Save the Date!
61st NYSSSWA State Conference
November 11 – 13, 2026
at
The Hotel Ithaca & the Ithaca Conference Center!
NYSSSWA is so excited to announce that after 3 years of sold out conferences, we have contracted with the new, modern and well equipped Ithaca Downtown Conference Center for our 2026 State Conference with accommodations around the corner at the newly refurbished Hotel Ithaca! Michelle Williams has stepped up to serve as NYSSSWA’s new Conference Chairperson and the Conference Committee has already started making plans!! We will again be offering an evening “Pre-Conference” yoga session on November 11 with full conference on November 12 & 13.
It’s not too early to start talking with your district regarding funding and time off to join School Social Workers from across the State of New York for professional development dedicated to the needs of School Social Workers and the students, educators and parents we serve!
Photo Credit: The Hotel Ithaca and the Ithaca Conference Center
Call for Proposals:
Share Your Expertise: Whether you’re a seasoned School Social Worker (SSW), relatively new to the field with programs and approaches that work or you have specialized knowledge relative to the practice of School Social Work; you are invited to share your expertise, success stories, insights and intervention strategies at the 2026 NYSSSWA State Conference.
See Call for Proposals for Details
Timeline:
Although the deadline for workshop proposals is April 15, 2026, NYSSSWA hopes to finalize a program as early as possible. Please note that the Conference Committee will be reviewing Workshop Proposals as we receive them, so don’t delay! If you are interested in presenting at NYSSSWA’s 61st State School Social Work Conference, send us your proposal TODAY!
Conference Fees?
The Conference Committee is committed to keeping registration fees reasonable As a guide, you can refer to the 2025 Conference Rates. You should note that NYSSSWA members always receive a discount so consider joining now!!
Hotel Fees?
For planning purposes, you should also note that a large block of rooms have been contracted for at The Hotel Ithaca around the corner from the Ithaca Conference Center for November 11 & 12 at $139.00 a night (tax not included).
Photo Credit: The Hotel Ithaca
Why Come to Ithaca?
Last year CNN reported that Ithaca is one of “America’s Best Towns to Visit in 2025”.
“Ithaca’s not the kind of place where you drive for an hour, hike for miles, then finally lay eyes on an underwhelming trickle of a waterfall. The landscape in and around this friendly upstate New York town is so jampacked with falls — more than 150 within a 10-mile radius — that you don’t have to go far before coming upon another one, often more impressive than the last…
A showstopper when it comes to scenery, Ithaca sits at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, the longest of New York’s Finger Lakes, surrounded by fertile land that’s home to wineries, cider houses and farms that stock produce-forward restaurants downtown.”
So take advantage of Veterans’ Day and come early or stay later to enjoy the Finger Lakes too!
Source: Hunter, , 2026-June, CNN
Photo Credit: The Hotel Ithaca
Need Help Convincing Your Supervisor or Superintendent?
NYSSSWA has put together a couple of sample initial letters that you can draw from to submit to your supervisor. Feel free to adapt to meet your needs.
Convince Your Supervisor–Letter 1 (Generic)
Convince Your Supervisor–Letter 2 (Includes the opportunity to list a few sessions that may be specifically pertinent to you and your district.)