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Application to present

Application to present has closed!

The Early Childhood Australia National Conference provides a platform for professional discourse relevant to the rights, wellbeing and early education of young children (birth to eight years). It is attended by early childhood educators, teachers, service leaders and executives, as well as policy-makers, program administrators, academics, researchers and those involved in pre-qualification training and ongoing professional development. The conference is live streamed and in 2022 attracted over 2000 national and international participants.

To have the opportunity to join these esteemed sector colleagues and present your chosen topic, simply submit your abstract online (which must be no more than 300 words and be accompanied with a 50 word biography for each presenting author & author affiliations).

Download a copy of the application to present

Key dates

Submission and post-selection schedule Deadline
Closing date for submission of your application to present

25 January 2023
Extended to 1 February 2023
Review of all applications by ECA Conference Program Committee 30 January 2023 to 24 February 2023
Outcome notification to applicants 20 March 2023
Draft program published on conference website 10 April 2023
Prerecording of presentations June 2023 to August 2023
Closing date for successful applicants to register 30 June 2023
Submission of the final PowerPoint presentation 8 September 2023

Essential information

The theme title reinforces that although we still hold on to and value old ways, theoretical perspectives and knowledge, there is and can be a contemporary approach to implementing this into new wisdom and becoming one.

Kumarninthi means ‘becoming one’ and comes from the South Australian Kaurna people. By using the Kaurna language in our conference theme we pay our respect to the Kaurna heritage and people of Adelaide and the Adelaide Plains.

Applicants to present should identify which of the five conference themes their paper contributes to most directly:

Children’s multilingual lives

Language is something we do as we co-construct, symbolise and communicate the ideas and sentiments we consider important, including moral and social.

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Ecological identity and sustainability

Growing children’s understanding of their natural world and their role within that world is an increasing priority within early childhood services.

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Deep listening and two-way learning

Australia’s First Nations people invite us to be still, to listen deeply, and to learn their ways—their connection to country, their language and knowledge.

Learn More

Moving forward; standing strong

At the Hobart 2019 Conference Rachel Robertson said that leadership is not a position or a role but rather seeing that something needs to be done and doing it.

Learn More

Diversity, inclusion and the rights of all children

How can we learn from the various lived experiences of children to ensure we facilitate a space that safeguards the rights for all to learn, develop and grow?

Learn More

Applicants must submit an abstract of 300 words and will be asked to identify the target audience for their presentation, i.e. who is most likely to benefit. For example, presentations might target one or more groups or individuals, including but not limited to:

  • educators and teachers working with infants and children under three years
  • educators and teachers delivering preschool programs to children between three and five years
  • educational or pedagogical leaders in early childhood services and schools
  • family support workers or parent educators
  • service or school leaders and executives with managerial responsibilities
  • providers of pre-qualification training and/or ongoing professional development
  • those involved in quality improvement or regulation/assessment
  • researchers, academics and thought leaders
  • policy-makers and program administrators within government agencies.

The application process will ask about the experience of the presenter(s) and whether the content has been presented elsewhere. This information will help ECA balance the program with a mix of new and known material. It will also help us to meet our aim of delivering consistent, high-quality presentations and give new or inexperienced presenters an opportunity to gain experience.

Applicants will also need to list the position and affiliation/organisation of each author, and provide a 50-word biography for each presenting author.

Apply now

 

Presentation type

There are two presentation categories for the conference. In your application, please specify which presentation format you are applying under.

1.  Oral presentation

Oral presentations are allocated 45 minutes, including time for attendees to ask questions or engage in a discussion with the presenter(s). ECA encourages presenters to deliver their presentation in an interactive way. There will be a 10-minute room change opportunity between sessions. Presenters may be asked to present twice during the conference if their session proves to be very popular.

Please note: For all presentations, the room configuration will be in a theatre style setting. Please ensure your submission reflects the room setting, as changes to the configuration and setup of the room are not possible throughout the conference.

All successful presenters will be required to create a prerecording of their presentation to be used on the virtual platform. The recording will be made available to delegates for up to 60 days post conference. Recorded presentations remain the property of ECA for the purposes of the ECA National Conference only.  

Presenters will be asked to allocate time and pre-record their presentation between the months of June through to August 2023.

Audio–visual requirements

Presentations must be in PowerPoint format. The full and final electronic presentation will need to be submitted by Friday 8 September 2023 to ensure compatibility with the system available at the venue.

At the venue, presenters will have access to facilities such as data projectors, computers, screens and the internet. The conference will be networked, which means that presentations will be loaded from the Speaker Preparation Centre.

2.  Poster presentation

All poster presentations must follow a standard format and adhere to the following dimension and layout criteria:

  • The maximum size allowed for posters is 1.2 metres (h) x 1.0 metre (w).
  • The title and author names must be clearly indicated at the top of the poster. Large letters are to be used for the title (equivalent to 80-point font size or larger).
  • All text on the poster is to be legible from a distance of one metre. It is suggested that headings be a minimum of 30-point font size and body text be a minimum of 24-point font size.
  • Posters are to be either printed on poster paper or assembled on light cardboard.
  • Use of columns is recommended, as material arranged in columns is easier to read than material arranged in rows.
  • Presenters are encouraged to include visual aids in their posters, e.g. images, flow charts, graphic representations of data.

A designated 15-minute time slot will be determined during the conference for successful applicants to present their posters.

If successful, poster presenters will be asked to record a short video presentation to talk about their poster for viewing via the conference virtual platform. The recording will be made available to delegates for up to 60 days after the conference. Recorded presentations remain the property of ECA, for the purposes of the ECA National Conference only. 

Download Poster Template

Presenter registration

All presenters must register for the day on which they will be presenting at the conference. Presenters will receive the ECA member rate for full conference registration. A maximum of three (3) presenters per paper will be allowed to register and participate at the member rate. If registration confirmation and payment are not received by Friday 30 June 2023, abstracts will be withdrawn from the conference program.

 

Selection Criteria

Key focus

Applications must focus on:

  • relevance to at least one of the conference themes
  • examples of emerging or exemplar practice that enhance children’s experiences and/or the sector
  • university research, action research or extension of existing thinking
  • relevance to the target audience, understanding that delegates attending the session may come from across Australia and overseas.

Required inclusions

Applicants must ensure that their papers:

  • specify the aims of the project or research questions and/or focus of inquiry, where applicable
  • outline research methods and/or analytical and/or theoretical framework in brief
  • have a strong emphasis on findings and/or translation to practice and contribution to the professional practice of the target audience.

Publication of papers

All selected abstracts will be published on the 2023 ECA Conference App. Presentations will be published on the website alone, after the conference has concluded. Presentations will not be edited and will be converted directly to PDF files from their submitted format.

Some presentations and papers may also be selected by the ECA Publications Advisory Committee for inclusion in other ECA publications. The ECA Publications team will approach presenters independently regarding potential publication. This may involve presenters summarising their paper or presentation for magazine format. Further instructions will be provided by the ECA Publications team, as required.

Review process

All applications to present will be reviewed by a panel that includes members of the ECA Conference Program Committee. Members of the ECA Conference Program Committee will:

  • know the identities of the applicants
  • assess the applications to ensure the quality and relevance of the presentations
  • assess the applications in accordance with the ECA selection criteria.

Wherever possible, feedback will be given to unsuccessful applicants depending on the number of applications received.

Conference live stream

The 2023 ECA National Conference will be live streamed to delegates who purchase a Virtual Delegate Pass. Selected papers will be asked to participate in the live stream. Presenters will be filmed and their presentation will be shown to the audience.

Following the conference, presentations will be made available for viewing in the library of presentations for a period of 60 days after the conference.

Sustainability

In keeping with ECA’s sustainability drive, all abstracts must be submitted online using the following link: https://eca.eventsair.com/g17—2023-adelaide-national-conference/applications

ECA seeks to minimise any negative environmental impact from the conference. We therefore encourage successful presenters to avoid the use of single-use plastics or unnecessary printed material—any handouts can be preloaded onto the conference app or USB.

Free of commercial interest

Applicants must confirm that their paper is free of commercial interest and declare if they are a commercial enterprise. Any paper that is selling or promoting a particular product or commercial service will not be accepted.

Terms and conditions

Successful candidates must agree to the following terms and conditions:

  • All successful presenters will be required to create a prerecording of their presentation to be used on the virtual platform.
  • Presenters grant ECA the right to publish their recorded presentation in the library of presentations for a period of 60 days post conference.
  • Recorded presentations remain the property of ECA, for the purposes of the ECA National Conference only, and will be made available on the ECA National Conference Virtual Library for up to 60 days post conference.
  • ECA may broadcast selected presentation(s) via live stream to conference delegates.
  • Presenters must ensure their availability for media comments about the conference.
  • All presenters must be available to present live in-person and speak at any time during the conference.
  • All presenters must register for the in-person conference. Up to three (3) presenters will receive the ECA member rate for full conference registration.
  • If the conference changes to a fully-virtual format, all presenters must be present on the virtual platform during their presentation and have a virtual registration.
  • Presenters may be asked to repeat their session if it proves to be popular, or if delegates miss out on the session due to lack of space.
  • Presenters grant ECA the right to publish their papers on the conference website and/or in various ECA publications.
  • Abstracts will be withdrawn from the conference program if registration confirmation and payment are not received by Friday 30 June 2023.

How to submit your abstract

Applications to present are now OPEN.

In keeping with ECA’s drive to improve environmental sustainability, all abstracts must be submitted online. 

Submission process

Step 1: Read all instructions carefully.

Step 2: Write an abstract—no more than 300 words—related to your preferred sub-theme.

Step 3: Ensure that your abstract addresses the selection criteria.

Step 4: Submit your abstract online before Wednesday 1 February 2023, via https://eca.eventsair.com/g17—2023-adelaide-national-conference/applications

Step 5: Ensure presenter biographies are no more than 50 words in total.

Step 6: Supply at least one presenter photograph with the application (limit file size to a maximum of 1MB).

Please note:

  • The abstracts and biographies of successful candidates will undergo editing before being published in the conference program.
  • A maximum of three (3) presenters will be allowed to register and present per paper at the member rate.
  • Applicants may submit multiple papers; however, only one paper can be accepted to present at the conference.
  • Applications will only be accepted online.

Before you submit online, please ensure that you have read and understood this information.
If you have any questions, please contact the Conference Office for more information:
T: 02 6242 1800
E: conference@earlychildhood.org.au