SCBWI Sponsors NCTE Panel for 2025

Are you a PAL member (with traditionally published work)? Here's your chance to shine! Submit your proposal for the next NCTE convention, happening November 20–23, 2025, in Denver, CO.

SCBWI will sponsor one panel of speakers chosen from our PAL members to present at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) convention in Denver from November 20-23, 2025.

Our panel at this year's convention in Boston delivered insight and information on using books to make connections in dealing with mental health. The teachers who attended NCTE were grateful for the SCBWI panel members and the information they shared. NCTE is one of the most prestigious events for children's book creators to participate in, and SCBWI is proud to sponsor an annual panel featuring our members. Your skills and talents are important to the growth, development, and education of children everywhere.

The theme of this event is "Dream Boldly." Click on the link to learn more about the theme and how students' dreams can play a big part in learning and collaborating.

Criteria for the SCBWI-sponsored NCTE panel:

The person submitting the proposal must be an SCBWI PAL member and will be part of the presenting panel. Members of the presenting panel may include SCBWI members or non-members.
At least one teacher must be part of the panel. They may or may not be an SCBWI member(s).
Panels can consist of no more than four people, including the teacher(s).
The selected proposal will be sent to NCTE as "Sponsored by SCBWI," and your names will be front and center as the creators and presenters of the panel.

Please be sure to read the following:

For instructions on submitting a proposal, please go here.
Questions about the submission process should be directed to NCTEevents@ncte.org.
NCTE is an organization that serves the United States school system and teachers.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

SCBWI needs your proposal by Friday, January 17, 2025. A copy of the proposal form can be found on Google Drive.
The proposals will be reviewed by a committee of members from the SCBWI executive team, which can include members from our Advisory Council and 1-2 teachers.
The committee will select one proposal to submit. There is no guarantee that an SCBWI proposal will be selected.
SCBWI will notify the submitter of the chosen proposal by Friday, January 24, 2025.
We will send the chosen proposal to NCTE by Tuesday, January 28, 2025.
NCTE will notify SCBWI of its session status in Spring 2025.
All decisions by the SCBWI judges are final.

The chosen panelists will have the following expenses paid or supplemented by SCBWI's sponsorship:

Complete convention registration from November 20-23, 2025.
A roundtrip coach/economy airfare stipend of $500 will be provided. Other forms of travel, including personal vehicle mileage or train, will also be reimbursed, not to exceed $500.
SCBWI will pay the standard hotel room rate and taxes. Any other charges to the room or room upgrades are the responsibility of the panelists.
All other travel and meal costs are the responsibility of the panelists.

FINALLY...

SCBWI does not set the judging criteria for NCTE's proposal process. That's why it's important for you to read the links in this document, particularly what question(s) NCTE wants you to consider as you write your proposal. Those questions and any other language on the NCTE website about the purpose and theme of the convention will be the criteria by which SCBWI will evaluate proposals. Questions about the NCTE submission process should be directed to NCTEevents@ncte.org.

Remember, you are free to submit a proposal independently, apart from SCBWI. SCBWI members have had their talents recognized by the NCTE proposal review committee, and their panels have been part of the convention.

If you have questions about SCBWI's sponsorship parameters, please contact Tammy Brown, Director, Marketing and Communication Strategy, at tammybrown@scbwi.org.

Good luck, and thank you for participating in this member benefit and for your membership with SCBWI!