Call for Session Proposals

The Future of History: Looking Past the Pandemic Toward New Ways of Working

Deadline: April 1, 2022, 11:59 p.m.

Submit a proposal

From “the land of steady habits” to “Yankee ingenuity,” Connecticut’s museums straddle the divide between honoring history and tradition while also diving headfirst into experimental and informative innovation. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our state’s museums and history organizations in profound ways. For our first in-person conference in two years, we want to take this moment to step back, reflect, acknowledge the devastation of the pandemic, and demonstrate how it prompted us in the museum community to try new approaches, embrace fresh ideas, and seek out new voices and diverse points of view for the benefit of our communities.

How have you or your organization changed during the era of COVID? What new directions are you pursuing as you contemplate what’s next? What are you excited about and what challenges to do you see ahead?

Be a part of CLHO’s Annual Conference by sharing your stories, successes, setbacks, survival strategies, and new ways of working in the history and museum field. The Annual Conference Committee welcomes case studies and experiences from the time of the pandemic, both great achievements as well as important lessons learned. From virtual tours and field trips to best practices that foster increased diversity, equity, access, and inclusion, CLHO seeks sessions that will educate, engage, and inspire.

We invite presentations that address some of the following areas impacted by the pandemic: stewardship of collections and exhibitions, maintaining volunteers, working with interns, the new struggle of fundraising, fostering membership, balancing public health and staff needs, hosting virtual vs. in-person programming, reopening strategies, and DEAI initiatives.

CLHO welcomes session proposals that feature panel discussions, roundtables, workshops, moderated discussions, performances, and other kinds of presentations. Be creative. Successful sessions offer practical examples of projects and efforts that tackle museum challenges, as well as provide takeaways that participants can bring back to their own communities.

Most sessions are 50 minutes. To ensure time for questions and discussion, we recommend no more than three presentations per session. We accept proposals for complete sessions (preferred) or for single presentations that the committee may combine into a session.

To submit a session proposal, please complete the online form.  You will need:

• The name and contact information for your session coordinator
• Your session's title
• A brief abstract of your session (50 words or less) for the conference program
• Name, title, affiliation (if applicable), and a brief bio for each presenter
• Your session's format (panel, roundtable, workshop, etc.)
• The level for which your session is intended (introductory, intermediate, advanced)
• A description (250 words or less) of your session, identifying its main objectives, how you will be addressing them, its relation to the conference theme, and its intended audience

You may submit a session proposal as an individual, as part of an organization, or as a student. You do not have to be a CLHO member to participate in the conference. We welcome submissions from non-history museums as well as grassroots history and community organizations.

Do you have a session idea that doesn’t seem to fit with this call for proposals? Send it in anyway. We are open to all good ideas.

Questions?  Please contact Amrys Williams, Executive Director, at director@clho.org.

To submit your proposal, fill out the online form. Proposals are due by Friday, April 1, 2022.

Download a PDF of the call for proposals.