The National Education Writers Association (EWA) is seeking proposals from research universities with a footprint in the education policy landscape to host EWA’s 2012 National Seminar. Hosting this annual conference offers institutions a prime chance to make their mark in the media by showcasing their education expertise in early-childhood, K-12, and/or higher education before journalists from across the United States and beyond.

EWA’s National Seminar is the largest professional training event for education reporters and editors in the country, drawing hundreds of journalists, scholars, policy analysts, newsmakers, education advocates, bloggers, and others. Here is what EWA is asking of its hosting university:

• Provide six complimentary meeting rooms equipped with audio-visual technology. One room should hold 200 people in a classroom or theater setting and another should hold 300 people banquet-style.
• Underwrite continental breakfast and lunch for two days, as well as morning and afternoon breaks.
• Host a sit-down dinner for roughly 250 people.
• Provide professors and/or other researchers willing to share their expertise on a range of salient or emerging education issues.
• Provide 25 six-foot tables available for registration and sponsor exhibits. 

 Benefits of serving as host include:

• Participation by faculty and experts in conference sessions
• Formal welcome of guests by university president or his or her designee
• Complimentary registrations for select college staff
• Complimentary exhibit table and program book advertisement to promote the school and its programs
• Promotion in EWA National Seminar materials and on the EWA website

EWA’s National Seminar typically takes place Thursday to Saturday sometime between mid-April and the first week in June.

Please send a proposal specifying dates when you would be able to host the event to Caroline Hendrie, EWA’s executive director, at chendrie@ewa.org by 5 p.m. EDT on June 27. The proposal may include additional suggestions for ways your school and EWA could collaborate on the conference. Please note if you would like to be considered for EWA’s National Seminars in 2013 or 2014. If you have questions on the proposal, please call 202-677-4260 and ask for Stephanie Cvetetic or email scvetetic@ewa.org.