The power of any professional association is in its people. For NAA, that’s afterschool professionals, leaders, and stakeholders who give their all, working toward creating experiences resulting in positive outcomes for youth. No matter your role in your community or at Convention, you are important to our youth, families and communities.
The NAA board and staff have closely watched the developing situation around the COVID-19 virus and the recent diagnosis at the site of our upcoming Convention. The health and safety of our members is of paramount importance to us, and we do not want to jeopardize our members' ability to do their work. We know that communities, families, school partners—and youth themselves—depend on our members to keep them safe and provide services—even during times of challenge and crisis. For these reasons, the NAA board voted unanimously to move NAA Convention 2020 to a virtual platform … NAA20 Reimagined - Virtual Convention!
Because we are not cancelling the event, but rather transitioning it to a virtual experience, the current NAA Convention 2020 refund/cancellation policy remains in effect and requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please cancel your hotel reservation immediately, as we are not permitted to do this on your behalf. Also, note that some major airlines and other transportation services are waiving cancellation fees due to COVID-19. We also suggest notifying your transportation carrier immediately.
We will be communicating directly with presenters and exhibitors within the next couple of days to determine suitability and to provide details on presenting and/or exhibiting virtually. In the near future, we'll be communicating additional details on how to access the NAA20 Reimagined - Virtual Convention, with dates TBD.
Some sessions will still go live next week, so don’t open up your calendar just yet. As soon as details become available, you’ll be the first to know. Within the next 60 days, the general sessions, many of the educational sessions, the Learning Expo and connecting opportunities will be offered via a cutting-edge, user-friendly virtual platform—enabling participants to join from their desktops, laptops, or mobile devices. NAA will provide documentation for training requirements to all participants.
NAA20 Reimagined - Virtual Convention will be much more than simply video streaming or webinars. It will be a truly collaborative experience we are confident will provide opportunities similar to the in-person convention experience that makes NAA Convention unique. We look forward to connecting with you virtually!
Finally, the discussion around this decision has raised important issues for our profession, like access to health care benefits, paid sick leave and paid time off. We know these are benefits that far too many of our members do not have. As the leaders in our field, working with other national leaders and philanthropic partners, we will take this decision as a charge to amplify our advocacy efforts, making these benefits a reality for more members of our profession.
