August & September Adoption Telecourses and Webinars

Adoption Friends,

I hope that you are having a great summer! As we are nearing the last days of August I don't want to believe that summer is almost over and that school begins for us this Monday. However, at least one member of our family is excited. Our youngest, Noah, is looking forward to seeing the bus again as he sees his older sister and brother off to school each morning. Sometimes he even tries to get on the bus -- but I'm not ready for him to grow up just yet!

August/September Telecourses & Webinars Announced
I'm happy to announce that we've just posted the ThinkingOfAdopting.com August/September Adoption Telecourse & Webinar Schedule. You can find the full schedule by clicking on the following link: http://www.thinkingofadopting.com/html/adoption_telecourses.html The offerings include:

1) "Choices: Adopting from China , Guatemala , Kazakhstan and Russia" w/ Inna Pecar
This new webinar gives an overview of the adoption programs of each of these countries. A great webinar for those who haven't selected their country yet.

2) "Russian for the Adoption Traveler I" with Tatyana Komarova
A four session Russian course developed exclusively for the adoption traveler! And, the only Russian course I know of that teaches you words you can use to communicate and play with your new child. Taught by native speaker and Russian language instructor Tatyana Komarova, registration for this webinar includes a bonus 4 CD set.

3) "Adopting the Orphanage Child: Overcoming Orphanage Life" with Dr. Todd Ochs
Dr. Ochs, an adoption pediatrician and father of five, including four special needs daughters adopted from China, returns to ThinkingOfAdopting.com with a two part version of his webinar, including a live, 90 minute Q&A session.

4) "Medical Aspects of International Adoption": with Dr. Alla Gordina, FAAP
Dr. Gordina also returns to ThinkingOfAdopting.com with a new two part version of this very popular webinar, including a live 90 minute Q&A session.

5) "A Discussion About ADD" with Parent Magic's Dr. Thomas Phelan Dr. Phelan is not only a registered clinical psychologist, best-selling author, and internationally renowned expert in child discipline and attention deficit disorder, but the father of a child with ADD.

6) "Share Your Story: How to create your own Adoption Blog" with Dennis Bartko
Join the others who have taken this webinar and are sharing their adoption journey through blogging. You can do it!

To learn more or register go to the "Adoption Telecourses" page on ThinkingOfAdopting.com by clicking on the following link:
http://www.thinkingofadopting.com/html/adoption_telecourses.html

Most Telecourse & Webinars are Now Longer
Based upon feedback we've received from you, we've lengthened most of our telecourses and webinars from 60 to 90 minutes to allow more time for you to ask questions. In addition, we're trying a new two-part format for some webinars to allow ever more time for questions -- a pre-recorded webinar that you can view exclusively over the Internet at your convenience followed by a scheduled 90 minute, live Q&A session with the presenter. We hope you'll like this new format and especially the additional time with experts like Dr. Alla Gordina & Dr. Todd Ochs.

Dr. Gordina Named 2006 "Angel in Adoption"
Speaking of Dr. Gordina, I was very excited to learn that she has been named one of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute's 2006 "Angels in Adoption". Selected by a Member of Congress, Dr. Gordina is being honored for enriching the lives of orphans and will be officially recognized at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in September. Of course, anyone who has ever met Dr. Gordina already knew she's an "angel" for adoptive children and their parents and a tireless advocate for adoption, so it's great to see her receive this formal recognition. Congratulations, Dr. Gordina!

More Options for Audio Replay
Last time I wrote to you I announced that we were recording most of the July telecourses so that they can be played back over the Internet in case you couldn't make the live offering or wanted to listen to it again. I hope you have found this useful. I'm now pleased that we will be offering an additional option, playback through your phone. Choose the one that's most convenient for you! The audio replay is only available to those who register for a course, so if you're interested in a telecourse or webinar but can't make the time, register and listen to it with the replay at your convenience. It's usually available on our website 48 hours after the end of the telecourse/webinar.

Helping Those Left Behind
Ever since we left our youngest son's orphanage with him in my arms, my husband and I have wanted to do something that could help those children who were left behind. Our hope is that ThinkingOfAdopting.com is, in some small way, is helping do that. However, we know that there is so much more that needs to be done. That's why ThinkingOfAdopting.com will now donate a portion of the proceeds from each telecourse or webinar to an adoption related charity. While we know that this won't be large given the size of the challenge, we hope that every little bit will help.

Help Spread the Word
Finally, if you find the telecourses and webinars on ThinkingOfAdopting.com useful, I'd certainly appreciate if you would help spread the word. Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who you feel would be interested. I'd sincerely appreciate your help in getting the word out.

My best to you on your adoption journey. If there is anything I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Robin Bartko