THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS  

                 CALL FOR WORKSHOP PRESENTERS  

Workshop Presenter Proposals for the 2008 National Conference
 in Nashville is Now Closed.

Every year a national conference is presented by The Compassionate Friends. The conference goals and objectives
are to: 

• Offer friendship, understanding, and hope to bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents in a safe, supportive environment.
• Provide workshops and sharing sessions to assist families in their grief journey.
• Offer interesting and quality keynote speakers who can provide unique perspectives that will assist families during their bereavement.
• Provide networking opportunities for bereaved family members, chapter leadership, and regional coordinators.
• Provide outreach to professionals so they may better assist bereaved families.
• Provide training for chapter leaders so they may better assist the families in their communities and provide outreach to area professionals.
• Raise local and national awareness of the resources available from The Compassionate Friends to bereaved parents, siblings, and grandparents.

National conferences generally draw from 900−1500 attendees and are located at different sites around the country to allow access to all who wish to attend.  While the focus is on families that have experienced the death of a child of any age, from any cause, nearly half of all attendees are bereaved less than two years.

The Compassionate Friends is particularly interested in workshop presenters/speakers who are bereaved parents, siblings, or grandparents and whose presentations address areas of interest to the bereaved such as (but not limited to):

Reinvesting in Life                                                         Now Childless

Coping with Holidays and Special Days                     Journaling Through Grief

Family Grief Issues                                                        Adolescent Grief

Remembering Our Children                                         Men Only/Women Only Issues

Grief and Faith                                                               Single Parent Grief

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Grief                                           Death of a Special-Needs Child

Finding Joy Again                                                          Multiple Deaths

Sibling Grief Issues                                                       Grandparent Grief Issues

Newly Bereaved                                                            Grief and Marriage

Workshop presenter proposals are evaluated on the basis of several criteria, including relevance of the topic, personal experience, prior speaking experience, and the likelihood that the topic will be of interest to a number of attendees.  All workshops presented are to be educational in nature as their purpose is to provide tools and information to assist in the healing process.

Speakers whose workshop is approved will be provided a general set of speaker guidelines which must be read and signed prior to a final commitment to hold the workshop. As workshop presentations are representative of the credibility of the presenter, the organization, and the conference itself, all presenters are strictly forbidden to use the workshop as a forum, encourage sales of a book or other materials, further a particular religious viewpoint, or advocate an issue.  

PROPOSAL PROCEDURES

To assist in processing this proposal we ask that you carefully adhere to the following procedures for each proposed topic: 

• Submit one proposal for each workshop you are interested in presenting
   
• Complete all applicable portions of proposal form.  Incomplete forms will not be considered.
   
• Workshops are generally 75 minutes in length, with at least 15 minutes allowed for audience feedback and questions.  Creative formats that promote audience participation are encouraged.
   
• Handouts are the presenter’s responsibility.  Presenters will be notified of the estimated number workshop attendees.

All presenters must register for the conference.  Conference registration fees and one banquet meal are waived for presenters of one workshop.  Both banquet meals are waived for presenters of more than one workshop.  Panelists are not considered presenters, and waivers do not apply.  Travel, additional meals, and lodging expenses are the responsibility of the presenter.

Stop Back Later in the Year to Submit Proposals to be Considered for the
2009 National Conference