Offsite Session: These sessions take place outside of the conference hotel but ideally within walking distance! They introduce participants to an aspect of the Providence humanities landscape or to a type of humanities program that is best understood beyond the hotel and convention center walls (e.g. programs that engage with the environment or monuments and memorials). All logistics are handled by the session’s presenters/facilitators. Local, Michigan based cultural organizations and/or humanities practitioners are encouraged to submit proposals for this session type as a way to introduce the national audience drawn by the conference to the rich humanities programs of the Great Lake State. To this end, there is a modest budget to cover some costs associated with offsite sessions organized by Michigan based cultural organizations and/or humanities practitioners.

Panel: This traditional format includes a moderator and no more than three presenters. Presentations are timed so that at least half the session consists of moderator questions and discussion with the audience.

Roundtable: Roundtables consist of a group of no more than five humanities practitioners (including moderator) discussing a topic in front of an audience, rather than each presenting discrete remarks. A moderator leads the discussion and poses questions, but all participants speak equally about the topics. 

Working Group: Established groups that are exploring subjects of shared interest can request space to meet at the conference to continue their ongoing work. Each working group should have a facilitator responsible for guiding the conversation at the conference. Proposals for working groups should describe the history, subject, and goals of the working group.

Workshop: A hands-on session that teaches a particular skill set associated with program development, grantmaking, communications, collaboration, assessment, development/fundraising, cultivating new audiences, or any other aspect of humanities programming.