Due Date: August 25, 2023
Parent to Parent USA’s 2023 Leadership Institute will be held virtually on October 10-12, 2023.
The Leadership Institute brings together Parent to Parent leaders, partners, and volunteers from all corners of the country. It serves as a powerful platform where we can unite, share best practices, and address the evolving needs of families who have loved ones with disabilities and special health care needs.
We are now accepting session proposals for the 2023 Leadership Institute! Please fill out the form in its entirety to be considered for selection.
The call for proposals has been extended to Friday, August 25, 2023.
Theme & Learning Objectives
Under the theme Opening Doors to a Better Future, we aim to explore innovative strategies and approaches that empower families to navigate challenges and embrace opportunities. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that no parent feels alone, ever.
We have carefully selected three topics that will guide our discussions:
- Open to New Opportunities: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Landscape – focusing on how organizations can adapt and open up new opportunities to succeed in the post-pandemic world. Objectives include:
- Describe emerging practices to grow and support Parent to Parent programs.
- Identify opportunities for collaboration.
- Discuss the latest research in Parent to Parent peer support.
- Open to All: Creating Inclusive Communities – emphasizing the importance of creating inclusive communities where everyone is welcome and can contribute their unique perspectives and talents. Objectives include:
- Discover new ways to expand the reach Parent to Parent programs.
- Describe methods to cultivate a diverse, sustainable workforce.
- Open to Sharing: Learning from Our Challenges and Successes – sharing our challenges and successes to inspire others and create a more supportive and collaborative community. Objectives include:
- Describe new skills that can be directly applied to enhance the Parent to Parent workforce.
- Ignite enthusiasm and encourage individuals to push their boundaries.
Who Attends the Leadership Institute?
Parent to Parent USA’s Leadership Institute is the only professional conference specifically tailored to address the challenges of running a Parent to Parent program. More than 170 Parent to Parent staff attended the 2021 Leadership Institute virtually from 49 member organizations in 39 states in the United States.
NEW! Support Parent Summit
With this exciting addition, we will celebrate and elevate volunteers from around the country who have gone above and beyond in supporting their peers. It will be a remarkable opportunity to honor these exceptional individuals, learn from their invaluable experiences, and offer targeted workshops on topics such as active listening, fostering resilience and belonging, self-care, etc.
NEW! Open Day
For one day of this year’s conference, we will be opening our doors to professionals and advocates in the broader field of human services. This special day will provide them with a unique glimpse into the world of Parent to Parent and allow our members to learn from their work with families and communities. Our intention is to foster collaboration and idea-sharing with a specific focus on trauma-informed care, supporting intersectionality, and nurturing a sense of belonging.
Who Should Submit a Proposal?
Parent to Parent USA invites all member organizations to submit a proposal. We particularly encourage joint proposals and multi-state collaboration.
We also invite those with lived experiences and partners outside our traditional membership to contribute their perspectives for the benefit of all families who have loved ones with disabilities and special health care needs.
Feel free to forward this call for proposals to your colleagues and partners. Thank you for helping us spread the word!
Submission Types
You will select one type per submission.
| Session Type | Description | Audience |
| Presentation | A 40-minute live presentation that may or may not be accompanied by slides. Presentations are great opportunities to share current work, lessons learned, or research you and your team have recently completed. Each presentation will be followed by 10 minutes of Q&A. | All |
| Lightning Talk | A lightning talk is a 5-minute live presentation accompanied by slides. Lightning talks are great opportunities to celebrate a success, share a new idea you have, or get feedback on early work. You may also use a lightning talk to introduce your organization. Successful lightning talks usually consist of 1-3 key ideas and/or takeaways and feature slides with images rather than text. | P2P USA Member Organization Staff |
| P2P Coordinator Roundtable | This is an opportunity for P2P Coordinators to tap into the expertise of peers across the country. Coordinators whose submissions are accepted will deliver a 5-minute talk about a topic they would like to explore in greater depth, including any questions for which they are seeking guidance. Each presentation will be followed by a moderated discussion with others engaged in similar or complementary efforts to share relevant considerations, resources, or connections. You may propose to be one of the presenters or the moderator. | P2P USA Member Organization Staff |
| Support Parent Workshop | A 30-minute skill-building session specifically tailored to seasoned Support Parents. | Volunteer Support Parents |
| Self-Care Moment | Self-care moments are 10-minute wellness break that may include yoga, guided meditation, DJ dance session, mindfulness activities, etc. | All |
Guidelines for Submission
Interactivity
Camaraderie is the number one reason for attending the Leadership Institute. Attendee insights and experiences will contribute to the rich tapestry of knowledge and connections that make this event truly special. Our members appreciate creative session design, and we encourage you to design sessions that are as interactive as possible. Strategies may include: breakout rooms, live polls and quizzes, whiteboards, inviting attendees to join on-screen, etc.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Parent to Parent USA is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all volunteers, partners including, but not limited to, P2P USA Alliance Members, P2P USA Partners, and Friends of P2P USA, staff, contractors, and Board members, where everyone is welcomed and respected.
We are leveraging opportunities like the Leadership Institute to live up to our commitment. We will prioritize submissions that are intentionally inclusive of different lived and professional experiences, races, ethnicities, ages, genders, disabilities, economic statuses, and other backgrounds. We reserve the right to add panelists to a session to ensure inclusivity and representation.
Accessibility Requirements
We will require presenters and facilitators to share materials (slides, handouts, etc.) prior to the conference dates. Please note that all presentations in English will have live captions by default.
If you plan to submit a proposal for a session delivered in Spanish, please have all materials in Spanish.
Submission Process
We are now accepting session proposals for the 2023 Leadership Institute! Please fill out the form in its entirety and submit by Friday, August 25, 2023 to be considered for selection.
All proposals will be reviewed by the 2023 Leadership Institute Planning Committee. Results will be shared in September.
Please note: if we receive more proposals than we can accommodate during the Leadership Institute, we will create a waiting list and notify presenters if/when spots become available to present at our monthly Coffee Talks.
Questions?
Please contact us at li@p2pusa.org.