Spotlight on Hawaii: ACA Conference & Expo is a bonanza of CE credits

Attendees of the 2008 American Counseling Association Annual Conference & Exposition, taking place March 26-30 in Honolulu, will have the opportunity to earn as many as 35 hours of continuing education (CE) credits by attending both days of the preconference Learning Institutes and all three days of the main part of the conference.

How does this work? The preconference Learning Institutes are offered during daytime sessions as well as in the evenings, allowing attendees to earn nine hours of CE credits daily. For example, if you attend one daytime Learning Institute (which will run from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) and then go to another one that evening (from 4:30-7:45 p.m.,) you would earn nine hours for the day. Daytime Learning Institutes offer six hours of CE credit, while the evening sessions offer three hours. With two full days of Learning Institutes March 26-27, you can earn 18 hours of CE credits before the conference even begins.

Then, if you attend Education Sessions throughout the day on each day of the main part of the conference (March 28-30), you can earn as many as 17 hours of additional CE credits. In less than one week?s time, you may be able to earn all or most of the credits you need for licensure renewal, depending on your state?s requirements. Of course, many counseling professionals who do not need CE credits enroll in Learning Institutes simply for the professional development and skills building that these intensive, in-depth sessions offer.

The complete schedule for Learning Institutes is posted on the ACA website and included in the Advance Registration Brochure, which members will receive in early October. Attendees can choose from 39 Learning Institutes at two levels ? Introductory and Advanced ? and from more than 500 Education Sessions.

ACA offers the preconference Learning Institutes to enable attendees to earn additional CE credits while gaining in-depth knowledge in a particular area. ACA advises prospective registrants to register early because sessions do fill up and sometimes get closed out.

A separate registration fee for the preconference Learning Institutes ranges from $70 to $135 for ACA members who register before Nov. 30. Nonmember general attendees pay $185 for daytime sessions and $145 for evening sessions. Reduced rates apply for students, new professionals and retirees. All Learning Institute fees, as well as regular conference registration rates, will increase Dec. 1.

To view the complete list of preconference Learning Institutes, visit www.counseling.org/conference and click on ?About Conference.? Inquiries about preconference Learning Institutes should be directed to ACA Professional Learning at 800.347.6647 ext. 306.

For general inquiries about the conference or to register by phone, call 800.347.6647 ext. 222.