEAR UP program participant who was enrolled in and successfully completed a TRIO/GEAR UP program in the MO-KAN-NE Region.

  • Have enrolled in and successfully completed a post-secondary program of study resulting in a baccalaureate or terminal degree from an accredited institution of higher education.

  • Must be a person of high stature within his/her profession or has received recognition for outstanding academic achievement.

  • Must currently be employed above the entry-level designation for his/her profession or enrolled in a program for a degree above the baccalaureate degree. Special preference is given to nominees who have been out of school for five or more years.

  • Must have made significant civic, community, or professional contributions.

  • Acknowledge that participation in the TRIO/GEAR UP project had a significant impact on the candidate in obtaining his/her educational and/or professional objectives.

Please contact the MKN Achiever Chair,

Liz Shepard at liz.shepard@cowley.edu


if you need additional information or assistance

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Submission deadline is
March 1, 2023 by 5:00pm

2023 MO-KAN-NE Achievers

2023 MKN Hall of Fame

Nominations are now open for the 2023 MO-KAN-NE Hall of Fame. The recognition ceremony will take place at the MKN Annual Conference in April.

MKN - Hall of Fame Process

 

The Chapter recognizes and rewards its members who have shown outstanding commitment, energy, and excellence toward achieving the mission and goals of the organization by induction into the MO-KAN-NE Hall of Fame. Persons confirmed to the MO-KAN-NE Hall of Fame will receive Honorary Membership status in MKN as defined in the Chapter’s constitution. This status is reflected in MKN’s annual conference program and in the MKN directory.

 

The Nomination Process:

  1. Any Active Professional member of the MKN organization may nominate an individual to be considered for induction into the MO-KAN-NE Hall of Fame.

  2. The names of all nominees shall be submitted to the Board of Directors for approval.

  3. The Board of Directors will be responsible for the final confirmation of any member inducted into the MO-KAN-NE Hall of Fame.

  4. There will be no designated time (i.e. annually, bi-annually, etc.) that the organization must induct members. Members will be nominated and inducted solely on the basis of merit.

 

Selection Criteria:

  1. The nominee shall be at least a ten-year Active Professional member of MKN and should be of current status at the time of nomination and induction.

  2. The nominee shall have served as an officer in MKN and/or chaired a committee on the MKN level.

  3. The nominee shall have demonstrated strong leadership by having provided professional development workshops, educational training, or developed model or exemplary programs for the organization's constituency.

  4. The nominee shall have coordinated a successful major fund-raising activity and/or generated significant other outside support for MKN activities.

  5. The nominee shall have provided an outstanding contribution to the goals and mission of MKN.

  6. Nominators must submit a letter supporting the nomination of the nominee.

Nominations for the MKN Hall of Fame will be done electronically at the following link:

Click here to submit a nomination for the MKN Hall of Fame

The submission deadline for the MKN Hall of Fame is Wednesday, March 1, 2023, by 5:00 pm

Please contact the

MKN Hall of Fame Chair, Rashawn Harvey at harveyrd@unk.edu 

If you need additional information or assistance.

MKN Hall of Fame

Call for Proposals 

MKN Call for Proposal are OPEN!!

MKN 2023
Call of Proposals Form is below!

An annual conference is where attendees can increase engagement, learn pertinent skills, be inspired, provide support, network with colleagues, and share their expertise. This year's annual conference theme is centered around creating change, access, and empowerment. The success of the annual conference depends on the active participation and contribution of the membership in presenting sessions and workshops that are engaging and informative.

You are invited to submit a proposal to share your expertise on successful programs and activities; such as, motivating, engaging, and inspiring employees, strategies to impact students, recruitment, and innovative practices and procedures with your TRIO/Gear UP and other educational opportunity program colleagues. The purpose of the workshop sessions is to increase the knowledge of and provide practical tools for the attendees to utilize and that support the work they do with students, staff, colleagues, and within the community.

You are encouraged to consider sharing your knowledge and skill sets with your colleagues!

Proposals submission deadline is
Friday, March 10, 2023!!

Please contact the

Proposals Chair,

Jeromy Layman at  jlayman@sfccmo.edu

If you need additional information or assistance.

Call of Proposals
Funtivity

Funtivity 2023

Computer Keyboard

MKN DEVELOPMENT

01

MKN Annual Conference

02

MKN Professional Development

03

MKN FUNTIVITY 

04

TRIO Conferences

Member Involved in Leadership & Engagement (MILE)

MILE

Mile

Member Involved in Leadership & Engagement

 

MILE is to create a network of engaged TRIO professionals while gaining knowledge of MKN/EOA/COE, the importance of state and federal advocacy, and to critically think about enhancing the quality of the MKN

chapter  

Goals

The one‐year program involves six, 2‐day training sessions that are held on Fridays in Kansas City, MO or virtual meeting within the MO-KAN-NE region. One of the six sessions are held in conjunction with the annual EOA conferences.

Knowledge

Possess a greater understanding of COE, EOA, US Department of Education, MO-KAN-NE history, structure, objectives, and procedures. 

Development

Contribute to the success of their respective chapters and the original association by assuming leadership responsibilities such as holding offices, chairing committees, and serving as mentors for new MO-KAN-NE professionals

Leadership

The Cohort will have an opportunity to experience Chapter Board and EOA meetings. The cohort will have an opportunity to display their leadership skills and create a Drive-in Conference for the member and new professionals.

Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI)

ELI

Emerging Leaders Institute(ELI)

WHAT IS ELI?

The Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) is an innovative program that was designed by EOA leaders who recognized the need to strengthen EOA by developing potential leaders from within the association. Initiated in 1989, the program’s purpose was to identify and prepare EOA members to assume leadership positions at the chapter and regional levels, to help those individuals grow personally and professionally, and to strengthen the association.

The Emerging Leaders Institute is a year‐long leadership development program. The program’s design combines professional development, networking opportunities, and hands‐on experiences that prepare participants for greater involvement in EOA and in the respective chapters.

Goals

The one‐year program involves five, 2‐day training sessions that are held on Fridays and Saturdays in various cities within the EOA region. Two of the five sessions are held in conjunction with the annual EOA conferences.

Knowledge

Possess a greater understanding of EOA’s history, structure, objectives and procedures.

Development

Contribute to the success of their respective chapters and the original association by assuming leadership responsibilities such as holding offices, chairing committees, and serving as mentors for new EOA professionals.

Leadership

Become committed to their professions, the association, and the students they serve.

During the ELI training sessions, participants:

  • Network with EOA Professionals

  • Gain a better understanding of the EOA organization.

  • Develop and enhance leadership skills through professional development activities and individual assignments.

  • Complete an ELI class project as charged by the EOA president.

bottom of page