It’s that time of the year! The 2023 NCFR Annual Conference will be here before we know it. I look forward to seeing you during the conference whether you are joining us in person or remotely!
The 2023 NCFR Annual Conference Program Chair, M. Elise Radina, Ph.D., CFLE, and the Conference Program Committee have come together to design another excellent conference with many high-quality sessions including plenaries, special sessions, invited presenter symposia, and many more.
This year’s theme is: The Way We Are Now: Families and Communities at the Center of the Syndemic, Dr. Radina’s goal of this theme is to call our attention to how families and communities have been, and continue to be, impacted by what has become a syndemic (i.e., struggles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, gun violence, hom*ophobia, climate change).
In an effort to begin preparing for what will undoubtedly be an inspiring and unique conference, here are sessions that highlight this year’ theme.
Please check the conference schedule for session times: ncfr.org/ncfr-2023/schedule.
Plenaries, Special Sessions, and Invited Sessions That Examine the Effects of the Syndemic on Families Well-being
Wednesday, Nov. 8
- Our Current Crisis in Historical Perspective, the opening plenary with Stephanie Coontz, M.S.
- Latinx LGBTQ People and Their Families: Advancing Culturally Centered Theories and Research Methodologies, TCRM special session
- You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel: Trauma Informed Wellness For Faculty and Practitioner Support, a special session made possible by the Families and Health, Advancing Family Science, and Family Therapy Sections
- Custodial Grandfamilies Navigating the Syndemic: Risk, Resilience, and Future Directions, an invited presenter session made possible by the Families and Health section and the Issues in Aging Focus Group
- Navigating Academia Through Syndemics: COVID and Political Churning, an invited session made possible by NCFR Students and New Professionals
Thursday, Nov. 9
- Ambiguity, Compounded Loss, and Suffocated Grief in Families amid the Syndemic, Thursday plenary with Tashel C. Bordere, Ph.D.
- Changes in the Lives of Families and Family Science Amid a Syndemic: Perspectives of Faculty Appointed at Minority-Serving Institutions, a special session made possible by the NCFR Inclusion and Diversity Committee
Friday, Nov. 10
- Collective Wellness: The Psychology of Radical Healing With Families and Communities of Color, made possible by the Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Families, Feminism and Family Science, and Religion, Spirituality, and Family Sections
Saturday, Nov. 11
- A Syndemic: The American Racial Hierarchy, Systemic Racism, and the COVID-19 Pandemic, Saturday plenary with Marlene F. Watson, Ph.D.
Check out the conference program (ncfr.org/ncfr-2023/schedule) for a full list of all symposia, workshops, paper sessions, and posters not listed here that examine COVID-19 and the various social injustices that create a syndemic —and for all the other excellent conference sessions. The sessions listed above will be available to view remotely during the conference and via a recording on demand for all conference registrants after the conference.
Policy-Related Sessions During the 2023 Annual Conference
Many of the sessions listed above have the potential for great impact on policy or to provide policy implications.
As NCFR does annually, we would like to share policy-related sessions being presented during the conference, some of which also shift perspectives on families in the syndemic. These sessions highlight the excellent policy work being presented at the NCFR Annual Conference. The conference program (ncfr.org/ncfr-2023/schedule) provides a full list of policy and policy-related posters and sessions not listed here:
Wednesday, Nov. 16
- Birth Family Roles and Experiences in the Context of Adoption and Foster Care Systems, a Family Policy Section symposium
Thursday, Nov. 17
- Inspiring Action in the Face of Oppression: Advancing the Discourse on LGBTQ+ Policy, a special session made possible by the Feminism and Family Science, Family Policy, Family and Community Education, and Family Therapy Sections
- Sexual and Gender Minorities at the Intersection of Family Law and Policy, a Family Policy section lightning paper session
- How to Elevate the Impact of Your Research and Programming: How Family Military Scholars Make an Impact on Their Communities and Inform Policy, a special session made possible by the Family Policy, Family and Community Education, International, and Advancing Family Science Sections and the Military Families and Children Focus Group
Friday, Nov. 18
- The Impact of Discriminatory and Affirming Laws and Policies on LGBTQ Parent Families, Friday plenary with Abbie Goldberg, Ph.D.; this session is also related to the conference theme
- The Workings of the United Nations and How to Get Involved, an invited presenter session made possible by the International Section
- Centering Mothering: How Responsive is Family Policy to Evolving Maternal Experiences in the U.S., a Family Policy Section paper session
- Family Policy Section Member Meeting
Pedagogy at the 2023 Conference
The NCFR Education department is turning its head toward pedagogy to be used in academic and community settings. To that end, we would like to share with you sessions being held during the conference that can enhance your teaching skills.
Wednesday, Nov. 8
- Learning Tother: Resource Exchange of CFLE Teaching Materials, a resource exchange for those who teach in CFLE approved programs
- Examining and Improving Experiential Learning Experiences For Family Science Internship/Practicum Students: Adapting to the Syndemic, an Advancing Family Science Symposium
Thursday, Nov. 9
- Re: Building Families: Examining the Feasibility of a Psychoeducation and Support Program For Spouses/Partners of First Responders, a Family and Community Education Symposium
Friday, Nov. 10
- FCS/AFS Resource Exchange Roundtable, made possible by the Family and Community Education and Advancing Family Science Sections
- Examining Family Science and Family Science Programing, an Advancing Family Science paper session
- Fostering LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Family Science: A Cultural Competency Workshop for Family and Community Educators and Practitioners, a training workshop offered by the Family and Community Education section.
Saturday, Nov. 11
- Embrace AI Without Sacrificing AI: Artificial Intelligence, Academic Integrity, and the Family Science Classroom, an invited presenter session made possible by the Advancing Family Science Section.
Remember these are only a handful of all the many excellent sessions that examine the impact the syndemic has had families and policy and sessions that can inform your teaching efforts. You can find the full conference program at ncfr.org/ncfr-2023/schedule to see all the many excellent sessions that will be offered this year. We can’t wait to learn more!
