Call for Presenters

Thank you for your interest in presenting at the Connections Conference. Please review this information and click the button at the bottom of the page to submit a workshop proposal.
 
Theme:  Let’s Play @ the Connections Conference! 
Date: March 18, 2017 |  8:00 a.m.  – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Skagit Valley College, Mount Vernon, WA
Workshop Timeslots:
    12:30 – 2:00   Conference A Sessions
     2:30 – 4:00  Conference B Sessions
Proposals are solicited for 90-minute presentations that feature best practices in the areas of play, family interactions, and resilience and are appropriate for at least one of the conference tracks. Our focus is on workshops that are hands on, interactive, creative, and dynamic. Presenters are responsible for providing copies of workshop handouts and any equipment that will be used during presentation unless otherwise arranged with conference coordinators.

Proposals must be submitted by October 31, 2016.

Conference Goals
  • Promote the mutual understanding of the contributions families and providers bring to the lives of young children
  • Challenge thinking about cultural diversity
  • Increase family and provider effectiveness through new skills, strategies and ideas to ensure high quality services
  • Enhance understanding of the unique strengths and needs of each family
  • Fostering partnerships among families, service providers, school districts, agencies, and sponsors to ensure coordinated and aligned services in local communities
  • Promoting networking and coalition building around early childhood issues

Conference Information
 Tracks:
The conference workshops will be organized into one of the following tracks: infant/toddler, preschool, school-age, parents or administrator/directors in the focus areas of play, family interactions, and resilience.  Both English-language and Spanish-language tracks will be presented at the conference.

Audience:
We expect 450 - 500 participants to attend the conference, with an estimate of a maximum of 150 people attending each workshop. Minimum number of attendees for a class will be set at 20.  Please note that sessions may be cancelled if the minimum is not reached.  If a session is cancelled, presenters will be notified no later than March 1, 2017.

Presenter Benefits & Fees:
As a presenter for the 2017 Connections Conference your conference registration is complimentary.  The registration includes access to all workshops, plenary sessions, and one lunch.  We hope presenters will donate their time and expertise to this conference, but can offer a training stipend of $150 for a 90 minute session for presenters who require payment.  Additional information about supports available to presenters is described in the Workshop Proposal.