SEJ2027 Call for Sessions Guide

SEJ invites members to shape programming for our 2027 conference (April 14-17) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, under the theme Shared Waters: Kinship in Environmental Journalism. Submit a well-developed proposal that clearly defines your session's focus, learning outcomes and the expertise your speakers will bring to the room. Whether you are a seasoned reporter, editor, educator, researcher or just starting out, we want to highlight the stories, skills and solutions that will shape the future of environmental journalism and SEJ's community. We especially encourage proposals that feature Indigenous voices and perspectives from the communities and regions most affected by the issues being discussed. This call is for concurrent sessions only — one-hour panels and mini-workshops held during Friday and Saturday (April 16-17) of the conference. Interested in submitting a tour idea? Follow this link to learn more.

Learn more about the tracks and session formats below before submitting your session. We're excited to see what you'll bring to SEJ2027!

Questions? Email conference@sej.org.

    • Call for Session Proposals Opens: Sept. 28

    • Submission Deadline: Nov. 13

    • Notification to Selected Sessions: Dec. 7

  • Session proposals should align with one of the following tracks. SEJ2027 features two types of tracks: Topic Tracks, focused on coverage areas in environmental journalism and Craft & Practice tracks, focused on skills, professional development and the business of journalism. Craft & Practice sessions do not need to be environmental journalism-specific, but should be relevant and useful to the journalists and media professionals in our community.

    If your idea crosses more than one track, note this in your submission.

    Topic Tracks

    • Climate & Weather

    • Critical Minerals & Mining

    • Energy & Power

    • Food & Agriculture

    • Politics & People  

    • Water & Industry

    Craft & Practice Tracks

    • Collaboration

    • Funding, Grants & Revenue

    • Storytelling & Audience

    • Tools, Data & Investigation

    Track Guides are subject matter experts appointed to review submissions, offer feedback and help curate sessions for SEJ2027 that are timely, inclusive and reflective of environmental journalism's most compelling issues and solutions. They read and score submissions, and where proposals overlap, they may recommend combining or refining sessions to sharpen a session's focus and avoid duplication.

  • Panel: Presentations from two to three speakers, plus a moderator.

    A moderated discussion that brings together journalists, researchers, community voices and/or industry experts. Panels should focus on a clear topic or question, with room for different viewpoints or case studies. The moderator is responsible for guiding the conversation and engaging the audience in Q&A. Best for diverse perspectives on a shared topic or issue.

    Mini-Workshop: Hands-on, interactive session led by one or more facilitators.

    Mini-workshops are designed for active learning and participation. Attendees should leave with new skills, resources or frameworks they can immediately apply to their work. Think of it as a working session, not a lecture. Best for skill-building, tool training or collaborative solutions seeking.

    1. Pitch Collection: Submissions are open Sept. 28 through Nov. 13 via Submittable (link below).

    2. Review & Shortlist: Track Guides review all pitches for their assigned track and shortlist standout proposals.

    3. Program Development: The Host Committee, with support from SEJ staff, reviews Track Guide recommendations and finalizes selections.

    4. Session Confirmation: Session confirmation notifications will go out on Dec. 7.

    5. Final Program Release: The full agenda will be published with additional program details.

  • Topic & Track Fit

    • Topic Tracks: How well does the session's subject matter align with the SEJ2027 theme, Shared Waters: Kinship in Environmental Journalism, and the track(s) selected? Does it bring a fresh angle, address an emerging trend or offer a timely perspective rather than retreading familiar ground?

    • Craft & Practice Tracks: How well does the session's subject matter align with the selected Craft & Practice track? Does it bring a fresh angle, address an emerging trend or offer a skill or approach that feels timely and distinct from what's been covered before?

    Clarity of Purpose & Takeaways

    Are the session's goals and intended outcomes explicit and well-matched to the proposed format? Will attendees leave with something specific they can apply to their reporting or professional practice?

    Speaker Expertise & Representation

    • Topic Tracks: Does the proposed team bring genuine subject-matter expertise? Does the lineup reflect a mix of identities, geographies, sectors, organization sizes and experience levels? Are Indigenous voices and local or regional perspectives represented where relevant to the session topic?

    • Craft & Practice Tracks: Do the proposed facilitators and speakers have hands-on experience with the skills, tools or practices being taught? Does the lineup reflect a mix of experience levels, sectors, organization types and sizes, and geographies?

    Community & Equity Impact (Topic Tracks)

    Does the session content center the perspectives, stories or solutions of communities most affected by the issue discussed, including Indigenous communities? Does it broaden whose stories get told and whose voices shape the conversation in environmental journalism?

    Accessibility & Broad Relevance (Craft & Practice Tracks)

    Is the session's content and framing relevant and accessible to a wide range of journalists in the SEJ community? Does it account for those without access to large teams, big budgets or established platforms, including freelancers, early-career journalists and those at smaller outlets?

  • Session Coordinator must be a current SEJ member. They serve as the primary organizer of the session and the main point of contact with the Track Guide. The Session Coordinator is responsible for submitting the proposal and ensuring all elements are completed by the deadline. Only SEJ members may submit. If the session is accepted, the Session Coordinator manages communication between the conference team and speakers, ensures speakers complete registration and coordinates session logistics and updates.

    The Session Coordinator may serve as the session's moderator, but this is not required. If someone else will serve in that role, please note this clearly in your proposal. All speaking roles should be listed separately. Only one person should be designated as the Session Coordinator.

    Track: Choose the content track(s) that most closely aligns with your session topic. Tracks help attendees filter and find sessions that match their professional interests or coverage areas. You may select up to two tracks. If your proposal doesn't clearly fit into an existing track, select the closest match and briefly explain in the session description.

    Session Type: Choose the format that best supports your topic and presentation goals. Please reference the Session Types section of this guide for details on each format. Session format impacts room setup and speaker limit. You may be asked to adjust your format during the selection process.

    Session Title: Your session title is often the first thing attendees see, so make it clear, concise and compelling. Choose a title that communicates the essence of the session topic and encourages attendees to learn more. Avoid jargon, puns that may not translate or language that is too vague or technical.

    Session Description: Provide a full picture of your session proposal. What is the central focus or question? Why is it important right now? What makes your session different from others on this topic? Whose perspectives or experiences does it center, and why? Your description should help reviewers understand the scope and relevance of the session and why it matters to the journalism community.

    Please do not include names of speakers or organizations here, as they will be submitted separately. If selected, this description may be edited for clarity and length.

    Moderator & Speakers: Provide the names, titles and affiliations of the speakers you're proposing for your session. Each session should have no more than four speakers, including the moderator. At the submission stage, speakers should not need be confirmed, but we welcome you to propose a well-rounded, thoughtful lineup that reflects:

    • Indigenous voices and local or regional perspectives, where relevant to the session topic

    • Subject-matter expertise, including lived experience

    • Diversity of identities, geographies and perspectives

    • Representation across experience levels, sectors and organization types and sizes

    Moderators guide the conversation and ensure a balanced discussion, and count toward the speaker limit.

    Note that speakers listed here are proposed, not confirmed. SEJ reserves the right to request adjustments to the lineup if the session is accepted.

    Subcategories: Include three to five keywords or short phrases that reflect the key topics of your session. These help with categorization, searchability and placement within the conference schedule.

    Target Audience: Who is this session designed for? Be as specific as possible. This could include roles (e.g., editors, students, freelancers), experience levels (early-career, veteran journalists), topics or organizational types (newsrooms, nonprofits, academia).

    Why this session?: Write a compelling, public-facing pitch for your session. Focus on the value to attendees and the broader journalism community, not a summary of the session structure. Who stands to benefit most from this conversation, and why does it matter now? 

  • Preview the questions on the submission form here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • You can choose from two formats: a Panel (a moderated discussion with two to three non-moderator speakers, ideal for diverse perspectives on a shared topic) or a Mini-Workshop (a hands-on, interactive session focused on skill-building or tool-sharing).

  • Topic Tracks are focused on environmental journalism coverage areas — the issues, regions and stories at the heart of the field. Craft & Practice Tracks focus on the skills, tools and professional knowledge journalists need to do their work well, from freelancing and business practices to storytelling formats and investigative techniques. Craft & Practice sessions don't need to be environmental journalism-specific, but should be relevant to the journalists and media professionals in our community.

  • Only current SEJ members may submit a session proposal, and the designated Session Coordinator must also be an SEJ member. Submissions where the submitter or Session Coordinator cannot be verified as a current SEJ member will be screened out before review. Join SEJ here. SEJ values fresh voices and diverse perspectives. If you are not eligible to join, there are other ways to get involved — as a volunteer, mentor or sponsor.

  • No. The Session Coordinator is the administrative point of contact for the session and does not need to be on the panel or lead the mini-workshop. If someone other than the Coordinator will serve as moderator, please note this in your proposal.

  • No. Speakers and moderators are not required to be SEJ members. Only the person submitting the proposal and the designated Session Coordinator must be current members.

  • No. You should submit a proposal without confirmed speakers, but we welcome you to propose a specific, well-considered lineup. As Session Coordinator, you will be responsible for confirming and communicating with speakers if your session is accepted.

    Note that SEJ reserves the right to request adjustments to the confirmed lineup prior to the final program.

  • Reviewers are looking for sessions with a clearly defined focus, a thoughtful speaker lineup and specific, actionable takeaways for attendees. We expect fully developed proposals — not early-stage ideas. Strong proposals reflect diverse voices and perspectives, including Indigenous representation and local or regional expertise where relevant to the topic.

  • Proposals are reviewed for eligibility and completeness. Common reasons a proposal is screened out include:

    • The submitter or Session Coordinator is not a current SEJ member

    • The submission is an early-stage idea rather than a fully developed proposal with a clear focus, intended takeaways and a thoughtful speaker lineup

    • The session is centered on promoting a single person's work or a single newsroom or organization, rather than exploring a broader issue or question

    • The proposed format is not a panel or mini-workshop.

    • The session lacks clear relevance for a broad range of conference attendees

    When in doubt, review the Call for Sessions Guide before submitting.

  • Proposals are reviewed by Track Guides, volunteer subject matter experts assigned to each track. They evaluate submissions based on four criteria: Topic & Track Fit, Clarity of Purpose & Takeaways, Speaker Expertise & Representation and Community & Equity Impact or Accessibility & Broad Relevance. Track Guides then shortlist their top recommendations, which are reviewed and finalized by the Host Committee and SEJ staff.

  • Yes. You may select up to two tracks if your session spans more than one area. Choose the tracks that best reflect your session's primary focus.

  • Accepted Session Coordinators and speakers receive complimentary registration for the day of their session. They may purchase full four-day registration at a discounted rate of $90. A limited pool of travel support is available for speakers with demonstrated need.

  • Track Guides are selected by the conference planning team. If you're interested in being considered for this volunteer role, contact conference@sej.org.

  • Notifications will go out starting December 7.

  • Proposals for tours follow a separate process from concurrent session submissions. Follow this link to learn more and to submit an idea.

Submission Link:

Before you submit, take a moment to review what makes a strong proposal — and what may get screened out — in the FAQ above.

Please log in to your SEJ account to access the submission link. Not an SEJ member? Join our community here.