ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS & REVIEW PROCESS

We are looking for workshops which will be inspiring, encouraging, and address issues with innovation, leadership, and bold approaches. Sessions should be hands-on and interactive in nature and take the form of workshops, panel presentations, or roundtable discussions.

Submissions must fall within one of the six tracks listed below. Proposals will be scored based upon how closely workshops align with the theme. Higher scores will be given for workshops which:

  • Address issues with innovation, leadership, and bold approaches
  • Are engaging and interactive with ample time for audience Q & A and discussion
  • Are presented by individuals with expertise in the area in which they are discussing
  • Provide tangible action steps for attendees to take home and implement or provide key points to reflect upon.

WORKSHOP TRACKS

All workshops will be 75 minutes in length and fall into one of the following six categories:

  • Economic Development & Entrepreneurship
  • Education
  • Health & Wellness
  • Advocacy & Civic Participation
  • Arts & Culture
  • Personal Empowerment & Leadership

Economic Development & Entrepreneurship
This track will include an array of community development, economic development, and business development topics, such as: social entrepreneurship; trends in housing and economic development; workforce development; how to start your own business and build wealth; global business trends and opportunities; and more.

Education
This track focuses on the educational needs of Hmong students (Pre-K through Graduate School). It is designed to bring best practices from educators and providers to address the challenges faced by Hmong students and their parents. Sessions may include educational trends, academic achievement, best practices in teaching minority students, and academic resources and opportunities.

Health & Wellness
This track will focus on health and wellness in the Hmong community. Sessions may include information about innovative programs; new research highlighting pertinent physical, mental, or behavioral health issues; holistic health and healing; health and spirituality; prevention and intervention strategies.

Advocacy & Civic Participation
This track presents information on pressing political and social issues and current trends impacting Hmong Americans. Participants will strategize around best practices and tools that can help communities be engaged and more effective in public policy, community organizing, political activities, and voter engagement to spur social change. HND encourages submissions that touch upon issues of social justice, human rights, and equality and provide action steps for participants to create change.

Arts & Culture
This track will explore and discuss Hmong cultural traditions and artistry, how Hmong culture has evolved and adapted over time, current pressing issues in the Hmong community, as well as Hmong currently in the arts, media, and entertainment industries. Performance artists are encouraged to respond.

Personal Empowerment & Leadership 
This track is designed to give community leaders, influencers, and change agents a platform to share their knowledge, personal stories, and experiences in a dynamic, inspirational style that will spark ideas and action. Speakers may choose to talk about personal experiences, life-changing events, “A-ha” moments, or similar topics that illustrate the conference theme of being bold and unleashing potential. Presenters will have 20-30 minutes to deliver a concise, powerful talk, with the remaining time for Q&A and discussion.

DEADLINE
Online submission forms must be completed by Friday, October 26, 2018. Upon successful submission, you will be taken to a webpage confirming that your submission was successful. If you do not see the confirmation page, your submission may not have been processed. We anticipate that individuals will be notified of their acceptance by December 14, 2018.

If accepted: All conference presenters are required to register for the conference.  For those invited to present, a 50% discount off of the full three-day registration fee will be given to no more than four presenters per workshop. Presenters must register for the entire conference and are strongly encouraged to participate in the other workshop and plenary sessions in which they are not presenting. For workshops with more than four presenters, it is up to the presenters to determine which individuals will receive the 50% discount and notify HND as to who those individuals are. Any additional presenters beyond four must pay the full registration fee.

New Feature: HND is offering a new tool to support presenters at the 2019 conference. All presenters and attendees will have the option to download a mobile app for the conference upon registration. Presenters can use the app to share their presentation materials before and during the event to increase interest and participation among attendees, and attendees can share presenters’ materials with people in their personal networks for broader outreach and engagement. 

Note: HND does not provide honoraria, hotel, or travel expense reimbursement for presenters. All presenters are responsible for providing their own copies of any handouts or reference materials. HND does not provide microphones for workshops. Speakers are in-house speakers and may not be appropriate for music performances. If playing live music during your workshop you will need to bring your own microphones, speakers or other equipment.

The acceptance of proposals for presentation at the conference signifies a commitment to develop and deliver an educational session that is informative, relevant, and useful. HND is committed to assisting and supporting you with suggestions, resources, and equipment to ensure a quality session.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The Hmong National Development Conference (HNDC) is the largest event for Hmong American leaders and partners. It challenges and inspires Hmong Americans – young and old alike – to boldly invest in their own potential and that of others. The conference unites over 1,000 professionals, students, and community leaders who gather to share valuable insights and powerful new approaches to community empowerment, professional development, and leadership.

Attendees leverage their knowledge and skills in the areas of business, politics, social service, and education to address the needs of Hmong communities and other immigrant and refugee populations. The three-day convention engages, entertains, and invigorates participants with an array of educational workshops, networking events, affinity sessions, a leadership banquet, and live entertainment featuring Hmong American artists.

ABOUT THE THEME

The theme, “BE BOLD – Unleash Your Potential,” was chosen to encourage the next generation of Hmong American business and community leaders to boldly step forward in pursuit of their goals, while modeling the resilience and integrity that has been a hallmark of our culture. We have called the United States our home for nearly 45 years. In that time, the demographics of our community have shifted, and 75% of Hmong Americans are now under the age of 34. We have an amazing opportunity to step up and be bold in our leadership and community action. Together, we can unleash our potential across sectors, across generations, and across the country.