NCHE 2016 Call for Conference Session Proposals: Crossing Borders

A Call for Conference Session Proposals by the National Council for History Education has been announced. 

This is in anticipation of the NCHE's 2016 annual conference scheduled to be held in Niagara Falls, New York, April 21-23, 2016. 

All proposals must be received by 5:00 pm on October 19, 2015. Late submissions WILL NOT be accepted.

The 2016 theme is Crossing Borders:

Since the beginning of recorded time the act of crossing borders has often proved historically significant. From the development of ancient civilizations and the expansion of empires through adventures in space travel and the recent international focus on various issues relating to immigration, the concept of crossing borders has had a wide range of implications for individuals and groups around the globe.

Borders are crossed every day by immigrants, refugees, tourists, and businessmen, but the act of crossing borders goes far beyond physically traveling from one country to another. In his 1966 commencement address at South Africa’s University of Capetown, Robert F. Kennedy noted that borders exist not only between nations, but also within them, and that they are not only political, but social and economic as well: “...we must first, all of us, demolish the borders which history has erected between men within our own nations – barriers of race and religion, social class and ignorance.”

Straddling the border between the United States and Canada, Niagara Falls not only presents a majestic view to visitors, it also offers a fitting venue for examining the many reasons and ways that borders of all kinds have been crossed throughout history. A major station on the Underground Railroad that assisted slaves in escaping to Canada, the border at Niagara Falls was also crossed by bootleggers smuggling alcohol into the United States during Prohibition.

The National Council for History Education welcomes proposals for presentations and poster sessions on the theme “Crossing Borders” for the 2016 National Conference. We encourage interested parties to consider how various types of borders, regardless the intellectual discipline, have shaped how we look at the past, navigate the present and prepare for the future.

Proposals and poster sessions will be primarily evaluated on their intellectual content. Ultimately, our goal is to provide information that stimulates and provokes discussion and audience engagement with best practices that promote historical inquiry and effective instructional practices.

We invite proposals for sessions in three different formats: Breakout Sessions, Poster Sessions and Mini Sessions.

Breakout sessions are typically interactive “how to” sessions designed for the K-12 educator. The teacher workshops are 50 minutes in length. A maximum of 4 presenters is recommended plus a facilitator.

Poster Session:
Poster Session topics range from teaching ideas to research reports. Each poster presenter or small group
displays their poster on a table simultaneously in a 60 minute session and interacts with interested attendees. Presenters are expected to remain with their posters to engage in discussion with the audience. Each poster
session period may include 8-15 posters.

Mini Sessions:
Mini Sessions provide individuals with 15 minutes to present their information and answer questions. Mini Session topics range from teaching ideas to research reports. Mini Sessions are grouped by topics in a 50 minute session. Each mini session typically includes 3 regular presentations by different presenters.

Breakout sessions:

The National Council for History Education invites proposal submissions for the 2016 program. Submission guidelines are found below. 

Please visit www.nche.net/conference for complete details. All proposals must be submitted ELECTRONICALLY at www.nche.net/conference.

All proposals must be received by 5:00 pm on October 19, 2015. Late submissions WILL NOT be accepted.

Criteria for Program Selection
The Conference Committee will look at the following:

Does the proposal exhibit historical accuracy and show appropriate historical inquiry? wDoes the proposal offer audience interaction and engagement?

Does the proposal offer a meaningful contribution to the teaching of history?

Proposals promoting commercial products will not be accepted. If you are representing a commercial entity, your presentation must be educational in nature. Persons wishing to advertise or promote a particular product should
contact the NCHE Conference Coordinator, (240) 696-6612.

Important Notes
wLCD Projectors, Screens and a WiFi Connection will be provided in each session room. wAll accepted presenters and facilitators must pre-register for the conference.

All submissions will be notified of acceptance or rejection via email by December 18, 2015.

All proposals must be submitted on-line at www.nche.net and include a 50-100 word session description suitable for printing in the Final Conference Program. Please see the session submission details above for more information. 

All submissions will be notified of acceptance or rejection via email by: December 18, 2015