We are excited to announce our upcoming conference and invite you to respond to this Request for Proposals for workshops and presenters. Journeys of Discovery, An Adoption Network Cleveland Conference, will be held on Friday, March 21st, and Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University, in Berea Ohio which is 15 miles south of Cleveland and conveniently located to freeways and the airport. Submit your proposal here.
About the Conference:
To mark the 10th anniversary of Ohio’s Opening Day – a day that 400,000 Ohio adoptees, by law, gained access to their original birth records – Adoption Network Cleveland is hosting a conference to continue the celebration and education. Together, adoptees; birth parents; adoptive, kinship and foster parents; foster alumni; individuals who are donor conceived or have found misattributed parentage through DNA testing; and professionals in the field, and others, will explore unfolding life stories, engage in learning, and create community.
Conference Keynote: Abby Hasberry, LMFTA (Abby Hasberry | Counseling at The Green House Texas (greenhouseindy.com)) presenting Adopting Privilege: What is it? Who has it? And how is access to information and informed consent attempting to shift it?
Conference MC: Lauren LoGiudice, Comedian, Actor, and Filmmaker (Lauren LoGiudice - Comedy and Characters for Misfits)
Conference content will include keynote presentations, workshops, entertainment, and opportunities for sharing and networking. Workshop sessions will be 1.5 hours long, with the possibility of combining two sessions for a three-hour offering. Workshops will be selected to reflect a range of compelling presentations on a variety of timely topics. Professionals will be provided with certificates for CEU submission to the participant's licensing board.
Suggested Topics sought include, but are not limited to:
- Search and Reunion
- Adoptee Issues
- Birth Parent Issues
- Parenting Challenges and Strategies
- Ethics in Adoption, Foster/Kinship Care, and Assisted Reproduction
- DNA Search and Discoveries
- Genetic Identity (e.g., donor conception, misattributed parentage)
- Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care
- Creative Expression (e.g., writing, theater, film)
- Advocacy and Legislation
Important Details:
- Proposal Deadline: Friday, November 4, 2024 · Submit your proposal via the attached Google Form. Please ensure your workshop description and presenter bio are carefully crafted, as they will be used in conference materials and promotion.
- Notification of acceptance will be provided by December 6, 2024.
- Conference registration will open in early January 2025.
- Please note that breakfast and lunch will be provided for presenters and participants on both days of the conference. Workshop presenters are expected to register for the conference, if attending, and will receive a special presenter discount on registration.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to:
Betsie Norris, Executive Director: (216) 482-2314, betsie.norris@adoptionnetwork.org
Ty Cliffel, Director of Programs: (216) 482-2320, ty.cliffel@adoptionnetwork.org
We look forward to receiving your workshop proposal(s) and to celebrating with you at this impactful event!
Click Here to be Redirected to the Google Form: Workshop Proposal Submission Form
