
2016 Convention Information & Procedures
The 33rd Annual CHEA Convention promises to be one of the most exciting homeschool conventions around, with many new and unique attractions and a return to the Pasadena Convention Center. Our goal, as always, is to provide you with the resources you need to train your children, and to give you a quality event with an atmosphere that glorifies God. We continue to offer the popular Used Curriculum Exchange, the Exhibit Hall with more than 200 booths, exhibitor workshops, and great speakers. This year CHEA again hosts a free Mini Conference for New Homeschoolers, a Homeschool Graduation, a Children’s Convention, and a Teen Convention.
It is important that you read the information provided here to help you navigate the wealth of information related to the operation and benefits associated with the Convention. By registering for this event you are signifying that you have read and agree to abide by the Convention Information and Procedures for this event.
Additional Family Members are adult students or other adult members of the household who participate in the home education process. Teens not attending the Teen Convention, or children under 12 not attending the Children's Convention can be included in your Family registration at no extra charge. (See "Family Registration" and "Children in the Convention" later in this document.) Children in this category are welcome in all sessions as space permits. We encourage families with children to take advantage of the reserved seating in the back of the room. Also, children must be accompanied by a parent at all times during the event. Individual families must register separately, even if they share a residence.
The wristband is your admission ticket to all areas of the Convention. Wristbands are for the sole use of the registered attendee and may not be transferred or shared. Each registered adult and accompanying family members will get one wristband for all days of the Convention. All Additional Family Members will also receive a wristband the same color as their parents/registered adult. Teens registered for the Teen Convention will have a different wristband from their parents; one band for both days of the event. Children registered for the Children’s Convention and their parents will get additional ID wristbands from the Children’s Convention.
Audio or video taping of the Convention sessions is prohibited. Most Convention workshops* will be recorded and available for purchase as a set at the greatly reduced price of $69 when pre-purchased with online Early Bird pre-registration (Members only) and $79 with regular online pre-registration. All pre-ordered audio CDs will be shipped after the Convention. Purchases of sets OR individual sessions will also be available at the onsite CHEA Audio Store. For easy ordering and reference, you will find the CD order number on the workshop grid in the Convention Program. Individual CDs are $6 each or buy five and get the sixth free. For the best onsite deal, purchase a two-CD set containing all available workshops (in MP3 format) for $99. After the Convention, a limited quantity of CDs will be available through the CHEA office; all will be available for purchase as downloadable MP3s. Exhibitor workshops are not recorded.
*For workshops not available at CHEA’s Audio Store (see the workshop grid) contact the speaker.
Are you a homeschool blogger, or have you always dreamed of starting a blog? You’ll be encouraged at Bloggers Night Out Friday, July 8. Hear from a panel of blogging experts, meet and network with other bloggers, and hear from vendors that are looking to partner with bloggers like you. It will be Friday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Please turn off all cell phones and pagers (or on silent/vibrate mode) so you will not disturb the speaker, other attendees, and session recording. If you receive a call during the session, please wait until the session is over or leave the room to answer the call. Parents with children attending the Children’s Convention must place their cell phone on vibrate so Children’s Convention staff can contact you if needed but not interrupt other Convention activities.
If you wish to make any changes to your registration, please go to the Registration Assistance booth.
Be sure to visit the CHEA Bookstore where a wealth of resources is available. Purchasing at the Convention saves on shipping charges, and CHEA Members receive a 10% discount on all purchases at the CHEA Bookstore.
For the third year, there are plans in the works to have a free CHEA Convention App (both iPhone and Android) that would give you instant access to the Convention schedule, workshop descriptions, list of exhibitors, Exhibit Hall floor plan, and much more! Details are coming soon.
Pick up your wristbands and other materials at the Pre-registration check-in counter. Pre-registration check-in opens at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
There is no childcare available for children under four. Children three and under are welcome to join their parents at no charge in all parts of the Convention. All older children (ages 4 - 11) must either be included in Family registration (no extra charge, but children's names must be listed) or registered for the Children's Convention. Seating is limited in all meeting rooms. We ask parents with children to take advantage of the reserved seating in the back of the room. We recommend stroller use for the Exhibit Hall, but that you park strollers outside of meeting rooms due to space limitations and Fire Marshall Regulations. Strollers may never be left in aisles or walkways.
If children are pre-registered for the Children’s Convention, they are checked in beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday in Conference Center Room 101/105. No lunch is provided. Children will need to be picked up for lunch at 12:30 p.m. and returned by 1:30 p.m. If you would like your child to have any snacks during the day, you will need to provide them. If your children are not pre-registered, visit the Registration booth in the Registration lobby first.
Each child attending the Children’s Convention must have a completed medical release form when checking in at the Children’s Convention. When registering online, just read and then check the medical release agreement box until you arrive at the event, at which time you will be asked for your signature. If you pre-register or register through any other means, you will need to provide a printed/signed medical release form before you can leave your children at the Children’s Convention. The form can be printed from the CHEA website in advance to save time at the event.
CHEA can be reached during the event by calling an onsite information telephone number. The phone number 626-844-6014. The phone hours are Thursday, July 7, noon to 8:30 p.m., Friday, July 8, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday, July 9, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Through a special arrangement with the Adventures of Rush Revere Series, copies of the Rush Revere and the First Patriots will be given away to CHEA Convention attendees! Rush and Kathryn Limbaugh wrote the Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series to make learning American history fun. Rush Revere and First Patriots, the second in the series, takes us to the time right before the start of the American Revolution. History teacher Rush Revere and talking horse Liberty take along the time-traveling crew to meet exceptional Americans including Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry. Rush Revere even takes on King George III of Great Britain in London! See the spark that lit the fuse of the American Revolution in Rush Revere and the First Patriots! For more information on the Adventures of Rush Revere Series, please visit www.RushRevere.com.
The presence of a particular speaker or exhibitor at this Convention does not constitute an endorsement of their product or service or imply that a comprehensive evaluation of specific products or services has been made by CHEA. CHEA endeavors to present speakers and exhibitors whose materials are compatible with biblical principles, and our first choice is always to have Christians presenting these materials. However, if a speaker or exhibitor has material which would be beneficial to home educators, their participation is not restricted because they may not subscribe to specific religious doctrines. If you have convictions about doing business with non-Christians or are uncertain about the content of specific material, please clarify this with the individual speaker or exhibitor before making your purchase or signing a contract for services.
CHEA Members will have the first week of online pre-registration to register at a significant discount. Pay $35 for the entire event for your family, including teens and children not attending the separate Teen Convention or Children's Convention. If you are not a current CHEA Member, join before pre-registering. The Early Bird Pre-Registration price is not retroactive.
The Exhibit Hall features displays from a variety of curriculum suppliers, resource companies, and cottage industries for browsing, making purchases, or placing orders. Exhibits are open Thursday, 6:00-9:00 p.m. as well as Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. To attend the Thursday evening Exhibit Hall, an attendee needs to be registered for the Convention, or qualify for the special one-hour preview by attending the Free Introduction to Home Education session. The Exhibit Hall on Saturday is open to all graduation ticket holders.
Please shop our Exhibitors: Our exhibitors are a vital part of our Convention. While you may be able to find some of the items in our Exhibit Hall at a discount through catalogs or used curriculum resources, consider the added service value provided by our onsite exhibitors. They have gone to great effort and expense to set up materials for your examination and spend many hours providing knowledgeable information about their products. If you take their time and reap the benefits of their knowledge, please reward them with your onsite purchase.
CHEA will offer an Exhibit Hall only pass for $20 per family per day. This pass does not include entrance to Keynote sessions, workshops, Teen Convention, Children’s Convention, the Used Curriculum Exchange, or exhibitor workshops. Children must be with parents at all times.
These special workshops provide a close-up look at specific products and companies. Exhibitors will highlight the benefits of their products and demonstrate how to use them most effectively. Be sure to check out the workshop descriptions. These workshops are available Friday and Saturday in the Conference Center Building. See the Workshop Schedule or Exhibitors list for the companies represented. Your Convention Program will also have a complete schedule. Please note that Exhibitor Workshops are not recorded.
CHEA's new price structure registers you and your family for the entire three-day event. Family registration excludes the Teen Convention and the Children's Convention. Additional fees and registration apply. Because your Family price includes the three-day event, there are no one-day registrations; however, to make sure we staff accordingly, we ask you to tell us which days you plan to attend when you pre-register.
Major injuries or illnesses should be reported to the Information booth immediately. Bandages, aspirin, and other over-the-counter medications are available in the Pasadena Sheraton Hotel gift shop.
Patronizing the concession areas available helps CHEA meet its substantial financial obligations to the Pasadena Convention Center. Visit nearby restaurants or eat a sack lunch on the grounds. Do not bring sack lunches inside the Convention Center buildings. Please help us maintain our Christian witness to the facility staff by obeying the rules. For local restaurant information, check Pasadena Convention Center signs and directories, or click this link. For nearby attractions, information will be available at the CHEA Information booth, or on our website.
A free session, an Introduction to Home Education, will be provided Thursday, 6:35 p.m.-8:00 p.m. This session can be attended on its own or as part of our Free Mini-Conference. See information later in this document. Invite your skeptical family and friends to this informative session. After the session, attendees will receive complimentary Exhibit Hall attendance for the remainder of Thursday evening (does not include access on Friday or Saturday). Paid registration is required for all other parts of the Convention.
Each registered family will receive access to a link with hundreds of dollars worth of free curriculum, discount coupons, and other resources. This “Gift Basket” link will be found in the Convention program. Attendees can access this site as often as they want as more material is placed on the website. You can even scan the announcement’s barcode with your smart phone and see the material instantly. Also, a free Literature Bag is distributed to each registered family, and is full of information about resources to help you in your home education endeavors.
We know it can be very disappointing when you can't get into the session you were looking forward to hearing. We do the best we can to select appropriate room size for speakers. Please understand that if you are turned away by a room host/hostess it is due to Fire Marshall Regulations that do not allow sitting on the floor or standing in the back. We suggest you choose an alternate workshop in advance, get to the room early, and if all else fails, order the audio from the CHEA Audio Store. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
A facility map can be found on the website and will be included in your Convention Program.
CHEA will host a Graduation Ceremony Saturday at 5:00 p.m. If you have a graduating senior who wishes to participate, please see the Graduation registration page.This session is open to our participating graduates, their families, and their guests. Registered Convention attendees are invited as space permits.
The Sheraton Pasadena is adjacent to the Convention Center. This provides easy walking access to all Convention activities. Price per room is $155 single through quad. Each family staying at the Sheraton Pasadena who pre-registers for the Convention AND reserves a room by April 15 will receive a $10 gift certificate to be used at the Convention toward CHEA audio or bookstore purchases or toward Membership. Just show your room key and Convention wristband at the Convention Information booth. The date you reserved your room will be authenticated. One offer per family.
Keynote Speakers this year are Steve and Megan Scheibner and Davis and Rachael Carman.
No unauthorized literature may be distributed in any area of the Convention. Only items pre-approved by CHEA may be displayed. If you are approached by a solicitor anywhere outside the Exhibit Hall, please report it to the Information booth or to a CHEA Convention volunteer.
Items left in workshop sessions or in the Convention area may be left or picked up at the Information booth until the close of the Convention Saturday evening. Items not claimed will be left with Convention Center security.
A terrific free event is again featured this year: a Mini-Conference on July 7 from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. featuring Keynote Speaker Davis Carman. He will speak from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Paid registration is required for all other parts of the Convention.
After the Keynote Session, attend the Introduction to Home Education free session from 6:35 to 8:00 p.m. and free entry for an Exhibit Hall Preview from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Attendees may attend either or both of the first two sessions (Keynote, Intro Session), but in order to participate in the third session (Exhibit Hall Preview), attendees must attend part 2, the Free Introduction to Home Education Session.
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