There are four ways to participate in and contribute to the 2018 MAPS Conference

Paper Talks are scheduled in 15-minute time slots. Talks allow the short presentation of any topic that lends itself to publication as a research or topical article. Presenters should allow time at the end for questions, and they may have hand-outs for the general group. These talks can involve a PowerPoint presentation, video and/or use of planetarium equipment and are sometimes presented as a planetarium mini-lesson.

Poster Presentations are displayed for most of the conference with time scheduled for authors to present material to interested delegates. Some subjects are better presented with posters or display boards, hand-outs, and one-to-one conversation.

Workshops are longer, 45 and 90-minute engaging sessions, scheduled concurrent with other workshops, when small groups explore specific subjects together with a leader. Workshops engage participants interactively and can include make-and-take activities, introductions to tools and methods, or explorations of specific topics and problem-solving in planetarium development and operation. Vendor-conducted workshops are an option for sponsors in accord with sponsor guidelines.

Panel Discussions allow a delegate to organize several people to serve on a panel to address complex or controversial topics. Panel discussions are presented to the entire conference body and will entirely fit within a 30-minute time slot. Submit proposals only after confirming the members who will sit on the panel.

Feel free to address any questions about the proposal of a presentation or the process to the MAPS Program Committee Chair at april_whitt@dekalbschoolsga.org.

Presenters are encouraged to submit their “Proposals to Present” online at https://goo.gl/forms/HZjf77KgYA74PwhC3.

In addition, a PDF form for proposals will be available on the MAPS website for downloading and submission.

Please note that a 2-3 paragraph summary of your presentation must be sent electronically to the program committee by the start of the conference.