AVE Vision Conference

A little AVE conference history:
The first Natural Vision Conference in the USA was held in Virginia Beach in 1999 which actually gave birth to the Association of Vision Educators (AVE). This was a public conference, open to anyone interested in improving eyesight naturally.
The first professional vision conference (for teachers only) was held in Pacific Grove, Oregon, in 2001. This was followed by two public conferences held in San Francisco, California (2003) and Berkeley, California (2004). A hiatus of 11 years happened due to financial losses of the California conferences. With a return to the professional format, the AVE conference was resurrected by Esther Joy van der Werf in 2015 when an enthusiastic group of teachers from several countries gathered in Pacific Grove, California. For many, it was their very first holistic vision conference. They caught the spirit and are now carrying the torch forward. Since then, professional conferences have been held in Boulder, Colorado (2016), Damascus, Oregon (2018) and online due to Covid restrictions in 2020 & 2022. We are planning to gather in person again in 2024 in NY state.

Association of Vision Educators 2nd Professional Conference Dates:  1-3 May 2015 Location: Aldersgate Retreat Center, Pacific Palisades, California  A weekend for natural vision educators and eyesight professionals to meet colleagues, share knowledge, be (re-)inspired, recharge professional batteries, and have fun together! This conference was a great success!!! 23 Attendees from 5 countries traveled to Pacific Palisades to be part of this incredible event. With workshops following the conference on Sunday and Monday, there was a wide array of experienced teachers to learn from and plenty of opportunity to get to know each other and form friendships for life! See some of the conference photos below, and also see our Facebook Events page. Plus enjoy a 1 minute video made by Tony Helinsky that gives an impression of this conference! (back to top)

Above & Below: 2015 Conference participants at Aldersgate Retreat Center in Pacific Palisades.