Conference 2026

We welcome submissions for the following presentation types that clearly adhere to the conference theme. The call for proposals ended April 15. 

Paper Presentations (25 minutes)

• Presentations are 20 minutes, starting with key results from findings, and include a 5-minute open floor Q&A

Campfire Sessions (45 minutes)

• Session starts with a 15-20 minute presentation from a speaker, it then shifts to focusing on gaining key participation from the audience. The presenter turns facilitator allowing attendees to answer questions and provide comments.

Panel Discussions (45 minutes)

• Presentations are moderated, multi-speaker events where experts discuss a topic, offering diverse perspectives in a structured yet conversational format, moving beyond individual speeches to foster interactive learning for the audience, and a guided discussion with Q&A.

March 1 – Call for Papers
April 15 – Deadline for Proposals 
May 15 – Notifications of acceptance, Scholarship Applications & Award Nominations Open
June 1 – Scholarship Applications & Award Nominations due, Registration Opens
June 15 – Scholarship & Award Notifications
July 15 – Early Bird/Presenter Registration ends

Charleston International Airport is an airport located in North Charleston, South Carolina, United States. The airport is located in North Charleston and is approximately 12 miles (19 km) northwest of downtown Charleston.

You can get from Charleston Airport (CHS) to downtown via ride-sharing services like Uber, traditional taxis, private car services, or public transportation. The most direct options are rideshares, taxis, and private car services, which take about 15 minutes, while a public bus route is a more budget-friendly but longer option.

Ride-sharing and taxis

• Uber: Follow the signs for the ride-share pickup area outside of Baggage Claim. The pickup area is located across both roadways and to the right of the last sidewalk, according to Charleston International Airport.
• Taxis: Taxis are available through companies like the Airport Limo-Taxi Association.
• Private car services: Companies like Coastal Limousine of Charleston and Going Coastal Transportation offer private shuttles and luxury vehicles.

Public transportation

• CARTA Bus: The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) operates bus routes that serve the airport and the downtown area.

The address for the Gibbes Museum of Art is 135 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401.

• Andrew Pinckney Inn
  • Located in the heart of the historic district and recently restored, the Andrew Pinckney Inn is at the center of everything Charleston has to offer. With an ideal downtown location, find yourself just steps away from the lively atmosphere of renowned restaurants and shops that surround Charleston’s historic City Market. Settle into one of our 41 elegant, yet casual rooms.
  • Trip Advisor Reviews
• Church Street Inn Historic Charleston, an Ascend Collection Hotel
  • The Church Street Inn Historic Charleston, an Ascend Collection™ Hotel, offers townhouse-style accommodations in downtown Charleston. Located at the corner of Church and Market Streets, making it easy to walk to a variety of shops and restaurants, the Historic Charleston City Market, College of Charleston, Dock Street Theatre, city ghost tours and much more. Hotel amenities include free WiFi throughout the hotel and an onsite fitness center. There are 31 rooms. 
  • Trip Advisor Reviews
• Indigo Inn
  • A hidden gem in the historic Ansonborough neighborhood features 40 beautifully furnished guest rooms surrounding a tranquil and inviting European-style atrium. The extensive list of guest services at Indigo Inn includes daily complimentary breakfast and evening wine and cheese receptions.
  • Trip Advisor Reviews
• Kings Courtyard Inn
  • Blending the intimacy of a bed & breakfast with the thoughtful amenities and personalized service of a boutique hotel, the Kings Courtyard Inn is a rare find on Charleston’s celebrated King Street. Tucked within one of the city’s oldest buildings, this charming inn in the heart of the Antiques District features 41 freshly updated guest rooms and suites, including some with original fireplaces, four-poster mahogany beds, and views of leafy interior courtyards.
  • Trip Advisor Reviews

• Charleston City Market
  • The Charleston City Market is one of the nation’s oldest public markets and the cultural heart of Charleston. It is home to more than 300 entrepreneurs, and open every day of the year except December 25th. 
  • Charleston City Day Market
    • The Day Market is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Our current hours for the open air market and Great hall are 9:30am- 5pm everyday.
  • Charleston City Night Market
    • The Night Market is the largest art market in the Southeast. Featuring 100 talented local artists and craftspeople—including 25 new artists—the market offers a festive atmosphere with live entertainment every Friday and Saturday evening from March through December.
      Hours: Friday & Saturday Night, 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM
• Fort Sumter National Monument 
  • Fort Sumter, an island fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, is most famous for being the site of the first battle of the American Civil War. Originally constructed in 1829 as a coastal garrison, U.S. Major Robert Anderson occupied the fort in December 1860 following South Carolina’s secession from the Union, initiating a standoff with the state’s militia forces. When President Abraham Lincoln announced plans to resupply the fort, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard bombarded Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, kicking off the Battle of Fort Sumter.
• International African American Museum 
  • The International African American Museum (IAAM) in Charleston represents the only curated museum in South Carolina that interprets the state’s pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement and does so by illustrating the events that led to it.
  • IAAM is located on historic Gadsden’s Wharf in downtown Charleston on the Cooper River. The wharf was the last and most important disembarkation point for Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade in North America. Completed in 1772 by slave labor, the wharf was most active between 1783 and 1808 when an estimated 100,000 African men, women and children arrived and were sold into slavery. The 840-foot wharf, at the time the largest in North America, could accommodate up to six ships at once.
  • The $120 million museum is built on pillars so as to not touch this “sacred ground.” It features nine galleries that contain nearly one dozen interactive exhibits of more than 150 historical objects and 30 works of art.
• Old Slave Mart Museum 
  • Established in 1938, the Old Slave Mart Museum is Charleston’s oldest museum of African American history and the first museum on the history of slavery in the United States. Located in the heart of downtown Charleston, the museum is housed in a portion of the city’s last major slave market. Today, the Old Slave Mart Museum is owned and operated by the City of Charleston and is dedicated to sharing the story of the domestic slave trade.
• Penn Center 
  • Located on beautiful St. Helena Island, at the very heart of Gullah culture, surrounded by glimmering marshes, and nestled beneath the silvery moss-draped limbs of massive live oaks… is Penn Center.
  • The campus of the former Penn School, one of the nation’s first schools for formerly enslaved people, is one of the most significant African American institutions in existence today. This historic and cultural institution is a National Historic Landmark District and comprises two of the four sites in Reconstruction Era National Park.
• South Carolina Aquarium
  • The South Carolina Aquarium, located in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, opened on May 19, 2000. Located on the historic Charleston Harbor, visitors can enjoy views of the waterfront, including the USS Yorktown and Ravenel Bridge. The Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). More than 5,000 animals reside in dozens of exhibits spanning two stories. The largest exhibit, the Great Ocean Tank, holds 385,000 US gallons (1,460,000 L) and stands at 42 feet deep, making it the deepest tank in North America. Additional experiences include multiple touch tanks, a sea turtle hospital and three open-air exhibits. Visitors can see various native South Carolina species including a bald eagle, river otters, alligators, cownose rays, sea turtles, sand tiger sharks, roseate spoonbills, jellyfish and more.