Professionals, teams, clients and families who access and are impacted by services, students who have completed projects and research in the field, and who:

• Value the opportunity to engage with colleagues from across Ontario
• Offer translational research to inform evidence-based practice
• Keep pace with transitions in Ontario’s child development sector
• Blaze new trails in family engagement, service delivery, and organizational leadership

Attendees will appreciate the information you have to offer, and often find they can apply what they learn from you in their day-to-day work and lives. Please consider teaming up with youth, family members, clinical and research partners to present a session on an innovative idea, or best practice, that you’ve implemented in your work.

• Build your CV
• Share your expertise and experience
• Introduce notable projects
• Connect with colleagues who share your research interests, management challenges, and passions
• Network with mentors, leaders, peers and collaborators, youth and families
• Discover an inter-professional platform that informs research and cutting-edge evidence practices that set the standard for best practice in child development and pediatric rehabilitation.

EKO is committed to best practice in child development, across all aspects of the sector and its delivery of services and supports for kids and families. The EKO Spring Symposium Working Group encourages presenters to consider a range of interesting and useful formats designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information.

Note: All concurrent sessions will be 60 minutes, so presenters can determine how they would like to divide this time between their presentations and Q&A periods.

• Research Presentation (Formal presentation of ongoing or completed research, with a focus on clinical applicability.) 
• Workshops (This format incorporates exercises and activities to foster structured discussion and uninterrupted ideation.)
• Roundtables (Less formal than a panel, roundtables generally include brief presentations by each speaker followed by discussion with one another; the audience is usually invited to engage more directly than at panel presentations.)
• Family First Conversations (Conversations co-facilitated by a youth or family member with a service provider or researcher, addressing important topics that affect their lives and experience with services. Guiding questions and facilitated conversation will allow youth and family members to reflect on and share their experiences on topics such as wellness, community participation and inclusion, transition to adult services, and aspects of service delivery.*)
• Panel discussions (Facilitated by a moderator, this is an up close and personal discussion about a specific topic with a selected group of 3 or 4 experts or practitioners in the field, who share facts, offer differing perspectives or opinions, and respond to audience questions.)
• Solution Rooms (Often described as a community of inquiry – participants are led through a critical reflection and discussion of how current practice can work differently, more effectively, more powerfully, and more efficiently. The focus is about process. Solution Room sessions typically contain several short presentations related to the same challenge.)
• Fireside Chats (a personal and interactive discussion involving a moderator and guest, allowing the audience to gain insights into the guest’s personal stories and thoughts on various topics)
• Facilitated Questions & Answer (This type of session allows audiences to find out more about certain topics—often providing the chance to ask a question of someone that they would otherwise not have the opportunity to ask.)
• Campfire Sessions (This is an informal way of presenting and discussing topics. Less structured than a typical breakout session, campfires are designed to allow participants to meet in smaller groups. This is a good vehicle for niche topics. Slides may or may not be used, and seating is typically a casual cluster of seats promoting relaxed conversation.)
• Lecture: A talk to present information on a particular subject. Lectures typically convey critical information, background/history, and theories. Presenters may choose to stop frequently to ask, and answer, questions.

* Family First conversations will be open for service providers, researchers and other attendees to join us as learners. Facilitators will prepare a summary of key insights gained through Family First conversations to share insights with attendees during the conference and with the public following the conference.

The EKO Spring Symposium 2025 welcomes submissions for presentations focused on new models of service delivery, introducing best practices, closing the gap between research and practice, achievements, advances, and sector innovation.

Successful topics come from both broad and narrow themes and might include, for example:

• Clinical best practices, for example:
• Virtual service
• Education and prevention
• Tiered Model of Service
• Trauma-informed care
• Coaching
• Sector and cross-sectoral innovation and partnerships, for example:
• Seamless transitions
• Wait list management
• Caseload management strategies
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Accessibility
• Indigenous and cultural approaches
• Family engagement/Youth engagement
• What’s new and levelling up
• Ethics
• What’s trending?
• Recruitment
• Research innovation

Presentation Length

All concurrent sessions will be 60 minutes, so presenters can determine how they would like to divide this time between presentation and Q&A.

Each room is set up theatre style.

The EKO Spring Symposium 2025 will consist of both invited and accepted presentations. The EKO Spring Symposium Working Group will review and evaluate proposals based on the goals and objectives of the program, and the following criteria:

• Innovation in the field
• Speaker’s/speakers’ experience and knowledge of the subject matter; lived and living experience, clinical and leadership, and research experience are welcome.
• Timeliness and relevance of the topic to current sector and professional trends and advances
• Potential to contribute to sector conversations
• Creativity in interaction with participants

Proposals must be submitted through the online Abstract submission forms.

The primary speaker, moderator, or author should submit a presentation proposal and an abstract to the EKO Spring Symposium Working Group using the submission form prior to the deadline for the Call for Presentations and Posters.

When the EKO Spring Symposium Working Group performs its initial review; there may be a question or questions for the presenter. A representative from the working group will be in touch seeking clarification or to learn more.

• Submission Opening Date: August 7, 2024 
• Submission Closing Date: October 11, 2024 
• Guidelines: Please read the Abstract Submission Guidelines before you start your submission. 
• Notification of Acceptance: Starting December 16, 2024 

Speakers at EKO’s Spring Symposium 2025 will receive a discount on their symposium registration fee. All presenters are required to register as an attendee. Travel and additional fees are the responsibility of the presenter. Lead speakers are asked to inform all co-presenters of this policy.

Note: If presenters bring a caregiver/family member, their accommodations are the responsibility of the presenter. 

Bring your ideas to life.

Presentations at the EKO Spring Symposium 2025 are meant to spark the imagination, encourage dialogue, and drive new solutions to our sector’s greatest challenges.

Transforming your ideas into a presentation that resonates with your audience can be challenging. We’re here to help guide you.

If you have questions about anything discussed above, please contact info@empoweredkidsontario.ca