The Association for the Advancement of Dutch-American Studies (AADAS) will hold its eighteenth biennial meeting at Lakeland College, Thursday-Friday, June 9-10, 2011. The conference is hosted by the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center. It is the first time this international organization will meet in Wisconsin. The conference theme is “Past and Present: The Importance of History for Dutch-Americans.” Presentations by experts from the Netherlands, Canada and the U.S. will address topics such as: The Early Dutch Presence in Wisconsin, Persistence of Dutch Culture in Wisconsin, Historical Challenges to Dutch-American Community Life, The Importance of the Written Word for Dutch-Americans, and New Institutional Projects.

Conference sessions will be held at Lakeland College, 5 miles north of Sheboygan Falls, WI. There will be a pre-conference tour to Little Chute, WI on Wednesday, June 8. It will include the site of the future Little Chute Windmill and Van Asten Visitor Center and a guided tour of the Little Chute area by the Little Chute Historical Society.