On Thursday, March 12, 2009, eleven student chapter members, accompanied by advisors Dr. Marianne True and Dr. Gerard Buteau from Plymouth State University, traveled to Orlando, Florida for the ASCD Annual Conference. At the Opening Session, keynote speaker, Greg Mortenson moved us all with his wonderful presentation promoting education for children around the world. On Saturday, March 14, we were given the opportunity to attend the President’s Reception with Dr. Gene Carter. Over the course of the conference the eleven members experienced a variety of sessions including information on parent involvement, working with difficult groups, differentiation, science technology, student’s memory, brainstorming and much more. In between the sessions, members visited the Exhibit Hall where we received a lot of useful materials for our future teaching careers. All of the connections made and resources gained added up to a rewarding and enriching experience. Friday, March 13 proved to be a long but beautiful day for the Plymouth State students who gave volunteer hours to Habitat for Humanity. Starting at 8:00 AM, we arrived in the heart of Orlando to aid in the construction and cleaning of two indi¬vidual, two-level townhouses. We were able to meet and work side-by-side with many other student chapters, future own¬ers and construction professionals from all across the United States and Canada. Our efforts went into hammering nails, using saws and cranes, climbing ladders, shooting nail guns, sweeping, holding up walls, moving materials and cleaning up the site. Lunch was provided for us and consisted of addi¬tional opportunities to network with others. At the end of the day, we were pleased to admit that we took part in a project that would eventually house 150 families. The Student Chapter Meeting kicked off Saturday morning. Each chapter was given time to present a PowerPoint or post¬er talking about personal experiences and The Whole Child. Vice President Amanda Sherburne and member Jason Smith, delivered an outstanding presentation created by our five stu¬dent teachers. We were given time to collaborate and share ideas about fundraising, leadership, community service and membership. The meeting ended with a guest speaker who passed out inspirational wrist bands saying, "Always Strive to be a Better You."