The next East Meets West China adoption conference is proudly sponsored by Great Wall China Adoption and in collaboration with North Dallas Resolve

Find out more about EMW by going to the new www.emwconference.org website

EMW - Minneapolis, MN Was held October 21st 2006

At the Doubletree Hotel
Minneapolis, MN

"Loved Diana Li! What a great speaker!"

"As referral times grow, we feel disconnected from the process. Attending the conference helped us feel more connected."

"Breakfast speaker Cindy Champnella was wonderful! I wish we would have attended all of the presentations!"

• WATCH THE VIDEO

Another Very Successful East Meets West China Adoption Conference!

East Meets West Conference of October 2006 in Minneapolis, Minnesota was an amazing success! Thank you to all who volunteered their time, speakers, Will Ahern, our Minnesota RO and the Great Wall Team. You did a tremendous job. The common theme of comments by the attendees was that they wished the conference would have lasted for one more day.

Highlights of the conference:

• Friday night dinner and Q & A with the Orphanage Director and Chinese consulate officials - Many families agreed the direct exposure to the director and other Chinese consulate officials in the adoption program were wonderful. The attendees felt that it was very reassuring to hear from the director and the Chinese officials about China adoptions.
• Key note speaker-Cindy Champnella, who has volunteered to be a speaker at four out of five of our conferences, was as moving and incredible as usual. "Even the men were crying," the staff reported.

• Congratulations to our Adoption Moments Online Door Prize Winners: Mark and Linda Dorn

Well even if it was just one day of fun, Great Wall did meet its goal of providing an engaging, educational forum for families to meet other families and absorb as much information about adopting from China as they might have expected to be able to do. There are many topics to cover, so indeed EMW could go on for many days with out touching on everything. Thanks to the helpful comments from our guests at the conference, Great Wall will take the success of this conference and make next year's event even better. We hope you enjoyed your experience with us as much as we did meeting all of you.

Special Thanks to:

Will Ahern, Minnesota Regional Office Director

Wang Ximing, Director of the Guang Dong Shaoguan Qujiang District Social Welfare Institute

Morris Saldov, M.S.W., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Social Work International and Community Development

Cindy Champnella, Executive Director of Human Resources for Schoolcraft College

Dr. Pi-Nian Chang and Kay Doyle, University of Minn. International Adoption Clinic

Cheri Register, Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis

Wright S. Walling, WB&D Law

Milena Gross, of Adoption Miracle

Cari Lee, of Families with Children from China (FCC)-Minnesota Division

Diana Li, of the Chinese American Academic and Professional Association in Minnesota (CAAPAM)

Family Panel Members, Laurie & Gregg Pazdernik and Lori, Rob & Emma Kay

And a special thanks to all of the friends and family members who came in support of someone they love who in the process of adopting from China.

Great Wall's "East Meets West" is the only national conference dedicated to Chinese adoption in the U.S. It is intended for all families regardless of which adoption agency they use. This one-day conference will help families navigate through China's international adoption program in a well-organized manner; putting them face-to-face to with leading adoption researchers and Chinese adoption professionals, such as well-known experts in China's adoption process, Bonding & Attachment, medical information pertinent to international adoption, re-adoption and adoption tax benefits.

Great Wall specially invited orphanage directors traveling all the way from the Guangdong Province in China to speak at this conference. This effort provides families with the opportunity to meet and hear from orphanage directors about their children and the adoption process. For families interested in spending more time visiting with the orphanage director, you can sign up for the Friday dinner where you can talk and dine with the orphanage director.

Families walk out of the conference amazed and empowered by the wealth of information they receive from "East Meets West". Please read past conference attendees' testimonials.

The full registration fee includes a continental breakfast, a luncheon and tasty afternoon snack with coffee. This exciting one-day event will fully explore pre-adoption, in-process, and post-adoption topics. Join Great Wall for an in-depth and informative day exclusively focused on Chinese adoption and you! All paid registrations receive a $50 savings applicable toward Great Wall's application fee.

Door Prizes

One year subscription to Adoption Moments Online valued at $300 dollars!
5 CCAA Respecting Elders Book's valued at $125 dollars!
One year subscription to Mei Magazine valued at $24 dollars!
4 Early Start Mandarin Chinese Children's Educational DVD's valued at $36.95 each!

Sponsors

Summit Adoption Home Studies, INC.

Tusen Takk Asia

Hotel Information

Doubletree Hotel
1500 Park Place Blvd.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55416

Dinner Details

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: David Fong's

9329 Lyndale Ave. South Bloomington, MN 55420

952.888.9294

davidfongs@aol.com

Registration for the Friday Dinner ends Tuesday, Ocober 10th at Midnight!

Conference Schedule
Friday	Dinner with Orphanage Director from the Guangdong Province at 6:30PM.
Saturday 7:20 - 8:10 AM	Registration, Breakfast and Exhibits with Welcoming Remarks by Heather Terry, GWCA
8:10 - 9:00 AM	Breakfast - Guest Speaker: Dr. Morris Saldov
9:00 - 9:30 AM	Breakfast - Guest Speaker: Cindy Champnella, author of The Waiting Child
9:30 - 9:40 AM	Break
9:40 - 10:30 AM	SESSION 1
10:30 - 10:40 AM	Break
10:40 - 11:30 AM	SESSION 2
11:30 - 11:45 AM	Break
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM	Lunch - Keynote Speaker: Dr. Pi-Nian Chang & Kay Doyle University of Minnesota International Adoption Clinic
12:45 - 1:00 PM	Break
1:00 - 1:50 PM	SESSION 3
1:50 - 2:00 PM	Break
2:00 - 2:50 PM	SESSION 4
2:50 - 3:15 PM	Snack Break, Visit Exhibits
3:15 - 4:00 PM	SESSION 5 - Guest Speakers: Chinese Orphanage Director from the Guangdong Province
4:00 - 4:30 PM	Closing Remarks & Door Prize Winners

Sessions
	A	B	C	D
1	Cross Cultural Parenting: A "How To" on Making Your Child's Culture a Part of Your Life TBD	Understanding the Adoption Tax Credit TBD	Institutionalization and the Effects on Attachment TBA	The Journey of Chinese Adoption TBD
2	Lifebooks: Creating and Documenting your Child's Journey to your Family TBD	Travel - Your Adventure in China TBA	Why Are My Eyes Different? How and When to Tell Your Child She's Adopted TBA
3	The Dad Session TBA	Support in the Community - Dealing with Questions from Strangers TBA	Finding the Missing Pieces - Helping Adopted Children Cope with Grief and Loss TBD	Waiting Child Programs - Older Children and Children with Medical Issues TBD
4	Referrals: The Waiting Game TBA	Adopting through Great Wall China Adoption TBD	Post Adoption Resources - Finally Home...Yet Still Important Things to Do TBD

Registration & Pricing
	Early	Regular	Late
Registration for ALL Sessions
Children (2-11) for ALL Sessions	$35	$35	$35
Adults for ALL Sessions	$95	$125	$155
Registration for ONLY Session 5
Children (2-11) for Session 5 ONLY (to hear orphanage director speak)	FREE	FREE	FREE
Adults for Session 5 ONLY (to hear orphanage director speak)	$35	$35	$45
Registration for Dinner ONLY
Children (2-11) for Friday Night Dinner	$12	$12	$12
Adults for Friday Night Dinner	$25	$25	$25
	Ends: 07/22/06	Ends: 09/24/06	Ends: 10/10/06

NOTE: All registration fees are non-refundable.