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Ryan White National Youth Conference 2004

Youth Conference to Build Skills Necessary to Address HIV/AIDS Epidemic among Youth

Ryan White National Youth Conference 2004
February 14-16, 2004
Portland, Oregon

Abstract Deadline: November 14, 2003
Scholarship Deadline: November 14, 2003
Early Registration Deadline: January 9, 2004

Be sure to reserve February 14-16, 2004 for the eleventh annual Ryan White National Youth Conference on HIV and AIDS (RWNYC). The only national forum dedicated to developing skills to fight HIV/AIDS among young people, RWNYC 2004 will take place at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower, in Portland, Oregon.

Over 600 HIV-positive youth, peer educators and other HIV/AIDS professionals, are expected to attend RWNYC 2004 to take part in innovative peer-led workshops and interactive breakout sessions designed to:

· Identify and share effective resources in the fight against HIV among young people.

· Present models of care, leadership and support services for HIV-positive youth.

· Share culturally competent services to those infected/affected or at risk.

· Develop leadership and advocacy skills of young people.

· Strengthen youth leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The conference also will be holding a “Positive Youth Institute,” exclusively for youth living with HIV, the day before the regular meeting begins, on February 13, 2004. Led by HIV-positive staff from the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), this free institute is designed to build leadership and advocacy skills among young people living with HIV. For information and/or to register for this special session, please visit RWNYC online, or contact Robert Warren at (202) 898-0414 extension 127.

Conference Registration
“Youth Registrations” submitted by January 9, 2003 are $250.00, and after that date are $350.00. Reserved for attendees aged 14-25, youth registrations include shared hotel accommodation from Friday-Sunday (as well as Thursday for HIV+ youth attending the Positive Youth Institute), as well as lunch Saturday-Monday, conference materials, workshops and special events. Those taking advantage of this registration package are not to contact the hotel; rooms will be assigned. Please indicate on the registration form if you wish to share a room with a specific person. Please note: All participants who want their own room must pay the adult registration fee and make their own hotel reservations.

“Adult Registrations” submitted by January 9, 2004 are $200.00, and after that date are $350.00. The adult package includes breakfast and lunch Saturday-Monday, conference materials, workshops and special events. Adults must make their own hotel arrangements. The conference has reserved a block of hotel rooms at the following special conference rates:

$99.00, plus tax for single/king rooms

$109.00, plus tax for double rooms

$129.00, plus tax for triple/quad rooms

To lock in the special room rate, make reservations at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower on or before January 24, 2004 by contacting the hotel directly at (800) 445-8667 or (503) 226-1611. Be sure to identify yourself as a Ryan White National Youth Conference/NAPWA participant.

Click here to download all registration materials. The final cut-off date for all registrations is January 16, 2004.

Travel Arrangements
The conference’s official travel agency, Pillsbury and Company, can arrange special discount air or train fares for attendees. To take advantage of this offer, please contact the agency directly at (202) 232-2737 or (800) 544-4316.

Scholarship Applications and Abstract Submissions
Please note that November 14, 2003 is the deadline for both scholarship applications and abstract submissions. The conference provides scholarships to participants whose finances would otherwise not permit them to attend. Abstract submissions are solicited from anyone with expertise in HIV/AIDS, as it relates to youth, who wishes to moderate a workshop or skills-building institute.

For additional conference information, please visit the conference website, or contact Ca'Tina Perkins-Gibson by telephone: (202) 898-0414 or e-mail.

— THE NATIONAL MINORITY AIDS COUNCIL