It’s been several years since I attended an AASLH annual meeting due to the pandemic and conflicts with my teaching schedule, but I plan to be in Mobile, Alabama in September 2024 (I’m hoping to see the Clotilda–National Geographic called it the best museum that opened in 2023!). Professional conferences are one of the best ways to mentally stand above your daily work and compare what you’re doing with the rest of the field. You can compare experiences, solve problems, share solutions, and be inspired. Plus I can share meals with some of my colleagues (and meet new ones!).

I’ll not only be attending but hope to lead a session or two to support the good work happening at history organizations around the country. It’s a terrific way to work with others to address a hot topic, provide different perspectives on a common issue, and yes, shape the future of the field–so I hope you’ll join me in proposing a session to support your colleagues.

AASLH has moved beyond the traditional three-panelists-and-a-moderator format to include roundtable discussions, in-depth workshops, debates, and a series of quick presentations to allow more variety, so if you have an idea for an educational session, there’s probably an interesting way to present it. I’m having a hard time choosing!

Like most conferences, a committee reviews proposals to assemble the program. Because this is a national conference, they’re looking for sessions that address issues that are affecting history organizations nationally, offer a national perspective on a topic through a geographically diverse session, or relate to the conference theme. Avoid “show and tell” sessions about a program or event that’s unique to your organization and can’t be easily duplicated by others (plus they tend to be really boring self-congratulatory panels). Finally, the attendees want results to justify the time and money they’ve spent at the conference. What will they learn? It’s got to be more than “understand” and “appreciate”–that’s far too vague. By the end of the session, what will they specifically know, what will they be able to do, and how will they feel (e.g., more confident, less confused)?

AASLH is accepting proposals until December 20, 2023. Because proposals are prepared online, it may be difficult to know what information they are seeking, so I’ve attached a one-page summary of the core questions to answer.