2026 Conference Speaker Proposal

📅 June 10-12, 2026 · Hilton Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA

The Commonwealth Prevention Alliance (CPA) invites passionate presenters—both seasoned and new—to share your expertise at the Annual PA Prevention Conference. This event brings together prevention professionals, coalition leaders, educators, and from across Pennsylvania to exchange ideas, sharpen skills, and take action to prevent substance use and misuse, promote mental wellness, and focus on the risk and protective factors that make prevention work.

Whether you’ve presented before or are submitting for the first time, your insights help shape the learning and collaboration that define our statewide prevention community.

About the Conference

CPA’s hybrid event connects approximately 350 attendees—including Prevention Specialists, Coalition Leaders, School Staff, County Administrators, Higher Ed professionals, and advocates—through in-person, virtual, and live-streamed sessions.

Presenters benefit from:

• A diverse, engaged audience of prevention professionals and partners.
• Flexible session formats from Power Sessions to immersive Deep Dives.
• A supportive environment welcoming both new and experienced presenters.
• Opportunities for collaboration and statewide visibility in prevention.

Session Focus Areas

We invite proposals that align with one or more of the following themes:

• Administration & Supervision — Sessions designed for prevention leaders and supervisors, focusing on hiring, retention, management skills, and building strong, supportive teams.
• Advocacy — Community or statewide advocacy efforts and education strategies that can influence policy, awareness, and positive change.
• Coalition Implementation, Development, & Retention — Research-based or locally innovative models for building, sustaining, and engaging effective coalitions through collaboration and community involvement.
• Current Trends — Emerging issues, data, and evolving challenges in substance use prevention and mental health promotion.
• Evidence-Based or Informed Strategies — Translating research into practice and embedding equity and inclusion.
• Local Innovation in Prevention — Community-driven solutions, social media and AI strategies, and unique local approaches to prevention.
• Mental Health Promotion — Preventing mental health issues, promoting mental wellness awareness, and addressing the risk and protective factors associated.
• Prevention Research or Prevention Science — Presenting new findings, methodologies, or data that advance prevention effectiveness and application.
• Professional Development — Strengthening prevention leadership, workforce skills, ethics, and professional growth
• Suicide Prevention — Approaches, collaborations, and programs that reduce suicide risk and enhance community response.
• Youth & Young Adult Engagement — Empowering youth leadership and connection.

Session Types

• Keynote (60 min) — Inspire and set the tone.
• Workshop (60–90 min) — Engage and build skills.
• Deep Dive (2–3 hours, virtual only) — Explore topics in depth.

Hands-On Workshops & Deep Dives

Our conference attendees have spoken and they are seeking interactive workshops and deep dives that strengthen practical prevention skills participants can apply immediately in their communities. Examples include:

• Action plans for putting prevention strategies into practice
• Case studies or strategies adaptable across communities
• Checklists or ready-to-use resources
• Collaboration models that engage community sectors
• Evaluation or reflection tools to measure and strengthen impact
• Frameworks or guides that support local implementation
• Hands-on activities that build new skills
• Networking or small-group discussions that spark idea sharing

Sessions that include demonstrations, tools, templates, or participant activities are strongly encouraged.

Ready to Share Your Expertise?

Join us in shaping the future of prevention across Pennsylvania. Submit your proposal using the GPT-5 Proposal Coach for a guided, easy experience—or the online submission form if you prefer the classic approach and want to do it today.

No matter how you submit, your ideas help build stronger, healthier communities—and we can’t wait to learn from you.

Completing the Speaker Proposal Form

After submitting your proposal:

• A representative of the CPA Conference Committee will be in touch with any questions or to address the status of your proposal.
• If selected to present, we require a letter of agreement and will also request your resume/CV, speaker photo, and invite you to one of our mandatory speaker orientation calls.
• You will receive a copy of your submission via email.

Timeline

• October 14, 2025: Application Opens
• January 9, 2026: Application Closes
• May 2026: Speaker Orientation Call (virtual call to review the conference theme and all other details to assist with speaker presentation)
• June 2, 2026: Speaker slides and other materials due
• June 10-12, 2026: Conference, Hilton Harrisburg