Welcome in Italy
ThinkQuest Partners Meeting 2001
Draft Program February 2-5 meeting in Terni
Friday, 2 Feb. Arrivals, followed by a reception at 17:00
for veteran and new partners to meet each other and TQ staff. We will have a
2-hour orientation and dinner meeting on TQ operations for new Partners.
Veterans are welcome to attend.
Sat., 3 Feb., 9-5, including lunch and two short coffee-breaks:
The morning session would be devoted to TQ leadership and staff to present an
evaluation of the present and the vision for the expanded horizons of ThinkQuest.
After lunch we will have a three-hour open discussion for partners and staff to
exchange views on a variety of issues such as programs beyond TQ contests,
creation of a global community, use of Internet 2 resources, ownership of
entries created by TQ teams, the nature of the annual TQ Awards event and EdTech
Conference, funding ThinkQuest operations locally and globally, governance of
ThinkQuest policies and operations, and similar topics.
We will have an informal dinner at 19:00. There may be some anecdotal reports
from partners' experiences in the conduct of TQ in their country.
Sunday, 4 Feb., 9-5, including lunch and two short coffee-breaks:
After TQ staff reviews briefly the operational features and rules of TQIC2001,
the morning session would be devoted to a thorough discussion on the policies
and procedures for the initiation and conduct of ThinkQuest programs in Partner
countries.
After lunch Partners who have already managed local TQ programs and those who
plan to do so will present their specific ideas based on their experiences.
The Dinner at 19:00 will be a bit more festive than the night before. A time to
relax and enjoy each others' company and friendship.
Monday, 5 Feb., 9-12
There will be at least two breakout sessions until 11 AM. One will be
devoted to the prospect for creating a regional ThinkQuest program in Europe
funded by the European Commission's MINERVA program. Simultaneously there may be
a group of partner countries in other regions who may wish to explore the
prospects for collaboration among each other. Another group my wish to meet with
TQ technical staff for resources required to manage local ThinkQuest programs.
We will all reconvene at 11 AM for a summation of our deliberations and compile
a list of actions for follow-up.
Departures will be after lunch. Although not yet confirmed, Giuseppe Fortunati
our Partner in Italy, has suggested that many partners may wish to take a guided
tour of Rome on Tuesday before returning home. I shall canvass you about this to
see how many would be interested in that wonderful excursion.
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