Circles of Life is Wisconsin’s annual conference for families who have children with disabilities and the professionals who support them.
2024 was a great success! We look forward to seeing you in the Wisconsin Dells for Circles of Life 2025.
Online Registration is highly recommended!
We also offer a paper registration.
Download print and mail your form with a check to:
2100 Main St.
Rm 032 Old Main
Stevens Point, WI 54481-3897
Questions about Conference Registration?
Phone: (715) 346-3838
Fax: (715) 346-3504
Email: uwspceweb@uwsp.edu
Parent/Family Member:
In-Person $150 or Virtual* $60
Professional/Provider/Educator:
In-Person $325 or Virtual* $150
(At no additional cost, professionals are eligible for up to 7.25 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs) through the UWSP Department of Sociology and Social Work.)
*Virtual attendees will have access to 2 workshops per session as well as the keynote speaker. These can be found on this webpage under Sessions, “Livestream.” These sessions will also be recorded and available for viewing after the event.
Student/Child:
In-Person $100
All children/teens attending Sibshop or Gathering of Youth must be registered for the conference and a separate sign up form must be completed.
Adult Caregiver/Chaperone (attending meals only):
In-Person $100
Families who have children enrolled in the Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) and Children’s Community Options Program (CCOP) may be able to use these programs to pay for conference registration, travel and hotel costs.
Your child’s Support and Service Coordinator (SSC) will need to know what you would like to learn from attending and the goals and outcomes it supports for your family. If your SSC has questions, contact DHS, DHSBCSTAC@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
Families who need financial assistance to attend the conference but are not able to access CLTS or county CCOP funding, can apply for a parent scholarship. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Deadline April 1.
Questions: Contact John at the Elsie Shaw Parent Scholarship Fund at John@elsieshaw.org or call (608) 846-3530.
Room blocks have been reserved at these locations. Please make your reservation as soon as possible by contacting one of these hotels tell them you want a room in the ”Circles of Life Block.”
To Reserve: CURRENTLY FULL
Phone: (888) 465-4329
Online: Holiday Inn and Convention Center
To Reserve:
Online: La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Stevens Point
In 2023 Circles of Life had over 40 resource vendors! Conference goers met with these vendors on scheduled breaks throughout both days to learn about their valuable resources. And we provide ambassadors who are available to assist with set-up, monitor your traffic flow, make the rounds with refreshments, and offer support as needed.
Set up
Wednesday, May 15 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Thursday, May 16 7:00am – 8:30am
Conference sponsors reach hundreds of families and professionals over the 2-day event. Sponsors receive an exhibitor booth, an ad in the Conference Program, and recognition prior to the event on social media, our website and on conference signage.
PLATINUM Featured Sponsor ($5,001 and Up) A Platinum Sponsorship includes: Featured exhibitor location in exhibition hall | Featured signage during plenary sessions | Appreciation on the conference website | Frequent recognition on social media | 1 full-page color ad in Conference Program | 3 conference registrations.
GOLD Special Sponsor ($3,001 – $5,000) Special Sponsorship includes: Special exhibitor in exhibition hall | Highlighted signage during plenary sessions | Listing on conference website | Frequent recognition on social media | 1/2-page color ad in Conference Program | 2 conference registrations.
*SILVER Sponsor ($1,500 – $3,000) Silver sponsor receive Booth in exhibition hall | Listing on conference website | Recognition on social media| 1/4-page color ad in Conference Program | 1 conference registration.
*Early Bird Rate for SILVER Sponsor ($1,250) Register by February 15.
For assistance with the online form, email UW-Stevens Point Continuing Education at uwspce-conf@uwsp.edu. For general sponsorship questions, contact Lynn at Lynn@fvofwi.org
or (608) 512-0217.
Attendees receive a free Conference Program so you will be sure reach hundreds of individuals. It contains all the details needed to enjoy the event.
This year’s Program is available in print and online as a phone-friendly guide. Attendee favorites are included: Schedule at a glance | Keynote and workshop descriptions | Exhibitor listing | Links to sponsors | A listing of resource organizations for families who have children with disabilities.
Email ads to Lynn, Family Voices of Wisconsin, at Lynn@fvofwi.org.
Contact Brian Kenney, Gathering of Youth Facilitator, at briankenney98@gmail.com or (608)448-9034.
Registration is required to take part in Gathering of Youth. This lets staff get to know your teen and ensures they have the needed health and safety information. To register, first, register yourself for the conference and indicate that your young adult will participate in Gathering of Youth. Then a separate link to register your young adult will be emailed to you. You can use this link, 2024 Gathering of Youth Registration, if you have already registered.
Gathering of Youth is a unique conference track for teens and young adults, ages 13 to 22, who have disabilities. These are supervised sessions that run while parents take part in the keynote and workshops.
Participants eat meals with their families or join tables with other youth. Check-in with your teen before meals and make sure they return to the Gathering of Youth room before going to your workshops.
Sibshops are celebrations of the contributions made by sisters and brothers of kids with special health needs. As a registere Sibshop of WisconSibs, Inc., this workshop for “typical” siblings, ages 8-13, provides lively, age-appropriate activities and relaxed discussions about the challenges and joys of having a sibling with disabilities.
To participate in Sibshop, you must register for the conference and then separately register your child for Sibshop. There is no additional fee for this program, but the sibling must be registered for the conference ($100) and a parent or guardian must be onsite at the Holiday Inn conference center.
To learn more about Sibshop, please contact Tessa at Tessa@wisconsibs.org.
This year’s building community theme will bring out your love of construction. Stop by Thursday night after dinner–Everyone is Welcome!
We’ll have: Games, Crafts, a Puppet Show, Activities and LOTS of candy!
Find a treasure or just something handy to have around the house. Our auction has it all. Bidding starts at the conference opening on Thursday morning and winners are announced that evening at Family Fun night.
All proceeds go to the Elsie Shaw Parent Scholarship Fund, created to offset the cost of attending the Circles of Life Conference for Wisconsin families.
Cathy is a mother, disability advocate, national speaker and consultant. She is an educator at the university-level with leadership positions in government and nonprofit organizations. Cathy and her adult daughter, Beth, speak nationally about the importance of social capitalꟷa key part of building a communityꟷin the lives of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities from an early age, and all life-long.
For general information about the conference, advertising or exhibiting, email Lynn at Lynn@fvofwi.org.
For questions about registration call UW—Stevens Point at (715) 346-3838
To learn about conference scholarships, contact John Shaw at the Elsie Shaw Parent Scholarship Foundation, (608) 294-8716 or john@elsieshaw.org.
