OMEA - Programs

Engaging with Peers and Colleagues

OMEA supports numerous conferences each year. Helping to plan these events allows our students to flex their leadership muscles; attending the conferences helps them engage with others who share a commonality of community, ethnicity, background or interest. The OMEA staff attends select conferences, as well, which offers the chance to develop professionally, as well as to connect more readily with our students.

Following are some of the conferences we've taken part in during the past few years:

• Latino Ivy Conference
  Each year, Latino communities in the Ivy Leagues vie for the privilege of hosting this conference which is organized and administered by the host school's students. In 2008 the honor went to Harvard University. Speakers, performers, entertainment, forums, and networking events are just some of the highlights of the yearly conference.
• Native Ivy Summit
  
  This Summit is one of two annual gatherings of the All-Ivy Native Council (AINC), a consortium of Native student groups from Ivy league and other colleges throughout the Northeast with a goal of raising awareness about Native American issues in our collegiate and local communities. The summit affords Native students the opportunity to learn, network, and meet other Native undergraduates.
  
• National Asian American Student Conference (NAASCON)
  The theme of the 3rd Biennial conference of Asian and Asian American students in 2008 was “From Visions To Actions: Let’s Get Our Movements Going.” Hosted by students at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, the gathering featured workshops, films, panel discussions and lectures. Caucuses were formed by participants on topics relating to identity and region, providing an especially engaging element to the conference.
• National Black Student Leadership Development Conference (NBSLDC)
  “Ordinary People Equipped for Extraordinary Leadership: We Will Change the World“ was the theme in January, 2009 for the 24th National Black Student Leadership Development Conference in Washington D.C. Workshops, high-profile speakers, and the awarding of prestigious awards honoring exceptional contribution to community, volunteerism, and leadership are all part of this event.
• National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE)
  The NCORE conference series constitutes the leading and most comprehensive national forum on issues of race and ethnicity in American higher education. The conference focuses on the complex task of creating and sustaining comprehensive institutional change designed to improve racial and ethnic relations on campus and to expand opportunities for educational access and success by culturally diverse, traditionally underrepresented populations. Students exhibiting interest in higher education administration, as well as OMEA staff, attend this conference to remain on the cutting edge of the effective strategies to enhance access, social development, education, positive communication, and cross-cultural understanding in culturally diverse settings.