Illinois Civics in the Spotlight - NCSS 2018

by Mary Ellen Daneels, Lead Teacher Mentor

This fall, the National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference will be in Chicago, putting Illinois Civics in the spotlight! The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago November 29th to December 2nd. The theme of the conference is “Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow: Building the Future of Social Studies.”


This is a time for Illinois teachers to shine and share best practice in standards and civics implementation. A call for conference proposals is open through February 26th. Proposals can take the form of full or half day pre-conference clinics, one-hour sessions, thirty-minute power sessions, poster sessions or two-hour workshops.

If you have never submitted a proposal for a conference, do not be intimidated by the process! There is a link provided on the NCSS website to coach you through the endeavor.

There will be special programming on Friday, November 30th designed for Illinois teachers. This series of workshops and sessions will be aligned to Illinois standards implementation (K-12) and the civics requirement for graduation. Start planting the seeds NOW with your department to attend these offerings geared especially for YOU!

Illinois educators interesting in shaping conference events can volunteer to serve on the Local Arrangements Committee. This committee will shape the experience for visitors to the Land of Lincoln for this conference and be ambassadors of the great work happening in Illinois Social Studies. Besides collaborating with like-minded professionals and contributing to the field, volunteers may earn free conference registration! Please take this survey to find out more about opportunities to help make #NCSS2018 in Chicago a great experience for all!

If you have any questions or suggestions about the forthcoming NCSS conference, please comment below. Together, we can prepare Illinois students for college, career and civic life!

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