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Breakout Sessions & Conversation Starters

EAST students and facilitators will have the opportunity to Build UP and share their knowledge by attend sessions during EAST Conference. Breakout Sessions and Conversation Starters will be open to in-person and virtual attendees.

EAST students and facilitators will have the opportunity to Build UP and share their knowledge by attend sessions during EAST Conference. Breakout Sessions and Conversation Starters will be open to in-person and virtual attendees.

Breakout Sessions

Breakout Sessions are short professional development opportunities for students and facilitators, similar to EAST Student Training sessions. Breakout Sessions will be offered on Wednesday, March 16 and Thursday, March 17. To provide social distancing for our participants while maximizing seating capacity, these Breakout Sessions will be hosted in 4 breakout rooms with a total of 28 sessions offered over the 2-day span. Each 45-minute Breakout Session will be presented in-person, and all of the breakout sessions in 2 of our rooms will also be LIVE STREAMED for students who are participating virtually. Four Breakout Session track offerings will reflect this year’s theme: Build UP:

Tools: This track will feature sessions related to the software and hardware tools available to EAST students as they work to build and create solutions to locally identified problems.
Skills: This track will feature sessions related to project refinement, management, and presentation options students need to build confidence and create successful, sophisticated projects..
Connections: Every building project requires a team. This track will feature sessions which assist students in creating lasting relationships with the clients and community partners that help build impactful projects and solve real problems.
Career Paths: This track will feature sessions which help students identify how the tools, skills, and connections they are creating within EAST can Build UP to a future career.

Unfortunately, we will not offer any “hands-on” technology sessions this year due to COVID-19 cleaning and sanitation requirements.

There is no pre-registration process for Breakout Sessions. We are using the JUNO platform again this year for virtual attendees, and as the mobile app for in-person attendees. To maximize in-person seating, we are increasing the number of seats available in each Breakout Session room, and all live-streamed sessions will be available to both in-person and virtual attendees through the JUNO platform.

  • Breakout Sessions are open to EAST students and facilitators with a Full Access Pass.

  • Seating will open 15 minutes prior to each session; arrive early to secure your seat.

  • Breakout Sessions will be arranged with modified seating for social distancing (sample seating layout). Seating capacity for in-person Breakout Session rooms are shown on the Breakout Session and Conversation Starter Schedule below.

  • In-person attendees will have access to a Virtual Connections Lounge in the event that Breakout Session rooms reach maximum seating capacity. The Virtual Connections Lounge is only available as an overflow for in-person participants who are watching a live streamed Breakout Session. See Breakout Session and Conversation Starter Schedule for location details.

  • When the JUNO platform is available, students can view additional Breakout Session details and can “favorite” Breakout Sessions to their schedule. Adding a Breakout Session to their schedule only indicates their interest in attending that session, it does not save a seat for them.

Click here to view the Breakout Session and Conversation Starter Schedule

Breakout Session & Conversation Starter Schedule

Conversation Starters

Conversation starters are 20-minute virtual networking events that give students attending EAST Conference a chance to meet and connect virtually. These loosely facilitated discussions have pre-assigned topics to get the conversation started. Share your thoughts and ideas during these “Zoom-like” sessions offered on Wednesday, March 16 and Thursday, March 17. Each Conversation Starter session will be moderated on the JUNO platform and will occur between Breakout Sessions. Open to virtual and in-person attendees, Conversation Starters are a chance for students to network and discuss topics of interest such as:

  • What do you hope to get out of Conference?

  • What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

  • What's the best lesson you have learned while working with a community partner?

  • Where to start with Livestreaming?

  • And more!

While these conversations are held virtually, in-person attendees are encouraged to participate. Bring your headphones and join on your device from anywhere in the Convention Center. The schedule will be released when the JUNO platform goes live.

  • Limited number of participants (40)

  • “Seating” will be on a first come, first served basis

  • Participants may enable the camera on their device

  • Participants should use earbuds or headphones with a mic for the best experience

Click here to view the Breakout Session and Conversation Starter Schedule

Planning Tips & Tricks

Here are some helpful tips to help you plan your Breakout Session and Conversation Starter experience.

  • Both in-person and virtual attendees should use earbuds or headphones for the best Breakout Session live stream and Conversation Starter experience.

  • We recommend in-person attendees build Breakout Sessions and Conversation Starters into team schedules.

  • Remember this is a hybrid event so don’t forget your device to play along! Attendees are encouraged to bring headphones and a smart phone, tablet, or laptop to virtually join Breakout Sessions and Conversation Starters.