CCDA Conference 2026 Call for Proposals

California Career Development Association - Annual Spring Virtual Conference

March 13, 2026

Conference Theme

Tools, Theories, and Techniques for Today and Tomorrow 

This year’s theme returns our focus to the tools, theories, and techniques that will help our clients navigate a rapidly changing economy. With a focus on the future of career development, we ask that submissions offer practical applications and best practices. 

Career development practitioners often take on various roles - career counselors, career coaches, career educators, career advisors, etc. - and usually help others find work, design career plans, imagine fulfilling futures, and build life satisfaction through work. Through this work, we also learn and grow towards fulfilling careers; therefore, the CCDA Conference Planning committee is seeking presenters to share career development tools, theories and techniques at one of two levels; foundational or advanced. 

Each presenter will choose to hone their content for foundational or advanced instruction to support career counselors at various stages in their own professional journeys. Presentations are 50 minutes, with a closing Q&A, and presenters will have a dedicated CCDA volunteer helping manage the session. We encourage presenters to incorporate engaging activities to build community. 

The Conference Planning Committee seeks presenters who can provide attendees with information, resources, and strategies for working with clients in various career stages. Some examples of topics we would like to cover are as follows:

• Career development theory and updated interventions

• Effective assessment usage in the era of AI

• Employee onboarding, development, and career planning 

• Leadership tools and techniques that combat burnout

• Tools and techniques that maximize talent acquisition

• Mentorship theories and techniques that facilitate community building

• Cost effective tools and resources in college and university programs

• Local and state governance initiatives

• Scholarship, grant funding, and professional development opportunities 

• Best practices that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace
  
• Business strategy and mentorship techniques
  
• The future of negotiating pay and work contracts
  
• Adjustments to career outlook while managing health conditions; cancer, diabetes, long Covid, chronic pain, etc
  

Target Audience

All program materials should be designed to provide learning and development experience to career counselors, career development practitioners, and specialists. These professionals work in colleges, private practice, schools, business and industry, community services, workforce, corrections, One-Stop centers, agencies, and government. They call themselves counselor educators, career center staff, coaches, career development facilitators, rehabilitation counselors, consultants, transition specialists, managers, labor market and employment specialists, and school counselors and administrators.

Share Your Expertise, Submit Your Proposal! 

Please submit your proposal using this link: https://forms.gle/JLGbDQESS3uvKBZK9

Proposal Deadline: 11:59 pm pacific on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

Submissions will not be reviewed past this time unless otherwise stated by CCDA on the website. 

Proposal Selection Process: The CCDA Conference Planning Committee will review all proposals. Final decisions will be based on 1) relevance to the conference theme, 2) quality and clarity in the written proposal, 3) target audience alignment, and 4) cited research. Presenters will be notified via email of acceptance of the proposal by December 15, 2025. If you do not receive email notification of your proposal's acceptance or decline from CCDA by January 1, 2025, please contact Conference Planning Committee Chair at ccdaconnect@gmail.com

Registration Deadline: All presenters are required to register for the CCDA Virtual Spring Conference. The registration deadline for all presenters is January 20, 2026. Failure to register by the deadline may result in the cancellation of your program.  Please note presenters receive a discounted rate of $35 to attend the conference.

Questions & Correspondence: All inquiries and correspondence regarding program proposals must be made via email to Conference Planning Committee Chair,  Rick Villarreal at CCDAConnect@gmail.com