Thank you interest in presenting at the 2023 CWA Virtual Conference & Tradeshow. We will host this event virtually on the Hubilo platform, Tuesday, April 11 - Friday, April 14, 2023. This will be a dual-track conference, each session will be recorded, and attendees will be able to access these recordings for 60 days after the close of the conference on the password-protected virtual platform. CWA is offering continuing education units for Registered Dietitians, International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC/CLC/CLE), and Contact Hours for Registered Nurses.

We ask that you provide the following information for your session proposal(s).  You may submit this application for two additional co-presenters, and if there is a panel of speakers, please note that in your session abstract.

This conference will be in its 31st year, welcoming around 1,500 attendees, with a majority representing WIC staff from across the state, some community partners, and a few out-of-state WIC agency representatives. 

Our conference focuses on the following topic areas, please let us know which topic area your session proposal falls under, and feel free to choose more than one area if applicable. 

Topic Area 1: Early Childhood Development & Nutrition  

Topic Area 2: Equity for All Families 

Topic Area 3: Breastfeeding & Human Lactation 

Topic Area 4: Leadership & Innovation in the Health & Human Services Sectors 

Topic Area 5: Worksite Wellness 

Speaker compensation and benefits: 

• All speakers receive a complimentary full conference registration. 
• All speakers are eligible for a complimentary trade show booth.
• All speakers receive a training consultation with our conference technical host if requested. 
• All speakers have a moderator and technical host on the back end, so they can facilitate and not worry about anything else. 

We offer an honorarium to speakers where applicable and believe in a culture of equity and full transparency. The speaker honorariums range from $100 per speaker for large multi-speaker panels to $4,000 for keynotes who speak during the opening plenary. We are a small nonprofit with a modest budget, so we do our best to honor your time and value your expertise while also working within our means. Sometimes our speakers come from within the WIC family and do not require an honorarium, and sometimes they are a scholar presenting research and are funded by an outside grant. Whichever way a speaker comes to us, we will do our best to work with you and hope that you will do the same for us. 

If you have questions, please email Jodi @ jmulliganpfile@calwic.org. 

The submission deadline is Friday, November 18, 2022.

Applicants will be notified of acceptance on a rolling basis, as we will both be accepting speaker proposals while simultaneously doing speaker outreach.

Session Details

Session type*:

Opening or Closing Plenary: Present the proposed topic to the entire conference audience. Approximately 60 minutes.

Conference Session: facilitate a 60-90 minute interactive workshop.

Panel Presentation/Discussion**: nominate speakers for a moderated 60-90 minute panel presentation and discussion.  

Wellness Session: present a pre-recorded 15-30 minute session to be broadcasted live during Mindful Mornings and conference breaks. We do not offer CEUs for these sessions. 

* Some sessions may be offered more than once, and titles and summaries may change, but please be as thorough as possible with your initial proposal. 

** CWA may create panels based on speaker submissions.

Outline 3 Measurable Learning Objectives

The following 3 objectives will explain what attendees will know and/or be able to do after your presentation.

Examples: 

Identify, describe, and practice at least 3 skills or management strategies related to improving breastfeeding duration, particularly exclusivity

Describe at least 2 nutrition care practices that can be utilized to promote healthy food decisions for young families.

List at least 3 ways a WIC clinic, health provider, or social service program could create practices that engage diverse families, participants, or patients.

Describe at least 2 changes that your agency or organization could adopt to promote employee wellness.

Identify 2 organizations your agency or program will reach out to during 2023/2024 to identify opportunities for collaboration.

It is the policy of the California WIC Association to make best efforts to insure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all programs which qualify for continuing education units.

Consequently, all persons participating in any program for which continuing education units are awarded are expected to disclose to the program audience any real or apparent affiliations that may have a bearing in the subject matter of their presentation.  Any relevant information provided on the Declaration will be disclosed to the program audience in written conference materials.  Such affiliations include, but are not limited to:

• manufacturers of food, food ingredients, food supplements, vitamins, herbs
• restaurant or fast food companies
• manufacturers of infant artificial feeding products
• pharmaceutical companies
• manufacturers or marketers of biomedical devices, including any devices intended to be used during breastfeeding/lactation or for weight control
• any other persons or entities related to the subject matter of the presentation topic or the general topics of the program as a whole

The intent of this policy is not to prevent a speaker from making a presentation. It is merely intended that any potential conflict of interest shall be identified openly so that listeners may form their own judgments about the presentation with the full disclosure of pertinent facts. It remains for the audience to determine whether the speaker’s outside interests may reflect a possible bias in either the exposition or the conclusions presented.

Terms and Liability Statement

By submitting this form, I agree to indemnify and hold harmless the California WIC Association, its successors, board, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability for injuries and damages that may arise as a result of my participation in any and all Annual Conference 2023 activities. I am aware that the California WIC Association does not carry medical insurance for participants in this activity.

I will additionally permit the use of my name and pictures in printed and non-printed formats such as pamphlets, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, etc.

I agree to have my materials and session recording available on the password-protected conference platform, for attendees only, for 60 days, post-conference.