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 hope to be offering an evening “Pre-Conference” yoga session on November 11 with full conference on November 12 & 13.
If you have not done so already, 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! (See further down the page for more information.)
Photo Credit: The Hotel Ithaca and the Ithaca Conference Center
Call for Proposals:
The deadline for workshop proposals was April 15, 2026. The Conference Committee is working hard to finalize a program as early as possible.
See Call for Proposals for Details
Registration Will be Open to Members FIRST
Be Sure To Be at the “Head of the Line”
Since we have sold out the last 3 years, we would like to acknowledge our NYSSSWA members and give them first priority regarding registration to “Save My Spot” for the Fall State Conference even prior to finalizing the program. When registration initially opens, it will be to NYSSSWA MEMBERS ONLY. So if YOU would like to be among the first to be able to “Save My Spot” and register for the conference, we encourage you to Join Now or make sure your NYSSSWA membership has been renewed and is current. (Log in to your NYSSSWA account to see your expiration date or contact member.services@nyssswa.org.)
Conference Fees?
The Conference Committee has again agreed that the Regular Conference Fees will remain the same as they have been for the past few years. Full & Associate members will be $399. Retired & Students: $349 and Non-members: $499. A $50 Late Fee will again be added on October 16, 2026. Note that NYSSSWA membership is $85 if you would like to receive the discounted Member Rate, so consider joining or renewing today!!
Hotel Fees?
For planning purposes, you should 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 ($164.02 with tax). Additional room blocks are being explored with hotels very close by (easy walking distance).
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?
If you have not done so already, meet with your supervisor to request funds. (There may be funds left over for 2025-2026 year or secure funds from the 2026-27 year.) 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.)