The Collaborative Plan Conference is accepting proposals for the seventh biennial conference for parents, professionals, and DHH teachers who work with students who are deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing. The conference will be held on November 5-7, 2026 at Breezy Point Resort. 

Deadline

The deadline to submit your proposal is June 26, 2026. 

How to submit your proposal

Fill out the online proposal form. Be sure to fill out the form completely as partially completed proposals will not be accepted. 

Priority topics

We have not (yet) received proposals in these areas and encourage submissions on the following topics:

• English Language Learners (ELL)
• Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing with diverse/multiple cultural and linguistic backgrounds
• Equity, racism, ableism, and audism
• Classroom instruction strategies for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing students
  ii. Multilingual (all languages) and multimodal (all modalities) strategies across educational settings
• ASL sessions (academic-related)

We continue to seek proposals on the following topics:

• Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
• Accommodation, modifications, and curriculum adaptation
• Mental illness (well-being)
• Suicide prevention
• Literacy development and reading preparation (including updates related to MN READ Act workgroups)
• Cultural competency
• American Indian history and culture
• Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing with multiple disabilities
• DeafBlind-specific topics
• Broader topic on well-being, mental health needs of strategies/resources for parents, guardians, DHH teachers, and students
• Supporting collaboration between parents and teachers (i.e., IEPs, culturally appropriate and developmental assessments, school services)
• Assessment tools and implementation (i.e., MacArthur Bates CDI or Communication Matrix)
• Team collaboration (i.e., educational interpreters, DHH teachers, paraprofessionals, interveners, Deaf adults)
• Classroom instruction strategies for Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing students
  i. Use of AI in educational settings

Parent scholarships available

Scholarships are available for parents of deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing children in Minnesota to attend the Collaborative Experience Conference. Parents, here is information about the scholarship guidelines and here is the scholarship application. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2026.  

Conference registration

Here’s another great reason to submit a presenter proposal! Conference presenters will receive complimentary admission to general conference events, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities for up to two presenters per workshop.

If you are planning to attend the conference and do not plan to send a presenter proposal, don't forget to register. The registration fee is $325 (hotel is separate).

Contact us

For any questions, please reach out to Collaborative Plan Program Director Danelle Gournaris, danelle.gournaris@state.mn.us.