The Conference on Illinois History is accepting proposals that deal with the history, culture, politics, geography, anthropology, sociology, or archaeology of Illinois. We also welcome proposals that use Illinois history as a lens to understand a regional, national, or international issue.
We encourage submissions from historians, educators, high school and college students, digital humanists, and those engaged in the study of Illinois history at libraries, historic sites, museums, educational institutions, and historical societies. We particularly welcome proposals which illuminate the diversity of Illinois history in regard to race, ethnicity, ability, and/or gender.
Types of possible proposals
Roundtable Discussion: A roundtable discussion is comprised of a moderator and 3-4 panelists. The session is organized around a single topic, for instance “Challenges Facing State Historic Sites” or “Abraham Lincoln and Race.” The moderator then facilitates a discussion about the topic between the panelists while also taking questions from the audience. The total session including audience Q&A is 90 minutes.
Rapid Roundtable: Similar to a Roundtable Discussion, a Rapid Roundtable is comprised of a moderator and 4-6 panelists. The panel is asked a series of questions and each panelist is allotted 2 minutes to answer with the moderator keeping strict time.
Panel: This is a proposal for a traditional panel, in which 2-3 panelists give a research presentation in a 90-minute session (20-30 minute presentations with 30 minutes for Q&A). The proposal should include presenters and a moderator who will introduce the panelists and moderate the Q & A.
Single Presentation: This is a proposal a single researcher makes who wishes the conference organizers to place them in a traditional panel.
Lightning Round: A lightning round is an exciting, fast-paced panel with short presentations designed to give the broad strokes of a topic, share a digital project, or share an approach to a single topic (such as engaging students in the classroom). The lightning round includes 4-5 10-minute presentations that each use no more than 10 image slides. The audience will then be encouraged to offer questions and constructive comments. We will accept both full lighting round proposals and proposals for single presentations to be placed in a lightning round.
Teacher Workshops: Teacher workshops should focus on the use of best pedagogical practices and/or innovative strategies to teach any aspect of Illinois’s history, culture, politics, geography, or archaeology. We particularly welcome proposals which encourage the teaching of diverse Illinois history in regard to race, ethnicity, ability, and/or gender.
The deadline for proposals is May 31, 2023.
Any questions can be directed to Jacob.Friefeld@illinois.gov or 217-558-0128.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Education Department is providing 1.5 Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs) for each session attended during the Conference on Illinois History.
To receive CPDU credit, educators must complete an evaluation for each session they attend; to comply with ISBE requirements, they should plan to complete the evaluation prior to moving to the next conference session. One digital certificate will be issued at the end of the conference for each participating educator. The certificate will include total hours awarded and a record of sessions attended. If you have any questions, please contact the Education Department at
ALPLM.Education@illinois.gov.