47th Annual AEEE Conference
Sunday, April 21 to Thursday, April 25, 2024
Ocean Casino Resort
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Association for Equality in Excellence and Education
The Investment Continues:
Advancing the TRIO Legacy
Celebrating 47 Years of Service, Partnership, and Excellence
The Association for Equality and Excellence in Education (AEEE) Inc. is one of ten regional membership associations that advocate for all Federal TRIO Programs. Under the leadership and support of the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), AEEE is committed to advancing the ideals of equal educational access for all first-generation, low-income, and disabled students throughout New York and New Jersey.
AEEE provides a forum for collegiality, professional development, scholarship and other supportive activities to Federal TRIO programs. Annually, members work with over 35,000 first-generation, low-income students, veterans, and students with disabilities within New York and New Jersey, providing hope and opportunity through education and support.
Network & connect with novice & veteran TRIO professionals in your region
Identify and leverage resources within different programs
Troubleshoot problems & solve issues
Gain professional & program support
Attend the Conference to:
AEEE Conference Schedule
Upon hotel check-in, AEEE47 conference registration will be held on the Meeting Room Level of the Resort; this can be accessed via elevator or the escalator. Once you arrive on the floor you will see the registration area.
Plenary Speakers
Dr. Rochelle L. Woods
Vice President for Operational Excellence and Chief Operating Officer at Johnson C. Smith University
Beyond Salary: How to Effectively Negotiate for Yourself and Advance Your Career
Dr. Rochelle L. Woods has nearly a decade of experience helping higher education leaders successfully navigate professional negotiations. She is passionate about helping professionals successfully navigate job offers, promotions, conflicts and important workplace issues that are necessary to succeed personally and professionally. She has coached and trained over 1,000 higher education professionals across the country, working with them one-on-one and in workshops and seminars. Dr. Woods has extensive training and professional experience in the areas of leadership, conflict management and negotiation. She has trained in negotiation at Yale and Harvard’s Executive Education programs, including receiving a certificate from Harvard’s Negotiation Master Class and an Executive Certificate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School. Dr. Woods is a career higher education professional, currently serving as Vice President for Operational Excellence and Chief Operating Officer at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has previously led college access, retention and student success programs as well as, academic initiatives and administrative operations at University of Pittsburgh, Ohio State University and University of Michigan. Dr. Woods received her BA in Sociology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and MA and PhD degrees in Sociology from University of Michigan. She is a proud TRIO alum, having spent her undergraduate years participating in the Student Support Services program and McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Dr. Ruben E. Canedo
Director of Strategic Equity Initiatives within UC Berkeley’s Division of Equity & Inclusion
Centering and Mobilizing the Collective
Power of Trio Alumni
Ruben E. Canedo (He/They), born & raised in the border areas of Coachella, Imperial, and Mexicali. Ruben’s career focuses on public higher education and transformative justice. Ruben serves as Director of Strategic Equity Initiatives within UC Berkeley’s Division of Equity & Inclusion. His responsibilities include research, organizing, policy, and advocacy. Additionally, he was appointed to the dual roles of Chair of the UC Berkeley Basic Needs Committee (2012-2023) and Co-Chair of the UC Systemwide Basic Needs Committee (2013-2023). As of Summer 2023, Ruben is one of four co-founders who launched the new Center for Economic Justice & Action (CEJA) that will be dedicated to research, evaluation, education, and training for public higher education and related movement locations. Ruben will serve as CEJA’s Co-Director of Education & Training. In his first 15 years as a public higher education professional, Ruben is most proud of co-founding the UC Systemwide EOP Summit, Undocumented Student Programs & Services, Basic Needs Centers, and coalitions uniting public higher education with local + state + national movements dedicated to transformative justice. Through community organizing, these efforts are now provided over $176M in ongoing annual state funding for all three public segments of higher education in California: California Community College (116), California State University (23), and University of California (10). Outside of his roles in higher education, for over 15 years, Ruben supports small to large institutions/community-based organizations/foundations dedicated to healing, disability, and transformative justice with facilitation, strategy, training, and keynoting. Notable partners to date include Emerson Collective, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund. Ruben’s trajectory was honored by being awarded the Council for Opportunity in Education National TRIO Achiever Award Class of 2023. He shares this award with generations of TRIO Alumni shaping sectors in their local, state, national, and global setting. Fun fact: Ruben grew up in traditional Okinawan Karate, he began at age 4 and currently holds a 3rd-degree black belt.
Participate in these fun conference events!
Conference Registration
Conference registration includes access to all conference events (including meals, except those designated as on own ). Registration for the 47th Annual AEEE Conference also includes membership to AEEE starting July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
Hotel reservations and travel arrangements must be secured separately.
Team Registration Fees *
Applicable for teams of three to eight individuals from the same institution, providing that all registrations are submitted online at the same time. Each team member’s personal information must be entered when prompted. Please select “team registration” as the registration type.
Cannot join us for the full conference, but interested in attending for a day or two?
We are now offering a special one-day and two-day conference registration option! These registration options will include full access to the conference phone app, access to Plenary Sessions and Concurrent Workshops on the days selected, and any scheduled AEEE-sponsored meals. Please note: fees for Pub-Style Trivia, Karaoke, and the Fun Crawl are not included.
Post Conference Registration
Calling all current and prospective SSS grantees! A new cycle is around the corner, so AEEE is hosting a post-conference just for you! We’ve invited our friends at Study Smart Tutors to lead us in a strategy brainstorming session, that’ll get you fired up to begin! They will be joined by one of our Seasoned AEEE SSS Directors!
If you are registered for the full conference, you can attend for a discounted rate! Not registered for the full conference, don’t worry! We have space for you as well!
Space is limited, so register TODAY! Please direct any questions to AEEEinc@gmail.com
AEEE Needs You: Become A Conference Volunteer
We are seeking volunteers and session moderators for the annual conference. If you are interested in helping, you can sign up below.
Volunteers can sign up for more than one slot.
If you have questions regarding volunteering, contact Steve Rebello at srebello@binghamton.edu.
If you have any questions regarding registration, contact Dr. Heather Hagenbuch AEEE Treasurer at hiwelser@buffalo.edu or (716) 645-4728.
If paying via check or purchase order:
AEEE Member
Individual
Team*
Early Bird
1/18/24-2/18/24
$695
$675
Regular
2/19/24-4/1/24
$795
$775
Late
4/2/24-4/21/24
$895
$875
Non-Member
Individual
Team*
Early Bird
1/18/24-2/18/24
$745
$725
Regular
2/19/24-4/1/24
$845
$825
Late
4/2/24-4/21/24
$945
$925
If paying via credit card (contains 3% transaction fee):
AEEE Member Individual
$715.85
$818.85
$921.85
AEEE Member Team*
$695.25
$798.25
$901.25
Non-Member Individual
$767.36
$870.35
$973.35
Non-Member Team*
$746.75
$849.75
$952.75
Regular
2/19/24-4/1/24
Early Bird
1/18/24-2/18/24
Late
4/2/24-4/21/24
Location and Lodging
The 47th Annual AEEE Conference will take place in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the Ocean Casino and Resort.
Discounted Hotel Group Rate: $99 per night (plus taxes and fees)
Discounted room rates are available until Thursday, March 21, 2024.
The room block is closed. If you need assistance with making/updating a reservation, please send an email to AEEEinc@gmail.com.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Investment Continues: Advancing the TRIO Legacy
The Association for Equality and Excellence in Education invites TRIO colleagues and those who work with college access, success and completion programs to showcase their expertise at our 46th annual conference. Conference attendees are searching for creative and innovative ways to improve their programs and serve its students. We seek experts and seasoned professionals to provide best-practices, strategies, and unique processes essential to meeting the mission of TRIO Programs and achieving excellence.
Session topics can include, but are not limited to:
Project and budget management
Staff development and investment
Assessment, audit readiness
Alumni & family engagement
High-impact learning strategies, counseling/coaching
College preparation and access
Internationalization of FG-LI students
Best practices for 2-yr advisement
Undergraduate research practices
State & federal partnerships and collaborations
Serving multi-generational students,
Enhancing/expanding one’s professional repertoire
Financial literacy
STEM
staff and/or students health and wellness, etc.
As you consider submitting a relevant proposal, please keep in mind that conference attendees serve students from middle school through graduate school who are low-income, first-generation, underrepresented and/or special needs populations. Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of clarity, significance to intended audience, and relevance to current educational climate. Please be sure to include plans to promote audience interaction and engagement during the session. Describe any media to be used and/or supportive materials to be provided to participants. The conference committee seeks a programmatic balance in the range of topics, intended audience, and interests covered.
To be considered for inclusion in the conference, your proposal must be submitted by Friday, February 9, 2024.
Notification of Proposal Acceptance will be no later than March 8, 2024.
If you have any questions about the submission process, please contact Jackasha Wiley directly at jackasha.wiley@rutgers.edu or (848) 445-4007.
Thank you for your interest in submitting a workshop proposal.
We are no longer accepting proposals for AEEE47.
Become a conference sponsor, exhibitor or contributor
The Association for Equality and Excellence in Education, Inc. (AEEE) is excited to announce our 47th Annual Conference, The Investment Continues: Advancing the TRIO Legacy, this April 21-25, 2024 in Atlantic City, NJ. AEEE is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports New York and New Jersey Federal TRIO programs with assisting low-income, underrepresented minority, first-generation college and pre-college students so that they may gain access to and succeed in every step of their educational pursuits. Our students work tirelessly to overcome hardships daily, in order to create brighter futures for themselves; our professionals work tirelessly to coach and advise these students and alleviate any challenges or obstacles that may impede their success.
Do you have a product or service that will help our students achieve their goals? Have you uncovered a best-practice that would alleviate student recruitment, engagement, and retention challenges? Are you interested in connecting with NY and NJ TRIO professionals, alumni, and students in a meaningful, unforgettable manner? We ask that you consider joining our TRIO community by making a contribution to our annual conference!
We are looking for sponsors, exhibitors, and conference contributors to help us continue to amplify, strengthen, and celebrate the experiences of our scholars. No contribution is too little; it all impacts the lives of our students, positively. You can contribute by purchasing an exhibition booth, submitting a workshop proposal for review, sponsoring a conference activity or specific student scholarship, donating items to our conference bag or silent auction, or a package with all that was mentioned. We are offering a few more opportunities for our Legacy (Returning) Sponsors! A portion of all the proceeds earned from your contribution will go towards generating additional scholarships for our low-income and first-generation college students.
In return for your partnership and participation, we can offer you a variety of ways to promote and advertise your organization to our attendees at our 47th Annual Conference, and beyond! Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your time and consideration in advance.
Sponsorship Options
Sponsorship of a conference event includes:
One free conference registration
In-person welcome remarks
Logo featured on digital and print conference website and materials
A guaranteed table at the exhibitor’s hall
A 30 second video advertisement played at the beginning and/or end of the event, naming, opening the event, collaboration on event planning when possible.
Indivdiual Options
Student Leadership Pre-Conference: (April 21, 11:00 am-3:00 pm): $5,000
President’s & Newcomers Reception (April 21, 6:30 pm): $5,000
President’s Breakfast (April 22, 9:00 am-10:15 am): $5,000
TRIO Achievers Luncheon (April 23, 12:30-2:30 pm): $6,000
Fun Crawl & Karaoke (April 23, 7:00 pm-10:00 pm): $3,500
Post-Conference for SSS Programs (April 25, 2:30-5:30 pm): $3,000
AEEE Champion Package
Two free conference registrations
Featured sponsor of Awards & Scholarship Gala (Wednesday, April 24, 7 pm-10 pm)
Access to all conference registrants’ email addresses
Posted video on the AEEE website for one year
Logo featured on digital and print conference website and materials
Dedicated 60-minute workshop to feature your product
A reserved table of your choice for vendor exhibition
$10,000
Champion Packages
First Gen Champion Package
One free conference registration
Sponsorship of two AEEE student scholarships
Logo featured on digital and print conference website and materials
Dedicated 60-minute workshop to feature your product
A reserved table for the vendor exhibition
$3,500
A La Carte Options
Exhibitor’s Table (2 days)
Workshop Proposal & Presentation (if selected, one conference registration included)
30-second video OR displayed digital ad at selected plenaries
Social media spotlight (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) - per spotlight (includes one post per platform)
$500
$1,100
$1,000
$500
Product Donation(s) for the AEEE Annual Conference Silent Auction (for student scholarships)
Gift Card Donation(s) for the AEEE Annual Conference Silent Auction (for student scholarships)
Sponsor a newcomer AEEE conference registration ($675 per registration)
AEEE TRIO Student Leadership Day (presentation of materials to Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City and AEEE TRIO student scholars & directors) ($750)