Deadline to submit is June 3rd, 2024
Notified of Proposal Acceptance by September 6th, 2024

Please read the following important information in detail before submitting your proposal!

JusticeNOW is a cross-movement and cross-sector power building and power shifting conference that centers Reproductive Justice, Queer Liberation, and Organizing. With keeping these values at the core–Do you have an innovative, interactive and “out-of-the-box” idea to present?

We are seeking FUN and CREATIVE proposals from folx working on a full range of social justice, movement, political issue areas, and health topics. We encourage you to submit proposals to present via workshop, panel, interactive discussion, performance, expressive art, roundtable, caucus, and more!

Please read the following information thoroughly to make sure that your submission has the best chance of being selected.


Presenter Registration

To keep everyone’s Conference registration as affordable as possible, we ask our presenters to volunteer their time and expertise at JusticeNOW2024. To thank them for this contribution, we offer a discounted registration rate for Presenters.

Once a proposal is accepted, presenters will receive an email notification (from [email protected])  with a discount code for 50% off of your registration fee. If your proposal is approved, you and any co-presenters are responsible for completing the registration form to attend the conference. A link to register and a discount promo code will be sent to your contact email if your proposal is accepted. The presenter registration rate is limited to two (2) presenters per session.

JusticeNOW2024 is committed to uplifting the voices of Black women and young people, centering Black queer women, trans folx and gender expansive folx. If you are a part of our base and need assistance with your registration, outside of the presenter’s discount (50% off registration), please indicate that in the last question of your proposal application. If you do not need assistance we ask that you do not select that option so we can allocate our support to as many of our base members as possible. If your proposal is accepted and you are selected to receive a base member presenter registration scholarship, a link to register and a discount promo code will be sent to your contact email from [email protected].

Should your proposal not be accepted for this year’s conference, you will receive a link to register at the Early Bird rate. Please do not register until you receive notification of your session acceptance or decline. 


Conference Tracks

Please select all conference tracks that you feel your proposal may fit best under. To increase your chance of your proposal being accepted, consider submitting a proposal that can fit under multiple tracks.

Example: If your topic of interest is “The interconnection between Reproductive Justice and Climate Change,  through the use of Digital Organizing and Political Education” you may want to select the following Tracks: Track 1–“Arts, Culture, and Organizing,” Track 2–”Cross-Movement Building” and Track 5–Strategy & Visioning.” 

Please click here for a full list of our conference tracks to help shape your submission. You will be able to select these tracks from a list on your submission form.


Presenter Guidelines

Digital presentations help improve how participants, including those with hearing impairments or who speak English as a second language, engage with content.

Moving toward being a visual presenter may be intimidating, but we are here to support presenters in the preparation of a dynamic presentation. What we offer below are guidelines to help presenters determine their own capacity to meet the virtual presenter guidelines. These guidelines will ensure that both the audience and presenter have a good experience and gain the knowledge they want to.

All session must be between 1 to 2 hours long.


Presentation Recommendations

JusticeNOW2024 staff will provide a pre-formatted template for presentations that all presenters are encouraged, but not required to use.

Font
We suggest using Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Calibri, or any other sans serif fonts (fonts without lines or embellishments on the ends of characters).

Please use font size 14+ to ensure legibility. Consider using bold, underlining, and quotes for words and phrases that require emphasis. Please avoid the use of shadows.

Colors
High contrast between fonts and backgrounds is highly recommended, i.e. light font on a dark background or a dark font on a light background. Avoid the use of gray as it’s less accessible for viewers with visual impairments due to the lack of contrast.

Images
All images related to presentations should have alt text (image descriptions) provided to allow for increased accessibility. Another option is to include a brief description of relevant images in the speaking portion of your presentation.

Audio/Video
Give participants a heads up in the event that you’ve included loud music/sounds, flashing imagery, and/or video into your presentation. This gives anyone with sensory sensitivities the opportunity to plan their participation accordingly. All videos must include closed captions.
For additional information and presentation best practices, download this resource developed by the American Publishing House for the Blind.

ACCESSIBILITY REVIEW: All JusticeNOW2024 presenters must submit their completed session PowerPoints to their assigned presenter folder on Dropbox. Conference staff will review each presentation, provide feedback, and communicate approval via email.
Once you are selected as a presenter we will send out specific information about this review, including due dates and links to the Dropbox.


Session Guidelines

In addition to formatting guidelines, physical and technical aspects of a session are also important to consider when building an accessible presentation. Here are a few more elements be mindful of:

  • Ensure you have a quality internet connection.
  • Test your audio and video to make sure it works properly. 
  • Set up in a well-lit location. Good lighting on your face and body creates a pleasant experience for participants.
  • Avoid distracting backgrounds, extremely back-lit environments, and flashing lights.
  • Speak clearly and at a consistent pace. Take pauses to give participants the opportunity to process and ask questions.
  • Describe images and introduce videos and audio to add context.

JusticeNOW2024 staff is here to assist you in any needs that you may have prior to, during, or after the conference. If you have any questions about the guidelines, or expectations please email us at [email protected].

JusticeNOW2024 Proposal Webinar

Thinking about submitting a proposal but have more questions??

SPARK will host a short 30 minute webinar on Wednesday, April 9, 2024 at 12PM EST for individuals and organizations who may be interested in submitting a proposal.

The webinar will provide answers to questions emailed to us at [email protected].

Submit your questions online via our email [email protected] with the subject line “JusticeNOW2024 proposal webinar question” OR ask your questions in the form below.

You do not need to submit questions in order to join the webinar.