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CONTACT: Suzanne C. Miller
Assistant Director of Public Relations
Office: (717) 691-6027 ext. 1
E-mail: scmiller@messiah.edu

Messiah College to host
14th Annual Building Strong Families Conference, "Celebrating International Families"

GRANTHAM, Pa. (September 30, 2004) — The Department of Human Development and Family Science at Messiah College and the Mid-Atlantic Council on Family Relations will sponsor the 14 th annual Building Strong Families Conference. With the theme “Celebrating International Families,” the conference will be held on Thursday, Oct. 21, in Boyer Hall, located on Messiah’s Grantham campus. The conference is open to the public. On-site registration is $50. For more information, go to http://www.ma.psu.edu/~ma_hdfs/strongfam.fa04.htm or call (717) 691-1800, extension 2850.

The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration and refreshments, followed by a greeting and introduction. The first series of workshops begins at 9:15 a.m. Multiple other workshops and sessions will be held throughout the day on various issues including, “Resources for Teaching and Learning about International Families,” “Family Science in International Perspective: A Focus on Eastern Europe ,” and “Sexuality and American Society: Cross-Cultural Perspectives.” Professors from Messiah College , Mansfield University , Binghamton University , University of Delaware and Penn State University will present their ideas during the multiple sessions offered. The conference will end at 4 p.m.

This year’s conference also coincides with the celebration of the 10 th anniversary of the International Year of the Family as determined by the United Nations.

About the International Year of the Family

In 1989, by resolution 44/82, the U.N. General Assembly proclaimed 1994 the International Year of the Family to increase awareness of family issues and improve the capability of nations to tackle family-related problems with comprehensive policies. The observance of the 10 th anniversary during 2004 will culminate in the holding of one plenary session of the U.N. General Assembly on the topic of families. It will be devoted to a reaffirmation of commitments made and the identification of further actions.

About Messiah College

Messiah College , a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls more than 2,900 undergraduate students in 60 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham , Pa. , near the state capital of Harrisburg . A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia .

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ARTICLE DATE: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2004
ARTICLE NUMBER: MC-122-04

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