An unconference is a participant-driven, discussion-based conference at which attendees create the agenda at the beginning of the meeting.

On Friday, May 13, the 2016 Telling Untold Histories Unconference will take place on the campus of Rutgers-Newark from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the Paul Robeson Campus Center (350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Newark, NJ 07102). The program is open to anyone involved in history – staff, volunteers, and board members at historical societies, libraries, museums; educators, and community members. The cost is $20 (plus a small service fee) per participant and registration may be completed online at https://untoldhistories.wordpress.com/register. Light breakfast and lunch are included.

An unconference is a participant-driven, discussion-based conference. At an unconference, attendees create the agenda at the beginning of the meeting. Unconferences typically feature open discussions rather than having a single speaker at the front of the room giving a talk. This form of conference is particularly useful for a topic like "Telling Untold Histories" because it provides opportunities for problem solving and encourages collaboration.

You may propose a session:

  • In advance of the conference. After you register for Telling Untold Histories, visit the Propose a Session page and fill out the comment form. Propose as early and often as you like, but be prepared to facilitate a discussion on a topic you propose.
  • Last minute on the day of the conference. Stand up and tell us your idea during the morning scheduling session. It’s that easy.

In addition to the discussions, this year there will be four interactive, skills-based workshops offered at the Unconference:  Coping with Copyright in Public History, A History-Pin How-to for Beginners, Jumpstarting Community Documentation Projects: Tools and Tips from StoryCorps, and Facilitating Great Conversations.

The Unconference is sponsored by the New Jersey Historical Commission; New Jersey Council for the Humanities; Rutgers University-Newark College of Arts and Sciences; LibraryLinkNJ – the New Jersey Library Cooperative; Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities; Clement A. Price Institute on Ethnicity, Culture and the Modern Experience; Queer Newark Oral History Project, and the County of Middlesex.

If you propose a session, you should be prepared to facilitate it. However, that does not mean you will be expected to lecture or present on the subject. Instead, your job will be to get the conversation going, perhaps provide background information, and encourage participation from the rest of the group.

Members of media are welcome to cover this event.

The event contact is Mary Rizzo, associate director of digital and public humanities initiatives, American studies and history, Rutgers University-Newark, 973-353-1166, mary.rizzo@rutgers.edu, @rizzo_pubhist. More information can be found at untoldhistories.wordpress.com.