Breakout Speaker Proposal Portal

2024 National Conference

JULY 9-12 | Benedictine College, ATCHISON, KS

 

 

The window for accepting breakout presentation proposals has closed. Please contact Program Manager Megan Fassero at mfasssero@CatholicLiberalEducation.org with any questions. Thank you!

Engaging, inspiring speakers contribute enormously to the success of our conference.
Thank you for providing your presentation proposal for our consideration!

The theme for our 2024 National Conference is taken from Psalm 27:4 – Behold the Beauty of the Lord. In this image of The Eucharist, Jan van Kessel the Elder, a 17th century Flemish artist, evokes the radiant beauty of the transcendent mystery of the Blessed Sacrament. As the three-year national Eucharistic Revival approaches its final pilgrimage and Congress, we are reminded that we are transformed by what we behold. We aim to behold and contemplate together the aspects of beauty that nourish us in our mission through sacrament, prayer, fellowship, and the richness of the Catholic educational tradition.

Like the psalmist, may we as Catholic educators seek and love what is true, good, and beautiful, so that we may be truly transformed in Christ.

Where possible, we encourage presentations that draw from and reflect the conference theme, but we also consider separate topics.

New this year: We hope to offer a “Master Class” track throughout the blocks of breakout presentations, providing our participants the opportunity to learn from an expert in a variety of disciplines: music, drama, icon-writing, painting, drawing, poetry, etc. We welcome proposals from those who can lead highly interactive sessions to immerse participants in these experiences during a longer breakout session (possibly 75-90 minutes instead of 50 minutes).

As you prepare your proposal, please keep the following in mind:

  • Please submit your proposal by our deadline of Thursday, February 1.
  • You will be notified by Friday, March 1, regarding the status of your proposal.
  • Breakout speakers are chosen from among our registered National Conference attendees. We are pleased to offer a small honorarium; however, we are unable to waive the speaker’s registration and travel costs. If your proposal is accepted, you are asked to register yourself for the Conference within a week.
  • Plan on up to 50 minutes for your presentation, including time for Q&A or an interactive portion. During our breakout sessions, teachers are often looking for both theory and practical tools for immediate use in the classroom.
  • Any handouts will be made available to participants electronically. If you need to use printed handouts during your session, kindly bring them with you because copying facilities are limited. Please bring up to 40 copies of each handout. We will collect the digital copies of your handouts closer to the Conference date.
  • Please note that we will record the audio of each presentation. Conference attendees have access to all the recordings for at least 90 days after the end of the program.
  • For reference, you may view last year’s program HERE.