CREATING A NEW NORMAL
A Virtual Summit
July 10-11, 2020
Call for Proposals
The Leading Equity Center (LEC) is committed to delivering tools and resources to help educators facilitate equitable instruction and practices at their schools. Presenting at the LEC Virtual Summit provides an opportunity to build your professional network while actively participating in an experience that promotes lifelong learning. This virtual summit is centered on advocacy and innovation to effectively inform educators at all levels in their professional careers and to support their efforts in creating a new normal as a result of COVID-19.
To ensure full consideration, presentation proposals must be submitted on or before May 21, 2020. Proposals submitted after this deadline will continue to be considered but will not be accepted onto the program except to fill vacant spots. Proposals may not be submitted after 5:00 PM on June 4, 2020, Eastern Time.
Presentations selected for the virtual summit will demonstrate knowledge on a wide variety of topics using several specific formats. All proposals will be evaluated according to established criteria. Following a peer review, only the highest-quality presentations that best fit the framework of the summit will be added to the program.
Presentation Formats
To get started with your proposal, choose your presentation format.
Workshops
[May be scheduled on either July 10 or 11, 60 minutes]
The LEC is looking for presenters who will engage attendees in innovative ways, develop highly interactive content, and provide opportunities for application and use of the information. Preferably, the format should be no more than 60% delivered information, with the rest of the session including interactive or hands-on engagement.
Empower Talk
[May be scheduled on either July 10 or 11, 15 minutes within a 60-minute session]
Individual presenters will each have 15 minutes to share a tightly focused presentation. The last 15 minutes of the session is reserved for questions and discussion. LEC will select and group three topically related presentations (if possible) within each session.
Roundtable Discussion
[May be scheduled on either July 10 or 11, 30 minutes within a 60-minute session]
Engage participants in an interactive discussion regarding the newest research on best practices in education through an equity lens. In this format, two selected presenters on a related topic will share a virtual table, present their work, and host a conversation with other attendees.Roundtable participants will walk away with innovative classroom strategies, new information on the latest research, or a deeper understanding of advocacy and equity within education.
Presentation Strands
After selecting a format, if you are proposing a Workshop, Empower Talk, or Roundtable, choose one of the five summit strands appropriate for your topic.
Strand 1: How do I foster social-emotional support to students and staff?
Suggested topics may include:
- Staff wellness, trauma-informed care, grief, getting students to trust again, supporting the whole-child, mental health, the impact of COVID-19 on school staff, the neuroscience behind stress and how it impacts learning, relationship building, and how to best support those who are being targeted and discriminated against due to COVID-19, specifically individuals of Asian descent.
Strand 2: How do I rebuild school culture and community?
Suggested topics may include:The transition back to school, behavior bias, equitable access to instruction post COVID-19, thinking long-term and not “quick fixes,” equity mindset when schools reopen, restructuring school days, the first few weeks of school, and community re-establishment.
Strand 3: How do I close achievement gaps?
Suggested topics may include:
- SPED and 504, Emerging Multilinguals, immigrant families, students of color, socio-economic status, addressing wider achievement gaps, alternative education, academic assessments, as well as academic support that doesn’t penalize students.
Strand 4: How do I provide equity in digital spaces?
Suggested topics may include:
- Equity issues in online learning, equity vs. access, innovative ways of achieving motivation in online spaces, differentiation, lesson planning, grading, and blended learning methods.
Strand 5: What have I learned from COVID-19?
Suggested topics may include:
- Preparedness for a crisis, effects of rapid online learning on families and educators, leveraging online learning, the impact on vulnerable populations, stories of overcoming adversity and keeping equity at the center, and engaging staff with equity conversations.
