2026 Annual Conference Call for Proposals

The Ohio Council for the Social Studies is now accepting proposals for the 2026 Annual Conference. We are excited to welcome you to the Columbus area to immerse yourself in our conference theme "250 and Beyond: Shaping Ohio’s Classroom for the Future"

The 70th Annual OCSS Conference will take place on October 12 & 13, 2026, at the Ohioan Hotel and Event Center just north of downtown Columbus.

250 and Beyond: Shaping Ohio’s Classroom for the Future invites us to look back at the ideals and arguments of 1776—while also asking what social studies must do next. This conference focuses on preparing students for the next chapter of democracy through inquiry, evidence-based reasoning, inclusive storytelling, and meaningful civic learning. We welcome proposals that move beyond commemoration to classroom practice: lessons, routines, assessments, and learning experiences that help students understand the past, navigate the present, and shape Ohio’s civic future.

The conference program team will organize accepted sessions into theme-based groupings after proposals are reviewed, based on the topics and grade bands you select. This approach lets the conference reflect what Ohio educators most want right now, and helps us build a schedule that is coherent, balanced, and responsive.

Based on feedback from last year’s conference survey, we are especially interested in proposals that provide practical, classroom-ready takeaways in the following priority areas. To support the theme, we are prioritizing proposals that help educators build future-facing civic competence while deepening students’ understanding of the nation’s founding ideals, ongoing struggles, and possibilities ahead.

• Instructional strategies

We are especially interested in classroom-ready strategies that help students practice the skills needed for the “next 250”: inquiry, discussion and deliberation, argumentation with evidence, and thoughtful civic reasoning. Sessions should offer adaptable routines teachers can use immediately across topics and grade levels.

• Content-rich social studies
  We welcome content-rich sessions that use compelling history, civics, geography, and economics to explore the ideals and tensions connected to 1776, and the long story that follows. Proposals that elevate Ohio perspectives, under-told stories, and multiple viewpoints are encouraged, especially when paired with strong student tasks and assessments.
  
• Technology & AI in social studies
  We are seeking sessions that show how technology and AI can strengthen (not replace!) deep thinking: analyzing sources, evaluating claims, building arguments, creating public-facing products, and improving access for diverse learners. Proposals should include practical workflows and address responsible, ethical use.
  
• Standards-based planning
  We welcome sessions that help educators translate standards into coherent, future-ready learning: clear objectives, aligned assessments, and meaningful tasks that build civic knowledge and skills over time. Practical planning tools (templates, exemplars, assessment ideas) are strongly encouraged.
  
• Research and evidence-informed practice
  We encourage proposals that share evidence-informed approaches that improve instruction and learning—whether through published research, action research, classroom data, or program evaluation. Strong sessions connect findings to concrete practices teachers can use to help students think historically, reason civically, and engage responsibly.

These priorities will guide our review, but we welcome high-quality proposals across all social studies topics and grade bands. Even if your session doesn’t fit neatly within a priority area, we encourage you to submit—especially if it offers practical takeaways for Ohio classrooms.

Stretch your session to the next grade band

To help more attendees benefit from your work, we are asking presenters to build in one “stretch” adaptation:

In your proposal, please describe how your session could be adapted for the next grade band.
Examples:

• If your target audience is Elementary, explain one adaptation for Middle Level
• If your target audience is Middle Level, explain one adaptation for High School
• If your target audience is High School, explain one adaptation for Middle Level or Higher Ed/Teacher Prep

This can be brief—but it should be specific (e.g., “swap sources for Lexile/complexity,” “adjust the product from paragraph → CER → DBQ,” “shift from teacher-guided inquiry → student-driven inquiry,” “add/replace standards-aligned assessment options”).

We are offering three different types of sessions this year:

• A 50-minute traditional session, which is what most of the program should consist of
• A 30-minute Lightening Session. These 6 sessions allow presenters  to present and share a topic, resource, or tool
• New this year: A 25 minute roundtable session! Roundtable Discussion Sessions are highly interactive, facilitator-led conversations focused on sharing practices, problems of practice, and resources. Roundtables prioritize participant voice and peer learning, and should include a clear discussion structure so everyone can contribute. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend 2 different roundtables during this session in the ballroom!

Proposals must all include the following:

1. Session title

1. Limited to 10 words or less. This should be descriptive of the session, yet engaging and inviting

2. Primary focus (choose 1)

1. Assessment
2. Economics/Financial Literacy
3. Civics/Government
4. Geography
5. Cross-Disciplinary
6. Global Studies
7. Disciplinary Literacy
8. Law/Law-Related Education
9. Media Literacy
10. Psychology
11. Teacher preparation/Preservice teachers
12. Technology
13. U.S. History
14. World History

3. Who is your target audience?

1. Preservice Teachers
2. Early Childhood/Elementary
3. Middle Level/Junior High
4. Secondary/High School
5. PreK–12
6. Higher Education

4. Abstract

1. In 100 words or less, the abstract should be directed toward attendees and what they will learn by attending this session. Please start with an active verb such as explore, discover, receive—and avoid beginning with “This presentation will...” This is what will get published in the conference program, so it is important that it accurately reflects what your session will cover!

5. Session objectives

1. Clearly state your goals for this session.
2. What do you hope to accomplish?
3. Be sure to start objectives with verbs.

6. Content and/or skills

1. Describe in detail what participants will learn by attending this session.
2. What new skills, teaching methods, content, lesson ideas, or applications of technology will they come away with?

7. Connection to Conference Theme

1. In what ways does this connect to the conference theme?

8. Grade-Level Stretch:

1. In 2–4 sentences, explain how you would adapt this session for the next grade band beyond your primary audience (Elementary → Middle, Middle → High, High → Middle or Higher Ed). What would you change in the sources, tasks/products, scaffolds, and/or assessment to make it a good fit?

9. Participant Experience

1. What will participants do during your session, and what will they leave with?
2. Briefly outline the presentation, the learning experience (e.g., model lesson, hands-on design time, primary-source analysis, discussion protocols, tech/AI workflow, mini-research share), and list 1–3 concrete takeaways participants will take back to their classrooms.

10. Why You?

1. Explain why you (and other presenters) are the best individuals to present this session.
2. What background/experiences/passions do you have that you want to share with others? Has this lesson, idea, tool, etc. been tried in a classroom? Please elaborate.

All proposals should be submitted through this form no later than 11:59 pm EST on March 15, 2026.