February 2020 Chicago LEAD Conference

Call for Session Presenters

IMPORTANT: Student Presenters under the age of 13 may not submit their own application. Advisers must submit the workshop application on their behalf. By initiating a submission below, you acknowledge that you are at least 13 years of age and eligible to submit your own application to the LEAD Conference.


Know Before You Apply:

  • There is no compensation for presenting a workshop session.
  • The selling or promotion of books, materials, memberships and services is prohibited during workshop presentations.
  • Student presenters (grades 7-12) must be registered attendees to the conference.
  • Preference will be given to workshops designed to actively engage attendees.
  • Workshops are presented on the Saturday of each LEAD conference.


Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

NASSP strives to create a diverse and inclusive culture throughout the conference experience and expects conference presenters to reflect that culture by:

Start Your Proposal

Begin your workshop proposal by selecting the LEAD Conference where you wish to present. If you would like to present at each event, you will have the opportunity to designate this on the first step of your submission. Your workshop proposal will be submitted to the conference(s) you select there.


Begin a submission to the following:

NOVEMBER 2019 DC FALL LEAD CONFERENCE
New Submissions Closed

JANUARY 2020 DC WINTER LEAD CONFERENCE
New Submissions Closed

FEBRUARY 2020 CHICAGO LEAD CONFERENCE
New Submissions Closed



Instructions for Session Submission Steps

All presenters are required to include the following in their proposal submission:

  1. Conference Submission

    Your workshop proposal will be submitted to the conference you pick above. You may also opt to submit it to other LEAD Conferences on the first step of the submission process.

  2. Workshop Info

    All presenters are required to submit the following:

    • Workshop Title
    • Submitter Email — This is required so that we can send an initial notification and remind you to complete your submission if you haven't yet added a presenter.
    • Presenter Type — Adviser or Non-Adviser Adult, or Student
    • Presentation Method — Activity-based/Interactive or Blended (Lecture/Interactive)
    • Audience Level — High School, Middle Level, or both
    • Student Programs — Honor Society, Strudent Council, or both
    • Appropriate Audiences — Students, Advisers, or both
    • Have you presented this workshop before for a conference? — Yes/No
    • Workshop Summary & Goals — In 250 words or less, answer four questions to summarize your workshop, highlight any special qualities that make it a "must have" at the LEAD Spark Conference and include how you plan to present the material to your audience (small group discussion, video, activity, etc.) and your desired outcomes for your session.
    • Description for Program — Submit a two-sentence "advertisement" (not to exceed 50 words) that will entice delegates to attend your session. If selected, this will be used in the conference program/schedule. Sentences should be catchy, but also clearly identify the purpose of the session.
    • Intellectual Property — I verify that the content of my session is my personal intellectual property and indemnify NASSP on the chance copyright infringement is claimed against my session or the like.
    • Optional: Image Use — I grant permission for NASSP to publish images of my presentation/session in its publications and on social media.

  3. Select Topic

    Choose the Category (in Bold) that is most closely related to your proposed workshop. Examples of workshop topics related to each category are listed below.


    Building Connections

    Building connections is an essential ingredient of effective leadership. LEAD provides you the opportunity to build a national [peer] network of support and resources that will help you achieve your goals and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth.

    Topic Examples: strategic partnerships, peer and professional communities, building community buy-in and support, creating a chapter/council persona through social media, unified leadership, effective collaboration, strengthening of culture & climate


    Expanding Leadership Skills

    Continual growth is necessary to be a successful leader. LEAD is centered on creating space and opportunities for students and advisers to gain actionable skills and resources to become more impactful leaders in their schools, communities, and beyond.

    Topic Examples: new adviser basics, organization, constitutions/bylaws, setting goals, team building, meeting management - running effective meetings, technical writing for advertisements/proposals, new member onboarding, officer training, basics of being a leader.


    Amplifying Student Voice

    Amplifying student voice is key to creating more equitable, inclusive, and student-centered communities. LEAD empowers students with skill-building opportunities while creating an open environment for them to offer valuable insight, fresh perspectives, and innovative ideas.

    Topic Examples: effective advocacy, student forums, surveys, Raising Student Voice & Participation (RSVP) process, civic engagement, public speaking, publicity/promotion/marketing, building social and digital media campaigns and events, creating chapter/council persona through social media, elections and campaigns


    Leading Through Service

    Service, a cornerstone of leadership, is voluntarily giving your time and using your skills and talents for the benefit of the community and beyond. Serving others as individuals or in groups raises empathy and compassion toward those in need or crisis and creates lifelong habits of volunteering and active citizenship.

    Topic Examples: defining types of service, serving the school or community, service learning, schoolwide service projects, charitable fundraising, counting and tracking service hours, identifying service resources

  4. Add People

    Every proposal must have only one (1) person who is designated as the primary presenter on the application. No more than two additional people may be included as co-presenters. Student proposals require the inclusion of both an adviser and a principal's name and information. The adviser and principal will be automatically notified when a student proposal is submitted. Workshop proposals submitted by advisers require the inclusion of their principal’s name and information. Principals receive automatic notification whenever an adviser’s proposal is submitted.

    The following information will be requested and is optional unless indicated as ‘Required’:

    • First Name — Required for everyone
    • Last Name — Required for everyone
    • Position/Job Title — Required for advisers and other adults
    • Grade Level — 6th through 12th, Adviser, or Other Adult; Required for everyone
    • Email Address — Required for everyone
    • School Type — Urban, Suburban, or Rural
    • Primary presenter home/cell phone number
    • Presentation Experience — list up to two other organizations you have presented for, and the years of these presentations; Required for presenters only
    • Speaker Bio — Shared in conference program
    • School/Organization name — Required for everyone
    • Street Address
    • City
    • State/Province
    • Country
    • Zip/Postal Code
    • How do you identify? — Check boxes- race/ethnicity/gender)
    • Personal Photo — A high resolution head shot photo (300 dpi), portrait (vertical) style in jpg or png format for presenters and co-presenters

  5. Upload Handouts

    Optional: You may upload up to two handouts as part of your workshop proposal.

  6. Confirmation

    The last step of workshop submission involves reviewing what you have entered and pressing "Confirm and Submit" to receive a confirmation email message.