Post-CoNfErENCE fIrEsIDE DIAloguE The Forum will offer a Fireside Dialogue, Mental Health Concerns in Education Abroad, immediately following the annual conference at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina on Friday evening, April 4 and all day Saturday, April 5, 2014. An important part of the Fireside Dialogue is the conversation that occurs outside of the seminar: for this reason, we have extended the room block and rate at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina through Sunday, April 6, 2014. Mental Health Concerns in Education Abroad is intended for professionals in education abroad seeking to understand mental health concerns that can impact students studying abroad and how institutions can best prepare for and respond to these concerns. The Forum’s Fireside Dialogues foster in-depth, collegial discussion that leads to practical strategies that participants can take with them and put into action. This Fireside Dialogue will bring together no more than 30 participants and facilitator/leaders in an informal setting for one very full day of facilitated, collegial discussion focusing on issues of concern to the field. The leaders, Charlie Morse of Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Cory Wallack of Syracuse University, both experts in college mental health, will share their experience and expertise while engaging participants in an open, frank dialogue. They will be joined in facilitating this event by Brian Brubaker, Director of Education Abroad at Dickinson College, and Mark Odenwelder, Executive Director of CEDEI: Centers for Interamerican Studies in Cuenca, Ecuador. purpose: To assist study abroad professionals in developing comprehensive strategies for responding to student mental health concerns through engaging and open collegial dialogue with expert leaders. content: Major topics to be discussed include: • Understanding who our students are and what mental health concerns they struggle with. • Who should you be partnering with on your campus? How do you build a supportive infrastructure? • Identifying students with mental health concerns pre-departure, and helping them plan. • What are the roles that counseling services can play if and when event occurs off-campus? • How to manage emerging student mental health concerns while abroad. format: The Fireside Dialogue is characterized by highly interactive, informal discussions based in part on advance readings and participant writing. The Dialogue will be both unique and challenging in that the participants will be active in developing and carrying out the agenda. Participants may be asked to write short pieces in which they describe a particular challenge that they are facing related to one or more of the Dialogue topics. These writings will be due one month before the Dialogue and will be shared with and read by all participants to help to form a basis for the discussion. Additional readings related to the topics will also be assigned. schedule: Friday, April 5: Late afternoon and dinner discussion and introductions Saturday, April 6: All-day discussion at seminar site with meals provided, concluding with dinner registration: Participation in the Fireside Dialogue will be limited to 30 participants in order to foster in-depth discussion. Participants are required to be professionals in education abroad serving a higher education population. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and a waiting list will be maintained. The application deadline is november 25, 2013. Participants will be notified of their acceptance to participate no later than December 13, 2013. Visit the annual conference website to download a Fireside Dialogue application. 22