CALL FOR PRESENTATION PROPOSALS
The 2025 Annual Meeting and Writing Retreat of the Louisiana Education Research Association (LERA)
will be held:
March 11-14, 2025
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
620 McKinley St., Lafayette, LA 70504
The Conference Theme for 2025 is,
“Sustainable Development and Innovation for a Better Tomorrow.”
In today’s world, the need for sustainable development has never been more pressing. This theme explores how educators and professionals from various fields can come together to address the urgent issues of climate change, social inequity, and resource scarcity. Education plays a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future, and we believe that innovative approaches within our classrooms and communities are the keys to driving this change. By engaging in interdisciplinary collaboration—whether with educators, social workers, healthcare professionals, or community leaders—we can create pathways for students to become agents of sustainable development. This theme encourages participants to consider the long-term impacts of their educational practices and policies, emphasizing the importance of preparing learners to tackle complex global and local challenges.
LERA is seeking proposals for paper, roundtable, symposium, or poster presentations on impactful research that is taking place all over the state. We invite all stakeholders in education—college and university faculty/staff, undergraduate and graduate students, PK-12 educators and administrators, and policymakers—to share their work on this critical theme. Together, we can foster communities that thrive in harmony with the environment and ensure that education becomes a force for long-lasting positive change. We encourage innovative solutions, research, and strategies that contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
Guidelines for Submitting Proposals for Paper Sessions
To submit a proposal, go to the proposal submission form. All proposals must be submitted electronically no later than Sunday, January 5, 2025. Proposals consist of a title of 15 words or less and a 500-word maximum abstract. All proposals are blindly reviewed. We ask that you remove all identifying information from your submission document. Submission of a proposal is a professional commitment to register and present at the conference. Acceptance status will be e-mailed on or before February 17, 2025. Authors of accepted presentations are required to pre-register for the conference to remain on the program.
Proposal Reviewers and Session Discussants
To maintain the high quality of the LERA conference, we invite you to sign up as a proposal reviewer and session discussant. Proposal reviewers will be assigned to review approximately 15 proposals. For the paper sessions, discussants will keep presentations on time, offer commentary and critique, and facilitate audience discussion. During the roundtable session, the discussant will keep presentations on time and encourage the roundtable participants to participate in discussion. You can sign up to serve LERA in these capacities when you submit your proposal in the online portal.
Writing Retreat
LERA will host its inaugural writing retreat for graduate students and professionals on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 11-12, 2025. The purpose of the writing retreat is to create a mutually supportive space for attendees to write, receive feedback from colleagues, and network with educational professionals with related research and scholarly interests. The retreat will be free for all conference registrants. Individuals who will attend the retreat are required to register for the conference and are encouraged to submit a paper proposal. For more information about the retreat, please contact Dr. Natalie Keefer at [email protected].
Conference Registration Information
Registration is required of all participants and guests and can be accessed here; the details are included in the table below and will be included with acceptance decisions, which will be emailed by February 10, 2025. On-site registration is $10.00 higher than early registration. Registration gives you access to all sessions and social events during the conference.
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LERA 2025 Conference Registration Dates and Fees |
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Early Registration October 3 – March 5 |
Late Registration March 6 – 14 |
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| Full Professional | $65 | $75 |
| Student | $40 | $50 |
Hotel/Lodging Registration Information
For those who require overnight accommodations, we have reserved a block of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn for conference participants until the block is sold out. Information about reserving a room in the hotel block will be sent to presenters along with proposal acceptance decisions.
Outstanding Paper Awards
Each year, two awards are given as part of the annual conference: The Rayma Harchar Outstanding Research Paper Award and the LERA Outstanding Graduate Student Research Paper Award. Selection is based on the quality of the written paper, and criteria for judging will be made available upon notification of acceptance of the proposal.
The recipient of the Rayma Harchar Outstanding Research Paper Award will have the paper published in Research Issues in Contemporary Research (RICE) and is invited to present the paper at the following year’s (2026) Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The recipient also receives reimbursement up to a maximum of $1000. to support travel to this meeting.
Any paper whose principal author is a current graduate student or a student who completed a thesis or dissertation in 2024 that was submitted in partial fulfillment of degree requirements at a college or university in Louisiana will be eligible for the LERA Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award. The recipient of this award will be invited to submit the paper for publication in RICE.
To be considered for either award, the completed paper must be submitted via email to the LERA Executive Director, Dr. Natalie Keefer ([email protected]), on or before February 21, 2025. Papers submitted for either award will be evaluated on the following criteria: (a) subject/problem, (b) research design or procedure, (c) results, (d) findings and discussion, and (e) mechanics. Announcements of awards are made at the Friday session of the annual LERA meeting. Papers must not exceed 25 pages.
If you have questions or require additional information, you can visit the LERA website or email the LERA Program Co-Chairs at [email protected] and [email protected].