Meeting/Event Information

Registration will open this fall. Registration closes on October 23rd, 2026. If the maximum number of conference attendees is reached before October 23rd, additional registrations will be added to a wait list. There is no guarantee that persons on the waitlist will be granted conference registration or attendance.

Conference Brochure

Conference Agenda At-A-Glance

Lodging - Chula Vista Resort Reservation Information (direct link to the room block)

*Click on Group Login and enter group code: SCH SOC.  Block reservation closes October 19th, 2026, or until filled. Conference room rate is $101. 

Wisconsin School Social Workers Association (WSSWA) invites you to join us in the Wisconsin Dells for our annual fall conference entitled “60 Years of Meeting the Moment in a Changing World.” This year WSSWA is celebrating 60 years (Diamond Jubilee) as an organization! This conference aims to provide workshops that focus on enhancing our practices for the current times and challenges our students, families, and schools are facing. 

This year, we are excited to welcome Julia Cook as our keynote speaker this year. In her presentation entitled “Joy - It's an Inside Job,” Julia discusses the demands on school social workers that often leave us feeling overwhelmed. Each day we are confronted with a variety of significant and very real challenges. Meanwhile, it can easily be a recipe for discouragement and overload. When the school social work tidal wave begins to swell, how do you stand strong and continue to pour out the encouragement, wisdom, and support your students need? In this heartfelt, engaging talk, Julia Cook shares what it’s taken her years to figure out. Happiness is momentary, but Joy is a constant state of contentment that is not shifted by the chaos around us. Through stories and practical steps, Julia teaches us how to shift our thinking and actions so that we can find long-term joy, develop a process for self-care, inspire others to find their own inner joy, and be a social worker that looks forward to Mondays! 

WSSWA is proud to offer a wide variety of sessions at this year’s conference to support professional growth of school social workers. We will offer important and relevant workshops on topics such as: protecting students from online threats, applying educational neuroscience, strategies to diversify the profession, SSW evaluation process, peer consultation opportunity, SSWs as union leaders and activists, serving refugee and newcomer students, alternatives to suspension, motivational interviewing, and more! Presentators include various qualified individuals, such as practicing school social workers, those who currently hold their APSW and/or LCSW, and our DPI School Social Work Consultant.

Conference attendees are also invited to join us for opportunities to connect and share resources at regional meetings. Additionally, this year, we will be hosting an awards event celebrating the School Social Worker of the Year and Life Time Achievement Award in Wisconsin.