UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Professionals in various fields (agriculture, health care, finance etc) who are tasked with delivering programs in the plain sect community are invited to an upcoming conference entitled “Connecting with Amish and Other Plain Communities”. Participants will learn more about the cultural uniqueness of Amish and Plain communities in order to more effectively engage with these communities. The LaGrange and Elkhart County region is home to the third largest Amish settlement in the US. The Conference will be held March 29-31, 2022 in Shipshewana IN.
The conference is designed around a “Learning About the Communities” theme featuring experts on Amish and Anabaptist life and practices. The Keynote speakers will address “An Overview of Amish, Mennonite and other Plain Groups”, “Culture, Relationships with Government and the Wider World”, and “Amish Community Organization, Work and Social Change”. Other Keynote topics will cover “Amish Health” and “Diversity in Amish Beliefs, Lifestyle, and Practices”. The “Learning From the Communities” theme will feature A panel of Amish Leaders who will discuss Industry, Family Life, and Agriculture. This theme will continue when participants choose from three tours with the visits focused on 1) Agriculture including farms, greenhouses and a produce auction 2) Amish Industry including furniture making, and 3) Amish Culture and Family life including schools and clinics. After the tours the evening will feature an Amish Haystack Supper with a question and answer session with a panel of Amish Leaders. The following morning the conference will follow a “Learning from Ourselves” theme with professionals who will be presenting about their work. This will feature 13 breakout sessions covering a range of topics in Agriculture, Family Living, Health and Nutrition, and Economic Development. The conference wraps up with three local Amish leaders sharing their insights about what they observed over the three days and the take home concepts they hope participants gained from the conference.
This conference will be very valuable for those who are relatively new to working in the plain communities but the presentations will be in depth and valuable to those who have years of experience. Importantly there will also be lots of opportunities to interact with the other attendees so each participant will have lots of informal opportunities to share their experiences with others. The Registration Discount period runs through February 28, 2022. The registration website can be found at: http://www.purdue.edu/conferences/AmishConference
The planning committee includes colleagues from Penn State Extension and the Young Center at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania along with Purdue Extension.
–Penn State Extension