Community Conversations are 60-min facilitated collaborative dialogues on forward-looking topics of broad interest. Conversations have a moderator and will begin with mini-presentations by 2-3 people, who can provide both researcher and practitioner perspectives on the topic. These short presentations are intended to be a catalyst for interaction, discussion, and critique, as the remaining time will be devoted to small/large group discussions and feedback from the community. The BCCE 2026 organizing team will host Community Conversations centered on each of the Conference Contexts; proposals for additional Community Conversations are welcomed.
Proposal Submission
We welcome symposium proposals from all members of the global chemistry education community. Before submitting, organizers should review the 2026 BCCE Thematic Framework and identify how their proposal aligns with the Conference Contexts and Intersectional Attributes. This framework was developed iteratively in discussion with the 2026 BCCE Program Committee, composed of members that provide geographic and disciplinary diversity, ensuring a broad and inclusive approach to conference planning.
Proposal abstracts are limited to 300 words. Abstracts should clearly articulate how the Community Conversation addresses the review criteria outlined below including how it aligns with at least one Conference Context and up to 2 Intersectional Attributes as key words that further help to define the conversation’s purpose and intended audience. Separate from the Abstract, proposers will be asked to specify a moderator and 2-3 panelists who will participate and describe what experiences they will contribute to the conversation. The proposer can serve as a moderator or panelist but the moderator and panelists should be different. Preference is for moderators to be mid to late career and panelists to be early to mid career.
Review Process
The Community Conversations Chairs will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to Conference Contexts and Intersectional Attributes: Alignment with the overall conference themes.
- Innovation and Novelty: Introduction of fresh perspectives, methods, or emerging topics in chemistry education.
- Reach: Inclusion of contributions from multiple perspectives or instructors at all levels.
- Practical Applicability: Potential for attendees to gain useful insights, tools, or strategies for their teaching or research.
- Community and Engagement: Potential for audience participation, discussion, interaction, or community building.
This review process aims to enhance meaningful engagement among attendees and ensure conversations spanning all the Conference Contexts and Intersectional Attributes.
Important Dates: All deadlines are hard deadlines!
- Request for Community Conversations opens August 1, 2025 and closes November 10, 2025
- Review of Community Conversations submissions by Chairs November 10 to December 15, 2025
- Community Conversation acceptances sent December 15, 2025
- Program schedule posted June 1, 2026
Important Note: To submit a community conversation proposal you must agree to the following
If your community conversation proposal is accepted:
- Designated moderators and panelists must plan to register for and attend the 29th BCCE
- Proposer is responsible (or must designate someone) to provide support to the moderator and panelists during the session.
- Understand that the BCCE CANNOT cover registration, lodging, or travel costs or provide discounts for organizers, presiders, or presenters.
- Understand that to limit concurrent sessions, avoid conflicts, and ensure that thematic programming is distributed equitably throughout the week, we are unable to accept requests for community conversations to be held on certain days or at certain times.
We look forward to your contributions to BCCE 2026!