Call for Proposals 

The Program Committee for the 6th International Conference on Ageing and Spirituality invites proposals for 90-minute break-out sessions that will be organized in several ways as described below.  Proposals will be reviewed by members of the Program Committee; their decisions will be announced on May 15, 2015.  Contact Nancy Gordon  or Susan McFadden  if you have questions or want to discuss possible ideas for a break-out session.  

We encourage you to think creatively about what you might propose and the format that will work best to communicate your ideas.  We want these break-out sessions to range from theological reflection on issues facing older persons (e.g., dependency, dementia, death) to descriptions of programs that enhance older adult spirituality through the arts, service to others, meditation practices, etc.  We also invite proposals that address the reasons why some older people have little to no interest in spiritual development.  We are looking for proposals that reflect the diversity of older adults and their spiritual practices.

Posters

There will be opportunities for poster sessions on Monday and Tuesday.  Poster presenters will be invited to be by their posters during breaks and lunch.  The committee is seeking posters describing research or programs that address some aspect of spirituality and aging. 

• Research posters should describe the results of completed research and should be presented in a way that is understandable for conference participants who do not do research.  We strongly encourage researchers to show how their work has practical implications for programs and services. 

• Program posters should describe the persons served by the program (e.g., heritage, cultural background, religious affiliation, age, gender) and give information about how the success of the program was evaluated.

Experiential Workshops

We encourage artists, spiritual leaders, social services professionals and others to propose experiential workshops that enable participants to gain skills in practicing a particular approach to addressing spirituality among older persons.  Please consult with us about any supplies that might be needed for the workshop. 

 Lectures

Lectures should be 20 minutes long and will be grouped thematically by the Program Committee, with three lectures per session.  A member of the Program Committee will introduce the lectures and facilitate a discussion following the lectures. 

Symposia

We welcome symposium proposals in which one or two persons organize a 90-minute session on a single topic.  Symposia should include at least three speakers and a discussant who receives copies of the papers with sufficient time before the conference to prepare a reflection on the themes woven into the lectures.  Symposium organizers should ensure that there is time for discussion among presenters and the audience.

All presenters will need to register for the conference.

The button below will take you to the form that allows you to submit a proposal for a workshop, seminar or poster for inclusion in the program of the 6th International Conference on Ageing and Spirituality.  If you would like to submit a second proposal please email Nancy Gordon. 

Submit Proposal