Annual Conference 2025

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NYSAFLT 2025 will be in Albany!

Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel, Albany, NY
October 17-18, 2025

Registration

Click here to view complete registration details and pricing.

Membership

You must be a NYSAFLT member in order to attend the NYSAFLT Annual Conference. If you are unsure of your membership status, please login to the Members Only area of our site to check your account. If your membership is not current, you may renew it separately and then register for the conference.

Payment

Use our online form to pay by credit card or upload a PO. We’re sorry, but due to limited in-office staffing, we are not able to accept paper registrations or registration by check. If you need a paper registration form in order to request a Purchase Order from your school, please click here.

Registration includes:

Access to all on-site sessions, keynote, exhibits, etc., Friday and Saturday.
Up to 11 hours of CTLE credit
Option to add a three-hour pre-conference workshop ($35)

NO REFUNDS AFTER OCTOBER 3, 2025

REGISTER NOW

If you are a member of a World Language organization outside of New York State and would like to attend this event, please email info@nysaflt.org

General Information

ASL Interpreter Request

Given that NYSAFLT is a small nonprofit with limited resources, the organization will do its best to accommodate those that are in need of ASL interpretation on a first-come, first-served basis.

Individuals requesting an ASL interpreter must register and notify NYSAFLT at info@nysaflt.org by June 30; a full conference itinerary must be emailed to NYSAFLT staff no later than September 15, in order for ASL Interpreters to be secured. After this date, we cannot guarantee that an interpreter will be made available. We appreciate you adhering to our policy.

Pre-registration and Confirmation

You may pre-register for the conference online with the registration form available at https://nysaflt.org/annual-conference/. Please note cut-off dates, fee schedules, and refund information on the registration form. Confirmation of conference registration will be made by email only to the address you provide on your form. If you do not receive a confirmation email, it may be in your spam folder. If you are unable to locate our confirmation email, let us know and we’ll resend it.

Arrival and Conference Check-in

Conference materials (programs, badges, banquet tickets) will be pre-packaged for those participants who have pre-registered and will be available at the conference registration desk in the Convention Center. The registration booth will be open during the Annual Conference from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday and 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Program Overview and Schedule at a Glance

The Annual Conference will run from Friday morning 8:30 a.m. through Saturday afternoon 4:00 p.m.:

Three-hour, ticketed workshops are scheduled for Friday only, 8:30–11:30 a.m. A separate $35 fee applies.
Regular 60-minute sessions begin Friday afternoon. There are three 60-minute session time slots on Friday and four on Saturday.
The General Session, Annual Business Meeting, and Keynote Address will be held Saturday morning from 10:00–11:15 a.m.
Exhibits: The exhibit area will open beginning Friday immediately after lunch and in the morning on Saturday.
Recognition of the year’s scholarship, grant, and award winners will take place during Friday’s lunch.
A special black and white themed event will be held Friday evening before the Banquet.
Our Annual Awards Banquet will be held Friday evening.
Our Service Award Luncheon will be Saturday.

Badges

Attendees at the conference are asked to WEAR THEIR BADGES AT ALL TIMES. You will not be permitted to attend workshops or enter the exhibit hall without your name badge.

Schedule and Locations

All workshops and sessions will be held in the Crowne Plaza Albany -The Desmond Hotel. The schedule will be determined prior to the Annual Conference and will be posted at https://nysaflt.org/annual-conference/. Please note that the listing of workshops and sessions is subject to change. All attendees are asked to be at sessions and workshops on time and to remain until the end. Please silence your cell phone while in workshops.

Exhibits

Exhibitors are present for consultation and to demonstrate and/or sell their materials, which include texts, journals, digital media, literature, games, fundraisers, authentic resources, travel services, and more. While exhibitors at the conference may offer various products and perspectives, it’s important to note that their views and offerings do not necessarily represent NYSAFLT’s official stance or endorsement. Most exhibitors accept cash, checks, or credit cards. The grand opening of the exhibit hall will be after lunch, 12:30–1:00 p.m., on Friday, followed by a coffee break at 3:30 p.m. and our traditional wine and cheese hour Friday evening 5p.m.–5:30 p.m. On Saturday, the exhibit hall will be open 8:30–11:45 a.m. Participants will have ample opportunity to examine a variety of materials. Raffles for valuable prizes will be held in the exhibit hall.

Directions and Parking

Quick Links

Keynote

Hotel

Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel

660 Albany Shaker Road

Albany, NY 12211

518-869-8100

Our discounted room block is available until 9/24/25.

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE A ROOM

Rooms may still be available at the Crowne Plaza at the prevailing rate on a first-come,
first-served basis.

Check-In time at the Crowne Plaza is 4:00 pm. The Check-out time is 12 Noon, after which time guests will incur an additional night’s charge.

Meals

Meal Information

Breakfast will be on your own. Mr. D’s, on the lower level of the hotel, is open for breakfast 7am-11:30am daily.
Lunch on Friday and Saturday are both included in your registration fees. To assist us in accurate catering, kindly select the day(s) you plan to attend on your registration form. Please note that YOU’LL ONLY BE ABLE TO ENJOY LUNCH ON THE DAYS YOU SELECT, as the caterer requires meal counts in advance. Your thoughtful cooperation is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Friday NYSAFLT Awards Banquet dinner tickets ($75) can be purchased with conference registration.

CTLE

NYSAFLT is an approved Sponsor of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) pursuant to Section 80-6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, beginning July 1, 2016 and ending June 30, 2026, CTLE Identification number: 23167. Attendees will be able to submit a request after the conference via our online form (below), in which you will verify which sessions you attended and/or viewed, if recorded. Submission of the form will generate an email confirmation of attendance. Certificates are only available upon request. It is attendees’ responsibility to maintain accurate records, including a copy of the program with session details, presenter names, etc. Credit-bearing components of the conference are as follows:

Three-hour pre-conference workshops, 3 hours (Friday)
General session, keynote address, and annual business meeting, 1 hour
Regular sessions A, B, C, D, E, F, and G, 1 hour each (Friday and Saturday)

Please refer to your local school district guidelines for professional development credit. If your school requires a certificate format, please submit the online request form first and then contact us at info@nysaflt.org to request a PDF certificate.

Click here to submit a form for CTLE credit.

Scholarships

2025 Scholarship Information

There are TWO types of scholarships available:

Option # 1: The Statewide Language RBERN Mentor/Mentee Scholarship Program (10 sponsorships and 10 stipends)

The NYS Statewide Language RBERN at NYU sponsors ten NYS public school world language teachers to attend the NYSAFLT annual conference for the first time and ten $50 stipends for experienced teachers to serve as their mentors. The ten new teachers are paired with a mentor to make their first conference experience a meaningful and productive one!

Click here to apply.

Deadline: September 15, 2025

Option # 2: NYSAFLT-funded Annual Conference Scholarships (4 full scholarships)

For teachers who have not attended any of the past three Annual Conferences (2022–2024): There are 4 scholarships given annually, divided between 2 categories: Teachers who have been teaching 3 years or less, and teachers who have been teaching more than three years. Each scholarship covers conference registration and will be awarded to world language teachers at any grade level from elementary to post-secondary who are members of NYSAFLT, and have full-time world language teaching responsibilities. Winners are expected to attend the entire Annual Conference from Friday through Saturday.

Click here to apply.

Deadline: September 15, 2025

2026 Conference

Pre-conference workshops

Three-hour ticketed pre-conference workshops have their own time slot on Friday morning. Please note: There is a separate $35 fee for pre-conference workshops.

101. From Standards to Success: Joyful Learning in Action! (Swaz Piron) – Are you looking for practical ways to bring the NYS World Language revised standards to life in your classroom? This session will focus on seamlessly integrating the standards with engaging, student-centered activities that can be immediately implemented in your instruction. The strategies are low-prep, foster community, reduce student affective filters, and are adaptable to any language and proficiency level. Join us for an interactive workshop with games and activities that deepen your understanding of Can-Do Statements, communication modes, themes and topics, and language functions. Leave with an array of versatile tools to make your lessons dynamic, joyful, and standards-aligned!

102. Beyond the Rules: Teaching Grammar and Vocabulary in Context (Joshua Cabral) – In this interactive workshop, we will explore shifting grammar and vocabulary instruction from rote memorization to meaningful communication. Using the ACTFL Core Practices and High Leverage Teaching Practices, we’ll focus on integrating grammar and vocabulary into context-rich lessons that prioritize communication. Instead of isolated drills, we can present grammar as a concept, guiding students to discover rules within authentic tasks. Participants will engage in hands-on activities to create lessons where grammar naturally supports communication. We’ll also discuss how to balance implicit learning through communication with explicit learning through guided discovery.

103. UDL Meets WL:Using Artful thinking & creative computing for engagement (Beth Slocum & Nancy Stauber) –

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guides us to provide innovative and supportive learning that meets the needs of all learners. Join us for a deep dive into high-tech, low-tech and no tech options for increasing engagement across proficiency levels. This session will include researched-based opportunities for hands-on practice with interactive centers, investigate the importance of play and collaboration, maximize student engagement with meaningful language in the interpretive, interpersonal and presentational modes of communication with UDL as our guide.

104. Stacked Activities to Help Students Talk in the Target Language (Mary Holmes) – Stacked Activities sequence similar tasks so the format and rules of the activity remain consistent, but the content expectations become progressively more complex. The consistent activity format means students can focus on content, not instructions. Participants in this workshop will learn how to sequence and stack activities for maximum student benefit.

105. Teaching Toward Proficiency: Aligning Your Practice with How Students Learn (Martina Bex) – The transition away from teaching language courses based on a traditional grammar syllabus requires a shift in thinking as well as a shift in instruction. In this workshop, attendees will consider both the theoretical basis for Proficiency Oriented, Comprehension Based teaching and its practical application. Attendees will explore these concepts through interactive demonstrations. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the role of input in language acquisition and will partake in activities that are optimized for language learning and teacher prep/energy levels that will foster confidence in instructional decisions.

Exhibitors & Sponsorship

Plan your visit to Albany

Check out our list of regular sessions & presenters:

For now, you can view the full conference schedule below. Attendees will be invited to our Sched event and will be able to create their own personalized schedules approximately one week before the Conference.