Resources for Institutions

Call for Conference Session Proposals form for PA EmpowerU Statewide Conference at the Radisson Penn Harris in Camp Hill, PA on April 12 & 13, 2027 - Please consider sharing your work and best practices for supporting Pennsylvania students' essential needs. We invite proposals for 50-minute sessions focused on addressing students' basic needs and well-being. Strong proposals will incorporate one or more of the Empower U Keystones:

• Adult Learners
• Digital Access
• Food Resources
• Financial Wellness
• Housing & Transportation
• Mental Health
• Military Students
• Safety & Belonging

This year's two-day conference will also be held in partnership with the It's On Us National Partners Prevention Summit, bringing together student leaders and higher education professionals from across the Commonwealth. We encourage proposals that feature faculty, staff, and student development and leadership tracks, highlighting effective practices in student leadership, peer-to-peer engagement, and sexual violence prevention efforts on college campuses and within surrounding communities. Successful sessions should be practical, engaging, and designed to help participants apply ideas within their own institutional and community contexts. Formats may include:

• Interactive presentations
• Demonstrations
• Case studies 
• Student panel discussions
• Collaborative workshops
• Other innovative approaches 

Sessions should provide value to a broad audience, including higher education practitioners, K-12 school counselors, current and emerging student leaders, and representatives from state, national, and community-based organizations. Examples of session topics include:

• Mental health support services across prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts
• Institutional challenges and successful strategies for addressing interconnected basic needs
• Student-centered approaches to fostering belonging, well-being, financial wellness, and other aspects of collegiate basic needs
• Campus safety, communication, and emergency preparedness planning
• Affordability and persistence planning, including support for students experiencing financial distress before and after matriculation
• Strategies for connecting diverse student populations with available resources and increasing utilization across all areas of basic needs
• Partnerships with K-12 systems, workforce development agencies, and community organizations that support college affordability, student well-being, and credential completion

Proposal Submission Deadline: January 11, 2027; Notification of Proposal Decisions: March 1, 2027 – Please note that selected session proposals will be assigned to one of the scheduled presentation dates. Specific dates will be determined by the planning committee.