HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AATF
CONVENTION IN
PROVIDENCE, July 11-14, 2013
Mark July 11-14, 2013 on your calendars! The 86th
annual AATF convention will be held on those dates at the
Marriott Downtown Hotel in Providence. We are planning a number of exciting
activities as well as the usual excellent professional program.
Click here for archives of past
conventions.
Hotel Information |
Academic Credit
|
Registration|
Full convention schedule
Meals & Activities |
Excursions | First-Time Convention Offer
Keynote Speakers | Preliminary Program | Workshops
We are again pleased to offer one graduate credit for attending the convention through Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. Information will be available later in the spring. You may register using the Convention Registration Form. Cost: $160 for one graduate credit. Click here for more information.
The Early Bird Registration Fee will be $250 if paid by June 11, 2013. After June 11, 2013 the Late Registration fee of $325 will apply. A special Full Registration Rate of $350 will include, in addition to registration, the Welcome Luncheon, Awards Banquet, Walking Tour, and one workshop. Click here for the printable Registration Form. Click here to register on-line.
We are offering all workshops on Thursday afternoon as well as two additional workshops on Sunday morning. Most of the workshops require pre-registration (we will, of course, accept registrations on-site up to the capacity of the workshop, but space can only be guaranteed by pre-registration). However, on Thursday, there are two workshops that do not require registration and are open at no extra cost to attendees. In addition, there is a Walking Tour and the excursion to Woonsocket. So there is plenty for everyone to do on Thursday afternoon. Click here for the full list of workshops.
It is important for attendees to stay at the convention hotel whenever possible. If we are able to fill the block of rooms we have reserved, the cost of organizing the convention is significantly lower. We will again provide a roommate list for those looking for someone with whom to share a room.
The Providence Marriott Downtown is located at One Orms
Street in Providence, RI. It is a short ten-minute walk from the main
downtown area. The convention
rate is $145 (+ taxes). For best
results, make your reservation on-line at
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pvdri?groupCode=aataata&app=resvlink&fromDate=7/8/13&toDate=7/13/13
You can also make your reservation
by telephone at 866-807-2171, give the group name “ASSN TEACHER OF FREN." The deadline for making
a reservation at the convention rate is June 11, 2013.
We will again provide a roommate list for those wishing to find someone with whom to share a room. We provide the names and contact information for other members requesting the list, and individuals can contact others on the list directly. Please check the appropriate box on the Convention Registration Form.
Program Highlights
Dictée
This is an annual event where members can try their hand at this uniquely French discipline. Prix à gagner.
Welcome Luncheon (Thursday, July 11)
Welcome Luncheon where members can meet others from their region. Cost for buffet: $35 per person (spouses and guests welcome).
Exhibit Opening (Thursday, July 11, 4:00-7:00 p.m.)
Exhibit Opening Reception where attendees can get a
first look at what our exhibitors have to offer. Co-sponsored by the
AATF and the Embassy of France. Check out the
Exhibitor Page
on the AATF Web site.
AATF Awards Banquet (Saturday, July 13)
AATF Award recipients will be honored at our Awards Banquet. Buffet and cash bar. Cost: $50 per person (spouses and guests welcome).
Special Collection Exhibit at Brown University (all week)
In the foyer of the Rockefeller Library of Brown University, 10 Prospect Street, Providence, there will be an exhibition from The Mel B. Yoken Collection throughout the month of July. All attendees of the AATF are cordially invited to view this unique display of French letters which bring together some of the greatest French luminaries, and those which date from the early 1960s to the present time addressed to Professor Yoken. Free and open to the public.
Excursion to the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket (Thursday, July 11, 1:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.)
This interactive museum presents the story of immigrants who left Quebec to find a better life in the mill towns at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Experience life in rural 19th-century Quebec. From there cross the border into the U.S., and begin a journey through the workday world of Woonsocket’s residents. Exhibits recreate the new settlers’ lives. Also included, a visit to St. Ann Arts & Cultural Center which is Woonsocket’s own Sistine Chapel, showcasing the largest collection of frescoes in Northern America as well as stained glass. The church has been a second home to many French-Canadian immigrants since the early 1900s. Cost: $40 per person (min. of 25 participants needed) which includes transportation and entrance fees (pre-registration required; spouses and guests welcome).
Walking Tour (Thursday, July 11, 3:30-6:00 p.m.)
A Rogues Island Tour. Ninety-minute guided walking tour of Providence’s Independence Trail, led by Robert I. Burke, trail founder, fourth-generation Rhode Islander, and bon vivant. Special attention will be given to the role of the French in our history. The trail is full of scandals, intrigues, and drama that has made “Rogues Island” what it is today! Cost: $20 per person; short taxi ride to the departure site (pre-registration required; spouses and guests welcome).
Walking Tour (Friday, July 12, 3:00-6:00 p.m.)
Historic District. The John Brown House Museum is Rhode Island’s most famous 18th-century home. The museum tour tells the story of family life as lived by John, his family, and descendants. There were connections to France, since John Brown understood that to be a man of culture and distinction meant buying art from France and making certain his children learned to speak French. Also visit Benefit Street, College Hill, and the Riverwalk. This Colonial thoroughfare shows off an enviable collection of 18th- and early 19th-century frame houses. The presence of the Rhode Island School of Design on this street is an indication that today this street speaks to Providence’s interest in art and design and is home to a thriving art community. Cost: $28 per person; short taxi ride to the departure site (pre-registration required; spouses and guests welcome).
Soirée restaurant (Friday, July 12, 7:00 p.m.)
Choose from one of three of Providence’s finest restaurants: Brasserie Bravo, Pot au feu, and CAV. Menus will be posted on the AATF Web site as available. Cost: $45 per person (spouses and guests welcome). Transportation not included, but restaurants are only a short taxi ride from the hotel. Click here to see the menus.
Johnson & Wales Cooking Class (Saturday, July 13, 1:00-4:00 p.m.)
The College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University is home to one of the most respected culinary programs in the world, creating chefs who are leaders in the field. Their Chef’s Choice© recreational cooking classes are an innovative program which combines hands-on experience with demonstrations under the direction of professional chef-instructors. Participants may choose from La Cuisine française facile (click here for the menu) and La Cuisine provençale (click here for the menu). Both are tailored to provide an entertaining and educational culinary experience for beginners and more experienced cooks alike. Cost: $80 with enrollment limited to 18 per class. Transportation is not included, but it is only a short taxi ride from the hotel. Deadline for enrollment for the cooking class is May 31, 2013. After that date, enrollment will be opened to the public, and classes fill up quickly.
Post-Convention Excursion to Newport (Sunday, July 14, 11:00 a.m.-6: 00 p.m.)
Tour in Newport with a French-speaking guide, includes a visit of the renowned mansion of the Gilded Age “The Breakers” in French, tour of scenic Bellevue Avenue, lunch on your own in Newport, and time for sightseeing on the famous Cliff Walk. Cost: $60 (min. of 25 participants needed; pre-registration required; spouses and guests welcome).
Created: February 8, 2013
Last update: May 3, 2013