Call for Sessions
Submission Deadline: Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Thank you to all that submitted session proposals for the 2022 ATE Conference.
Sessions scheduled are now available on the
conference program page.
ATE Projects and Centers are invited to submit proposals to conduct sessions are part of the agenda for the 2022 ATE Conference. The Call for Sessions includes session submission information for the in-person ATE Conference taking place on October 26-28, 2022, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. and for a virtual track offering taking place on Friday, November 4 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT.
Proposal Submission Information
Session guidelines and detailed information for submitting proposals can be found below. All proposals must be submitted using the online form. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, August 31. Participants will be notified about the proposals that have been accepted for the conference and the session schedule by Friday, September 16.
Conference Theme
This year’s ATE Conference will focus on reconnecting the ATE community in advancing the skilled technical workforce. ATE Projects and Centers play a pivotal role in addressing and shaping the current and future needs of STEM technician education by preparing students with STEM, innovation, and employability skills and working to ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce.
Session Guidelines and Criteria
Session proposals should follow the criteria and guidelines outlined below—with preference given to submissions that include promising practices for reconnecting and advancing the skilled technical workforce with an emphasis on strategies for addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Sessions will be selected based on their alignment with the conference theme and the ability of session leaders to:
- Share case studies, experiences, promising strategies, and lessons learned that demonstrate evidence-based project or center impact in one of the topic areas identified by the session tracks provided below.
- Focus on learning experiences and promising strategies that are common or relevant across disciplines and different project areas.
- Engage participants in interactive learning activities and provide take-away resources that can be used and/or implemented in their own work.
- Demonstrate collaboration among ATE Projects or Centers with strong preference given to session proposals that can speak to broadening impact and that involve more than one project or center in a presenting role.
PLEASE NOTE that submissions in response to this Call for Sessions should not be used as a venue to conduct a general report out on grant activities. All Projects and Centers are required to submit materials as part of “ATE Connects,” which is a featured conference component that will be held in both virtual and in-person formats. ATE Connects provides an opportunity to engage in the general sharing of information, resources, and materials related to ATE projects and programs; network with participants; and explore the community. Signing up to participate in ATE Connects is SEPARATE from this Call for Sessions process. For information on ATE Connects, click here.
Session Tracks
In keeping with the conference theme, individuals proposing sessions for the 2022 ATE Conference are encouraged to submit under one of the following five tracks.
- Track 1. Advancing the Skilled Technical Workforce
Examples of topics include: virtual teaching/learning strategies; undergraduate research; competency-based learning; work-based learning; credit for prior work experience; alternative forms of credentials including micro-credentials; internships; apprenticeships; bridge programs; addressing emerging career fields/technologies; career pathways; professional and faculty development; leadership development; and mentoring programs.
- Track 2. Engaging STEM Students for Success
Examples of topics include: addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion gaps; strategies for recruiting and retaining underrepresented students; interactions with secondary school CTE programs; dual enrollment; career awareness/outreach; working with guidance counselors and career coaches; and direct student interaction with industry. - Track 3. Initiating & Maintaining Partnerships
Examples of topics include: creating, maintaining, and leveraging partnerships with business and industry, college administrators, secondary schools, funders, local/state government, and/or the community; addressing workforce development needs through collaboration with business/industry; and outreach to external constituents. - Track 4. Conducting STEM Research & Evaluation
Examples of topics include: strategies for conducting institutional and educational research; partnering with four-year colleges on student learning outcomes; strategies for assessment; strategies for capturing reliable impact data; and evaluation. - Track 5. Sharing Proven Practices in Grant & Program Management
Examples of topics in this category include: strategies for project and fiscal management; sustaining and scaling programs; preparing annual reports; and dealing effectively with unforeseen and/or unavoidable project changes.
Session Formats
Proposals submitted under the five conference tracks must follow one of the formats described below.
All session types will be considered and offered as part of the agenda for the in-person conference.
In addition, AACC will consider Spotlight and Synergy sessions for the conference’s virtual track—taking place on Friday, November 4—if indicated in response to this Call for Sessions. Participants can indicate preference for consideration of their Spotlight or Synergy session proposal for the in-person event, limited virtual track, or both when completing their submission.
Please note that Demonstration sessions are only invited under Track 1: Advancing the Skilled Technical Workforce and are to focus on virtual and/or hybrid teaching and learning tools, resources, and/or management systems.
Session Formats Accepted for the In-Person Conference or Virtual Track Offering
Spotlight Session
Session Length: 50 minutes
Maximum Number of Presenters: 3
Session Facilitator: 1
In-Person Conference Scheduling: Sessions accepted for the in-person conference will be scheduled on Thursday, October 27 between 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Session rooms will be equipped with a laptop, data projector, and screen.
Virtual Track Scheduling: Sessions accepted for the virtual track will be scheduled on Friday, November 4 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EDT.
A Spotlight session should involve at least two, but no more than three presenters and a facilitator who will present thought-provoking questions to the panelists and coordinate presentations in addressing the session topic. Preference will be given to sessions that involve presenters who represent different projects, centers, and/or grant partners. Spotlight session proposals that focus solely on a general report out of a project’s or center’s activities will not be selected. Spotlight sessions should share proven strategies and lessons learned in accordance with the session criteria.
Synergy Session
Session Length: 50 minutes
Maximum Number of Facilitators: 3
In-Person Conference Scheduling: Sessions accepted for the in-person conference will be scheduled on Friday, October 28 between 10:00 a.m. – Noon. Session rooms will be equipped with a laptop, data projector, and screen.
Virtual Track Scheduling: Sessions accepted for the virtual track will be scheduled on Friday, November 4 between the hours of 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EDT.
The Synergy session format offers a venue for ATE grantees to network, share insights, and explore ways to collaborate around areas of similar interest. Synergy session leaders serve as facilitators of interactive, substantive discussions that share promising practices and lessons learned with other members of the ATE community. Proposals should explain the overall context surrounding the anticipated discussion, as related to the conference track, and clearly identify the intended audience. Synergy session proposals should also reflect the capacity to generate new ideas and questions from conference participants as a means of making the session stimulating and meaningful.
Session Formats Accepted for the In-Person Conference
Birds of a Feather Session
Session Length: 50 minutes
Maximum Number of Presenters: 2 people
In-Person Conference Scheduling: Birds of a Feather Sessions will be scheduled on Thursday, October 27 between 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Session rooms will be equipped with a laptop, data projector, and screen.
Birds of a Feather sessions are informal gatherings of like-minded individuals who wish to discuss a certain topic without a pre-planned agenda. Birds of a Feather sessions allow groups to meet and discuss issues relating to regular conference sessions and common challenges. The meetings can be used to gather the people you have been working remotely with on a project, as well as potential new collaborators, into a space to conduct a deep dive on a topic.
Demonstration Session*
Session Length: 30 minutes
Maximum Number of Presenters: 2
In-Person Conference Scheduling: Demonstration Sessions will be scheduled on Thursday, October 27 between 2:30 – 3:45 p.m. Session rooms will be equipped with a laptop, data projector, and screen.
Demonstrations are formal presentations that show how to use or apply a pedagogical tool or concept focused on virtual or hybrid teaching and learning strategies, resources, or management systems. The proposal should describe how the presenter will walk attendees through a clear, step-by-step explanation of the concept or tool, how it compares to other teaching and learning tools, its strengths, and weaknesses, and how it can best be applied or implemented. Presenters should be experts on the concepts or tools they are presenting.
*Note: Demonstration sessions are only invited under Track 1: Advancing the Skilled Technical Workforce and are to focus on virtual and/or hybrid teaching and learning tools, resources, and/or management systems.
High Impact Practice Workshop
Session Length: 1 hour and 50-minute workshop
Maximum Number of Presenters: 4 people
In-Person Conference Scheduling: High Impact Practice Workshops will be scheduled on Friday, October 28 between 10:10 a.m. – Noon. Session rooms will be equipped with a laptop, data projector, and screen.
High impact practice workshops are multi-presenter/facilitator sessions designed to address targeted areas of need within the ATE community, such as those identified through the conference tracks, including but not limited to addressing challenges in student recruitment/retention; stakeholder engagement; diversity, equity, and inclusion; virtual/hybrid teaching and learning practices; and the implementation of pedagogical or technological tools to keep pace with industry demand. High impact practice workshops should focus on content that is relevant and applicable across STEM disciplines. Session proposals should identify the area of need or challenge to address, outline proven practices to be shared, include 3-4 learning objectives, and provide key takeaways for session participants.
Lunch Roundtable
Session Length: 45 minutes
Maximum Number of Moderators: 1
In-Person Conference Scheduling: Lunch Roundtables will be scheduled on Thursday, October 27 from 12:30 – 1:15 p.m. No AV is provided for lunch roundtables. Moderators typically bring handouts or take-aways for participants.
Lunch roundtables provide forums for informal discussion of a specific topic among small groups. Attendance is first-come, first-served and limited to a maximum of 8 people, including the moderator seated around one round table.
Session Collaboration
AACC provides information on its conference website to assist ATE Projects and Centers with identifying potential session collaborators and similar projects—such as searching through ATE Central or the NSF awards database. AACC reserves the right to identify similar session proposals and ask those submitting to work together on conducting a session, as well as to change the presentation type as needed to adhere to session guidelines.
How to Submit a Session Proposal
Session proposals must be submitted online by the deadline of August 31, 2022, by clicking here.
Required information for all session proposals includes:
A. Submitting project or center grant number
B. Submitting project or center grant title
C. Contact information for all presenters/facilitators
D. Session Title – limited to 70 characters
E. Session Description/Program Abstract – limited to 600 characters
F. Session Outline – An outline to include a session agenda, 2-3 participant learning outcomes, 2-3 discussion questions if submitting a High Impact Workshop, Spotlight, or a Synergy session, and any resources/materials that could be shared.