SPARKS — Kim Laird, a middle school English teacher from Pennsylvania, wanted to find a different kind of fundraiser in 1995 to help her school’s theater group — something other than car washes or selling magazines.

“If we could raise money with a performance-based fundraiser, we might be able to raise a couple of extra bucks,” Laird said.

So she turned to juggling. She learned the basics of three-ball juggling in 1995. Four years later, she attended her first International Jugglers Association (IJA) convention, where she mingled with others who shared her hobby on the amateur and professional levels.

On Monday, the IJA kicked off its 63rd annual convention with an admission-free day at John Ascuaga’s Nugget. Incoming vendors and participants began setting up in the Rose Ballroom to register attendees while maintaining plenty of free space, of course, for juggling enthusiasts to warm up with their pins, rings, balls and other items.

More than 350 people are expected to attend the conference, which lasts through Sunday with workshops, championship competitions, special performances and other events for attendees and the public to enjoy.

The association itself has more than 1,600 members from 15 countries, mostly in the United States and Canada. Laird, now chairwoman of the IJA’s board of directors, said members have the ability to do all forms of juggling with just about any object or prop.

Most of all, Laird said, those who have a love for the skill enjoy teaching it.

“Jugglers are very open to sharing it with others,” Laird said. “Just about anyone can learn basic juggling in 15 minutes. Some take longer, some take less (time).”

Richard Kennison of St. Louis, Mo., said the annual event offers a chance to meet with other jugglers.

“One of the reasons you come here is for the special guests you can’t see on a regular basis,” he said.

Keith Nelson from New York agreed.

“It’s also important to exchange experiences,” Nelson said.

Nelson said he has learned to juggle, eat fire and perform rope tricks — talents with which he could pursue a career.

“It’s cheaper than smoking cigarettes,” he said. “I just realized that this could be my living. I get to wake up every morning and get out there, knowing I’m making people happy. It doesn’t get better than that.”

The headliner for the convention is Swiss juggler Kris Kremo, a fourth-generation entertainer whose great-grandfather and grandfather were acrobats and whose father also juggles and does other special theatrics. Kremo performs for the circus and on cruise ships as well as other venues all around the world. He also has juggled in front of audiences that included England’s Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip and Sweden’s King Carl Gustav XVI. According to the IJA’s program for this week’s events, he holds the record for the longest continuous appearance by a juggler, having performed his act for 11 years at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas.

“It’s very nice making a living doing this,” Kremo said.

Laird, who also credits her husband, Ron Barowski, for organizing the event, said juggling provides more than entertainment. It also stimulates the brain, she said, and research has shown that it can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

“I teach English and ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) is stronger than it’s ever been,” she said. “When I see students get stressed when they’re taking a test, I send them outside the classroom and let them juggle for five minutes. If they’re sitting there fidgeting, they’re not focused. Juggling helps them retrieve their focus.”

She said she notices a marked improvement in their achievement when they take those short breaks.

“It’s very relaxing,” Laird said. “It puts you in a Zen-like state. You get in that zone.”

For $7, the public can purchase a spectator’s day pass for each day and view performances. Today at Sparks High School is a “joggling” competition in which participants will compete in various track and field events all while juggling. Championship competitions take place in the middle of the week and are based on technical and creative skills and stage presence. The week wraps up with Cascade of Stars, the convention’s finale of performances, on Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Celebrity Showroom, also open to the public.

For more information on the convention, visit www.juggle.org/festival.