The National AfterSchool Association (NAA) invites afterschool and youth development professionals, thought leaders, and innovators to submit proposals for engaging, practical, and inspiring sessions for NAA26.
Theme: This year’s theme, Dream. Dare. Do., calls on out-of-school time professionals, advocates, and leaders to imagine bold futures, take courageous steps forward, and act with purpose and power. At a time when our field faces serious and sustained challenges, especially around federal funding, NAA26 is more than just a professional development event. It will be a place to reconnect with your mission, gather strength from your peers, and return home reenergized and ready to lead.
Audience: NAA26 participants will include 1,500+ afterschool and youth development professionals at all levels, from direct-service staff to system leaders.
Presenter Profile: We seek both experienced and new presenters to provide diverse and engaging learning experiences. A successful presenter will be able to offer valuable and actionable professional development to elevate the field and build the capacity of the professionals participating in the convention. A good presenter will center and engage participants. Presenters will need to be able to give participants knowledge, tools, resources, and strategies.
Key Dates
- The submission portal will open on Monday, September 8.
- The submission deadline is Monday, October 20, at midnight ET.
- Presenter Prep Webinar will be held on October 1 at 2 pm ET. Register here.
Registration Fees
- Everyone listed as a presenter or co-presenter on a proposal–whether accepted or not–will be eligible for the lowest public registration rate of $595 until the early cut-off date of December 15, 2025.
- Our presenters' team will provide registration information to accepted presenters by November 14, 2025, so that people can register by the deadline for discount pricing - December 15, 2025.
- For Accepted Presenters: All lead presenters receive a discounted registration price of $380, and co-presenters are eligible for a discounted price of $595 until December 15, 2025. After December 15, the rate will increase to the published rate.
Session Types
WORKSHOP (60 minutes) | COMMUNITY CONVERSATION (60 Minutes) | SPARK (30 Minutes) |
| Interactive sessions with activities that involve participants. | A unique session type allowing participants to spend time in small or large group conversations about a specific critical topic. Skilled facilitators introduce the topic and set the stage for discussion rather than sharing. | Quick informational presentations with key takeaways. |
LEADERSHIP INTENSIVE (2 Hours) | STORY SHOWCASE (7 Minutes or Less) |
Leadership Intensives are deep dive experiences for current and emerging leaders with content focused on (must select one of the following):
| Our version of TED talks featuring NAA community members! During a general session, speakers perform a 7-minute talk with a clear takeaway related to the NAA26 theme - dare, dream, do! Explain a unique personal story that exemplifies the theme and offers the audience related advice and tips. |
All Convention content is selected to align with the Convention theme and NAA’s Core Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies (CKSCs) for OST Professionals. Please review this document prior to beginning the submission process to determine where your session aligns.
Before you begin your submission, we highly recommend reviewing the How to Submit a Proposal document, the NAA26 Session Rubric, and our NAA26 CFP FAQs , which includes a successful proposal example.
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