• Call for Proposals

The Call for Proposals has ended; presenters will be notified of our decision in August.


OVERVIEW

To deliver an exceptional learning experience, please review these guidelines and apply no later than Thursday, June 15, 2023. Preference may be given to proposals that are positioned to deliver a mix of the following:

  • Reflect innovative, cutting-edge content, and evidence-based practice.
  • Stimulate and provoke discussion, audience engagement and outcome-focused design.
  • Present a business case with evidence supported by research or data.
  • Explore issues important to school board members.
  • Challenge attendees to think of a new solution.
  • Provide diverse approaches for different types of learners.
  • Demonstrate the relevance of lessons through “real-life” case studies.

SESSION CATEGORIES

As you reflect on your proposal, please consider the following session categories for the 2023 conference program. While session applications may address more than one area, you must select one of the following.

  • Leadership: develop the district team and demonstrate a shared vision, district goals and strategic planning.
  • QSAC:  instruction and programming, fiscal concerns, governance, operations and personnel.
  • Progress and Accountability:  student learning outcomes, progress monitoring, STEAM, technology in classrooms.
  • Advocacy and Engagement:  building partnerships and engaging the community, parents, and businesses; legislative advocacy; public school advocacy.

LEARNING FORMATS

Adult learners usually prefer to engage in self-directed learning and that philosophy drives the Governance Camp approach to conference programming.

Group Sessions (Concurrent Sessions) (60 minutes)

  • Concurrent sessions will be set in theater style to their maximum seating capacity (50-250).  Design your program to allow for Q&A and insert engagement as appropriate for a lecture style presentation.  Use QR codes to create UXD interactions as appropriate.   

Action Lab (90 minutes)

  • The room is set in rounds, to allow for discussion groups and high-level attendee participation.  The rooms are limited to 48-60 attendees, for increased participation and engagement with those attending.
  • These sessions MUST have an actionable event, group activity, or attendee task demonstrated in the writeup to be considered. 

Immersive Learning Lab (Sponsors Only- 45 Minutes)

These will be upstairs in the learning rooms. The rooms will be set up in classroom style with tables for writing.  The format can be lecture if you choose, but you should engage the audience in the learning as much as possible. 

Experiential Learning Lab (Sponsors Only – 30 minutes)

These will be on the exhibit floor. They should be a hands-on activity that fully engages the participants.  It should allow them to do the work, and you to guide them through it. There should not be any lecture or slideshow presentation. This is a place where the attendees come to learn with their hands. (Similar to when we were kids and were in science lab!  We did it!)  

Proposals should be sure to include:

  • Succinct title for your training program (no more than eight words).
  • Brief course description about the topic that are free of jargon and acronyms (no more than 50 words).
  • Biographical information.
  • Name.
  • Job title.
  • Name of your company or district.
  • Business/district location and county.
  • Municipality where you live.
  • Email address.
  • Cell number.
  • Other pertinent information you would like to share (community organizer, Girl Scouts leader, etc.).

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

  • All proposals must be submitted through our portal.
  • The primary point of contact (POC) is the person submitting the proposal (the contact person). NJSBA will communicate with the singular POC for all communications, including notifications and deadlines. In addition, the POC is responsible for sharing information as needed with co‐leaders and panelists.  
  • Use clear, error-free language. Session proposals require clear and concise titles, persuasive outcomes‐focused descriptions (limit 50 words). NJSBA retains the right to modify titles and descriptions during copy editing for marketing purposes.
  • All accepted content leaders must adhere to published deadlines. You must be committed and responsive to working with NJSBA to deliver exceptional service by adhering to deadlines.
  • All accepted content leaders must observe intellectual property rights. Presenters must ensure that information, illustrations, images contained in presentations, related materials, or visual aids shall be factual and not be misleading and will not violate any third party’s intellectual property or copyrights.

TIMELINE

NJSBA will be closing proposal submission June 15. Once the process has been closed, we will begin our review. All submissions should expect to hear our decision by mid-July. NJSBA’s workshop is a premier training event – all submissions should be sure to connect with New Jersey education and New Jersey districts. Preferential selection will be given to New Jersey based school districts. This is a closed show, meaning that companies who are not exhibiting on the floor will NOT be permitted to present as a means of gaining access. NJSBA will monitor all companies who apply for program submission.