Why do you think supporting the Travel Fund is important for the next generation of arts administration educators and/or practitioners?
In this world of tightening professional funding in higher ed, every gift is meaningful and may make the difference in attending or not. For those of us starting out, conference attendance is critical.
What was the most meaningful or memorable part of your AAAE Conference experience?
As an aspiring Arts Administration Educator, conference attendance is crucial to my professional growth, including building my network, increasing pedagogical knowledge, and hearing about what my colleagues in other places are working on.
How did receiving the AAAE Conference Travel Fund make it possible for you to attend the conference?
Yǔníng Gāo, Instructional Designer at Hunter College, explains the impact the Conference Travel Fund award impacted her conference attendance:
The AAAE Conference Travel Fund waved the entrance fee and helped cover my traveling and lodging expenses. This Fund provided me a great chance to meet with my mentor from the previous year, and had a chance to meet more experts in the field. I was also able to explore the beautiful city of Pittsburgh.
Why do you think supporting the Travel Fund is important for the next generation of arts administration educators and/or practitioners?
I feel [that the Conference Travel Fund] can greatly improve a newcomer’s conference experience and help them avoid financial burden. I recently started my career in education, with a lot of support from my mentor, and being able to join this conference truly opened my eyes to the arts administration education field. People who are dedicated to this field will be greatly supported by the Travel Fund.
Yǔníng is pictured below.
