CESBA Conference 2026: Call for Presenters

April 7, 2026

CESBA invites you to share your expertise!

CESBA is excited to announce the Call for Presenters for the CESBA Conference 2026. 

Our conference takes place over two days. The first day is “Sector Day”, which is for CESBA members and other stakeholders to focus on the key priorities of their sector. The second day is “Workshop Day”, a day that draws a diverse audience of educators and administrators, adjacent organizations, and anyone with an active interest in adult and continuing education (A&CE).  Proposals submitted through the form linked below will be considered for Workshop Day, December 3, 2026. 

Theme & Streams

This year’s theme is Learning that Lifts | L’apprentissage qui élève 
Adult and Continuing Education (A&CE) lifts individuals, families and communities!

We have six streams this year to support this theme and offer relevant topics for our membership:

  1. Models for small and medium boards, and rural or mixed rural/urban boards
  2. Cross-sector collaboration (e.g. ESL to Get SET pathway or adult credit and apprenticeships)
  3. Summer school
  4. International and Indigenous Languages Elementary (IILE)
  5. Registers & Funding
  6. Explore!—Anything that’s broadly relevant, such as AI, mental health and wellness or equity and inclusion. Topics can range widely as long as they further the support and development of A&CE administrators and professionals in Ontario.

Submission Guidelines 

We are seeking proposals from CESBA members, organizations that work in or support A&CE in Ontario, and thought and practice leaders in A&CE. 

A successful workshop proposal need not come from an “expert”—a passionate professional with an experience or a learning to share is equally welcome.  

Workshops should be relevant to A&CE and include tangible learning take-aways that participants can apply to their work after their conference. This could include new practices, new tools, new resources and more.

Each proposal should include: 

  1. a title (please keep it short and interesting!) 
  1. a concise and accurate description of your workshop that may be used for promotion on the conference website (maximum 75 words)
  1. a description of the learning objectives, audience, presentation format, any activities planned for the presentation, and other relevant details for the selection committee (maximum 250 words)
  2. Notice to conference organizers about whether something unique is required to support workshop activities (i.e. access to nearby sinks for clean up after a hands on activity).
  3. a headshot of the presenter(s) (maximum of 2 presenters) 
  4. a biography of the presenter(s) (maximum 75 words) 
  5. at least 3 learning outcomes for participants in the proposed workshop 
  6. the A&CE sectors/audiences your workshop applies to: i.e. , Credit, ESL/FSL, Get SET, International & Indigenous Language Education, Summer School, Employment, Personal Support Worker Training, Principals, Superintendents/Directors, Teachers, Program Leaders, New to A&CE 

Please note:

  • Submissions must include acceptance of the conditions (below). 
  • The deadline for proposal submissions is 11:59 pm on June 19, 2026. 

Speaker Terms & Conditions 

  1. CESBA and its members appreciate the contribution that presenters make in sharing their professional knowledge and expertise to strengthen the A&CE sector. To acknowledge these contributions, presenters will be provided with a ticket to attend Workshop Day free of charge.  If your submission is accepted, you will be manually registered by CESBA and are not required to self-register for the conference.  CESBA does not provide payment for workshop presentations.
  2. Workshops may feature up to two presenters, and CESBA’s selection committee will select a balanced mix of both single- and dual-presenter sessions.
  3. Presentations should not promote specific products or services. 
  4. Session Preparation Call: Successful applicants must make themselves available for a session preparation call to be scheduled in the fall. This call will provide an opportunity to discuss logistics and session format, as well as allow presenters to ask questions.  
  5. Presentation Format: Workshop sessions will be 60 minutes long and should include time for Q&A to engage participants. 
  6. PowerPoint Template: CESBA will provide successful applicants with a PowerPoint (PPT) template for their presentations. Presenters are encouraged to use this template for consistency across sessions. 
  7. Confirmation of Participation: Accepted presenters must confirm their participation in the conference by Friday, September 4, 2026. Failure to confirm participation by the deadline may result in the re-evaluation of your proposal. 
  8. Presentation Submission: Presenters must submit their final presentations to CESBA in advance of the conference. This ensures that presentations are properly formatted and ready for presentation, including the addition of a post-event QR code for the conference survey.  
  9. Travel and Accommodation: Presenters are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements. CESBA will not cover travel expenses or provide accommodation for presenters. 
  10. Audiovisual Equipment: CESBA will provide standard audiovisual equipment for presentations, including a laptop pre-loaded with presentations, screen, microphone and AV support staff available. Special AV requests will be considered, but not guaranteed. 
  11. Copyright and Permissions: Presenters are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions for copyrighted materials included in their presentations. By submitting a proposal, you affirm that you have the necessary rights to use all materials included in your presentation. 
  12. Code of Conduct: Presenters are expected to adhere to the CESBA Conference Code of Conduct, which promotes a respectful and inclusive environment for all participants. 

What happens after I submit a workshop proposal? 

Proposals will be reviewed by the Conference Program Committee for:  

  • Relevance to professional development needs of the sector and CESBA Members  
  • Clarity of content and learning objectives  
  • Diversity of perspectives and presenters  
  • Practical and relevant examples and how to apply learnings to A&CE settings in Ontario. 

CESBA reserves the right to make suggestions to improve proposals, which could include expanding your topic to include other examples, or merging your session with one that is similar. This would be proposed to provide the best overall program for conference attendees.

Successful Applicants 

Successful applicants will be notified of acceptance by July 24th, 2026. 

Accepted presenters must confirm their participation by September 4, 2026 . 

Important Dates 

  • Proposal Submission Deadline: June 19, 2026 
  • Notification of Acceptance: July 24, 2026
  • Participation Confirmation: September 4, 2026 
  • Workshop Conference Date: December 3, 2026
  • Conference Location: The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, Ontario 

For inquiries or further information, please contact Erinn Graham-Barter at egraham-barter@cesba.com. CESBA is excited to announce the Call for Presenters for the CESBA Conference 2026.