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Application to present

Application to present has CLOSED!

The Early Childhood Australia (ECA) 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 policymakers, program administrators, academics, researchers and those involved in pre-qualification training and ongoing professional development. The conference is live streamed and in 2024 attracted over 2,500 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 EXTENDED TO 29 JANUARY 2025
Review of all applications by ECA Conference Program Committee 17 February 2025
Outcome notification to applicants Delayed to week of 7 April 2025
Draft program published on conference website May 2025
Pre-recording of presentations (requested presentations only) June–August 2025
Closing date for successful applicants to register 30 June 2025
Submission of the final PowerPoint/poster presentation 5 September 2025

Essential information

Universal not Uniform: Leading change, strengthening unity and honouring individuality

The 2025 conference theme is ‘Universal not Uniform: Leading change, strengthening unity and honouring individuality‘. Across Australia, early childhood education and care is the focus of policy analysis and debate with reform agendas at both national and jurisdiction levels taking shape. We want to make sure that this reform is informed by evidence and pays particular attention to strengthening equity – both in terms of access to early education but also outcomes for children and families who may otherwise be at risk of experiencing poor development, learning or wellbeing outcomes into their formal school years. There is also a need to ensure that these reforms are flexible to allow for contextualised solutions across jurisdictions and to meet the needs of all children and families.

The ECA National Conference is an opportunity to come together and help shape the future of Australia as a nation and the legacy we leave for the next generation of children.

Multiple literacies for children’s learning

Literacy development is fundamental for ongoing success and can be applied in multiple domains, however, there is ongoing debate on how best to develop these literacies. This sub-theme is to explore multiple modes and methods of literacy development from theoretical and practical perspectives.

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Leadership: national initiatives, local solutions

It can be hard for leaders to identify how big-picture initiatives (like the federal Early Years Strategy 2024–2034) can be applied to local situations. This sub-theme explores supporting local solutions to local problems.

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Children at the centre of their own education journey

As children grow and develop across their early years, they move through multiple settings and the focus is often on getting children ready for the next stage of their journey. This sub-theme challenges presenters to think more broadly about these transitions and how the settings might be more ready for the children coming in.

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One workforce for young children

Workforce concerns are ongoing and increasing with more funding for younger children in many states of Australia. This sub-theme invites presentations on successes in enhancing workforce or suggestions for strategies to encourage quality educators to join and stay within the early years of education in multiple settings.

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Supporting inclusion for regional, rural and remote

Australia (WA in particular) has large expanses of space with small pockets of services. This sub-theme invites presentations on how to provide the right services to the right spaces, which leverage community strengths when resources and personnel are limited and distances are difficult to traverse.

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Applicants are required to submit a 300-word abstract and will be asked to identify the target audience for their presentation.

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 biographies for each presenting author.

 

Presentation type

There are three presentation categories for the conference. Applicants must specify which presentation format they 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.

2.   Flash presentation

Flash presentations bring together two or three presentations on similar topics in a 45-minute session aimed at provoking audience discussion. When a high number of papers with related themes are submitted, they are invited to participate in focused sessions, with each presenter given 15 minutes to share their work. These discussions, followed by a question-and-answer (Q&A) session, are led by a facilitator.

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

ECA reserves the right to request successful presenters to host a longer or shorter presentation.

Audio-visual requirements

Presentations must be in PowerPoint format. The full and final electronic presentation will need to be submitted by Friday 5 September 2025, 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.

3.   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 m (h) x 1 m (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 1 m. 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 it 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).

Live Streaming and Pre-Recording

All successful presenters will be requested to create a pre-recording 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.

Poster presenters will be requested to record a short video presentation to talk about their poster for viewing via the conference virtual platform and on the Conference App.

Recorded presentations remain the property of ECA, for the purposes of the ECA National Conference only. 

 

Presenter registration

A condition for being able to present is that all presenters must register for the day on which they will be presenting at the conference. All 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 Monday 30 June 2025, 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.

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.

Sustainability

In keeping with ECA’s sustainability drive, all abstracts must be submitted online using the following link: https://eca.eventsair.com/g59—2025-perth-national-conference/2025perth

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 pre-loaded onto the virtual platform, app or USB.

Publication of papers

All selected abstracts will be published on the 2025 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 a magazine format. Further instructions will be provided by the ECA Publications team, as required.

Conference live stream

The 2025 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.

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.

Terms and conditions

Successful candidates must agree to the following terms and conditions:

  • ECA may broadcast selected presentation(s) via live stream to conference delegates. Presenters grant ECA the right to publish their recorded presentation in the library of presentations for a period of 60 days after the conference.
  • Presenters must ensure their availability for media comments about the conference.
  • All presenters must be available to present live and 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 Monday 30 June 2025.

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 the preferred sub-theme.

Step 3: Ensure the abstract addresses the selection criteria.

Step 4: Submit the abstract online before Wednesday 29 January 2025, via https://eca.eventsair.com/PresentationPortal/g59—2025-perth-national-conference/2025perth

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 but 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