Call for Proposals: MCELA 3/21/25 Conference

CALL FOR PROPOSALS 
The Maine Council for English Language Arts seeks proposals from teachers and other professionals to provide workshop sessions related to our 2025 conference theme–Cultivating Possibilities In Ecosystems of Learning​. 
Our annual state conference will be held on Friday, March 21, 2025,
at The Holiday Inn By The Bay in Portland, Maine. 
This year’s theme focuses on how educators cultivate learning possibilities for themselves and their students. More specifically, MCELA will center this theme around four seeds: the core values of social responsibility, leadership, empowerment, and collaboration. 
Because we believe that Maine literacy educators and leaders represent a network of experienced professionals who have critical expertise to share with their colleagues, MCELA’s conference committee seeks educators who will share original presentations that encourage a rich diversity of pedagogy, identity, and practice. Workshops will illustrate how presenters build community, cultivate agency, and foster a culture of learning in their classrooms and learning ecosystems.
We hope that you will consider sharing your work with fellow educators, and we ask that you include how your workshop connects to one of the conference theme-seeds:

• Social Responsibility: How do you address diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in your practice? How do you incorporate social-emotional learning in your classroom or school? How do you tackle contemporary issues like climate change with students? 
  
• Leadership: How do you advocate for literacy practices among your colleagues and community? How do you support your colleagues and their professional learning? How do schools and organizations elevate each other from excellent to distinguished practices?
  
• Collaboration: How do you foster interdisciplinary learning–in your classroom, school, or community? How do you embed effective literacy instruction and practices in other content areas? How do you foster purposeful interactions with colleagues?
  
• Empowerment: How do you develop student-centered learning? What practices cultivate student choice and voice? How do you make space in the curriculum for relevant, integrated, challenging, and engaging opportunities for your students? How do you cultivate agency with colleagues? How might educators leverage their experience and expertise in professional learning?
  

Submit your proposal digitally at this link: MCELA 2025 Conference Presenter Proposal. Please send questions to [email protected].  The deadline for proposals is 10/25/24. 
Workshop presenters will receive a Bookshop.org gift card and earn a 10 contact hour presenter certificate. We encourage you to save the date and request professional development funds from your local districts soon.