Division 15 invites submissions for the annual APA convention, to be held August 7-9 in Denver. Division proposals are due no later than January 8, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
The Presidential Theme for Division 15 is Takin’ it to the Streets: The Power of Resistance and Collective Action. This theme concerns the frequent attacks on education and the limited response from education researchers and psychologists. Across the United States, and globally, there have been numerous attacks on education. Recently there have been calls to eliminate Critical Race Theory (CRT) and social-emotional learning (SEL) from schools. Many states have passed anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) legislation, defunding PK-12 and higher education DEI programs. Similarly, several states have passed anti-LGBTQ legislation in PK-12 school settings. In addition, there are constant critiques of K-12 and higher education classroom pedagogy and curricula. Schools and communities are even banning books! These attacks negatively impact students and teachers and will continue to harm our education system. We must resist the attacks on education and engage in collective action by leveraging our voices. Education researchers and psychologists should engage in research that counters and challenges policies and practices that can detrimentally impact schooling. In doing so, we should take it to the streets by widely sharing our research with the broader community to help create change.
Proposals may address any aspect of educational psychology. We welcome submissions that ask critical questions that are relevant to education and society as well as challenge traditional paradigms and methodologies. Potential topics include but are not limited to the impact of educational policies on marginalized communities, innovative DEI advocacy approaches, strategies for counteracting anti-educational legislation, social justice and community engagement training models, and the examination of the cultural-political context on pedagogy and curriculum development. Proposals that align with the division’s Presidential Theme are particularly encouraged. By engaging with these critical themes, we can leverage our collective voices to challenge detrimental policies and practices impacting education.
APA and Division 15 members and non-members are invited to submit their work for presentation in the Division 15 Program for the APA Convention.
Submissions may fall under the following formats:
- Individual Presentations: These submissions should reflect a single project, study, or paper with one or more authors. All individual presentations will be submitted as posters into the system. Once the conference platform is finalized, we will work to allocate accepted proposals into appropriate formats that are still to be determined (e.g., structured poster sessions, paper sessions). Student-led posters at both undergraduate and graduate levels are welcome.
- Symposia 2.0: (50 or 110 minutes): Symposia 2.0 are focused sessions in which multiple speakers present information related to a unifying topic that is viewed to be a significant common theme, issue, or question. The presentations generally include a review of data but may also include discussions of contrasting viewpoints or other innovative strategies for engaging the audience. The Symposia 2.0 session format should include an introduction to the topic by an expert, someone who can set context and offer background for why the session topic is important. This can be the chairperson. Speakers then give their presentations, which are followed by an exchange of ideas and discussion between the audience and speakers.
- Critical Conversations: (50 minutes) Proposals for critical conversations (formerly called Discussions) should include 1 or more brief presentations designed to provide the information needed for the audience to effectively participate in the discussion. The session should include a chair who will moderate the discussion and ensure that the bulk of the time is spent in conversation with the audience.
All proposals must be submitted through APA’s convention proposal portal. Details for proposals can be found here: https://convention.apa.org/proposals. We strongly encourage authors to refer to the updated (2023) APA Style Journal Article Reporting Standards when addressing race, ethnicity, and culture as they prepare their submissions.
Please note, the presenting authors listed will be contacted to review at least one proposal.
Those with questions about proposal formats or who have novel ideas about presentation formats should contact Division 15 Program Co-Chairs, Whitney N. McCoy ([email protected]) and Angela White ([email protected]).