The RFP is Now Closed – If you submitted a session, you will be notified by Mid-August whether your session was accepted. 

We want exciting and engaging session proposals for the 2021 NESAWG conference and yours may be one of them! The conference this year will take place online during the week of Monday, November 8th to Saturday, November 13th with select pre-conferences happening in Providence, RI.

We look for sessions that tackle systemic issues with engaging activities and presentations that prioritize the leadership and voices of those most impacted by the issue discussed. We are also looking for sessions that connect to our 2021 Conference Theme Resistance and Healing Amidst Crisis and Injustice, though not all sessions need to reflect the theme. Priority will be given to sessions presented by traditionally underrepresented groups (people under 25, people of color, immigrants, women, low and moderate income people, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people) which directly address some aspect of inequity in the food system. You will be asked to indicate this representation in the form.

2021 Conference Tracks

• Racial and Immigrant Justice in the Food System: Stories, presentations, and trainings related to racial injustice and immigration in the food system
• Farm and Food Policy Advocacy: Hear from policy advocates from all corners of the food system
• Urban and Rural Sustainable Agriculture: Urban growers and gardeners, rural farmers, and ag researchers and educators are all presenting under this track.
• Farm to Fork Supply Chains: Production, distribution, processing, preparation – everything that brings food from seed to plate.
• Youth Leaders (13-18): Teenagers from around the Northeast sharing stories, skills, and community. 
• *Mini Track* Language Justice in the Food System: Stories, presentations, and trainings related to language justice, and equity and accessibility
   

GENERAL INFORMATION

Please carefully read all the information below before submitting your session or pre-conference proposal. If you have any questions, contact Malaika at [email protected]

• Session blocks will be 75 minutes long. Pre-conferences are half day or full day
• You may submit as many proposals as you want.
• The Request for Proposals will close June 30th, 2021 at midnight. Proposals will be reviewed and approved by the NESAWG Conference Planning Committee and submitters will be notified by email by mid to late July.
• The submitter is responsible for confirming all presenters and communicating details and logistics to them.
• Presenters must register for and attend at least one day of the conference.
• Presenters in sessions selected for inclusion agree to help with publicity. Sample announcements for various media (such as Facebook and Twitter posts) will be available.
• Please do not submit proposals that include presenters who have not expressed either a commitment or interest in presenting.
• You will be able to edit your submission after you submit it, and up until the deadline. Please email Hoshea at [email protected] to get the direct link to edit your submission.

In general, we prioritize sessions that:

• Are appropriate and of interest for those actively engaged in creating a just and sustainable food system beyond personal lifestyle choices, including but not limited to youth activists, policy advocates, researchers, farmer service providers, government agency staff, NGOs, health care practitioners, nutritionists, students, farmers, farmworkers, community activists, social entrepreneurs, distributors, processors, food service providers, cooperative extension, etc.
• Feature presenters from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences, particularly those who have been excluded from or underrepresented in the local/sustainable food movement
• Are interactive, participatory, and allow significant time for discussion and other engagement among attendees; draw from the collective knowledge and wisdom of session attendees to advance thinking on the topic
• Consider equity issues in food systems work
• Create energetic welcoming spaces where attendees feel safe and comfortable to ask questions, interact, engage and avoid the excessive use of academic jargon or acronyms.

We typically DO NOT include sessions that:

• Promote new products, books, speaking tours, businesses, etc.
• Are meant to educate individuals about personal lifestyle choices, such as dietary changes.
• Feature lecture style presentations of just one presenter with little to no engagement with the participants

NESAWG provides

Discount registration to the main conference (not including pre-conferences) for up to four presenters.

Pre-conference presenters will receive complimentary registrations to their pre-conference and discounted registrations to the main conference. 

Presenters can apply for a scholarship for additional assistance based on financial need (note that we prioritize youth, people of color, students, low-income people, and farmers in our scholarship fund). We strongly encourage presenters to register and attend at least one day of the conference. . 

To learn about the kinds of sessions featured at NESAWG Conferences, read session descriptions from our 2019 conference. Please email Malaika at [email protected] if you have any questions that cannot be answered with the above information.