Call for Abstracts is closed
Join us in Te Tai Tokerau for the 2027 NZSTA Symposium Ngā Hononga, hosted at Waitangi in the stunning and deeply significant Te Pēwhairangi / Bay of Islands, 3–4 September.
We will be asking people to consider:
Ko wai au? = Who am I?
(My identity: where I’m from, what shapes me, what I bring.)
Ko wai mātou? = Who are we? (exclusive “we”)
“We” = me and my group, not including you/the listener (e.g., “we as NZSTA”, “we as this cohort/team”)
Ko wai tātou? = Who are we? (inclusive “we”)
“We” = all of us together, including you/the listener (e.g., “we as a profession/community”, “we who are here in this kaupapa”)
Watch our short NZSTA Symposium Promo Video.
Together, we will explore our personal and collective identity.
This wānanga-style symposium will bring together speech-language therapists from across Aotearoa to explore Te Tiriti responsiveness, ethics, and supervision in depth. Over two days, we will learn together, reflect on our responsibilities as a profession, and leave with practical tools to strengthen everyday practice.
We invite registered NZSTA members to submit an abstract for consideration at the 2026 NZSTA symposium.
We are particularly interested in content that is widely applicable across clinical areas and sectors, including clear take-home actions or tools for individuals, teams, and/or services. Submissions must engage with at least one of our two key themes:
- Ethics
- Supervision
- As part of our focus on Te Tiriti responsiveness, the symposium will include a facilitated kōrero (guided by trained Te Rito–informed facilitators) to support structured reflection at Waitangi and continued learning online. Participants will also take part in a guided tour of the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and a Māori cultural experience, with full access to the heritage precinct and museums (including Te Kōngahu and Te Rau Aroha) and the world’s largest ceremonial waka—strengthening connection to the history, context, and ongoing implications of Te Tiriti o Waitangi for everyday practice.
In the spirit of doing the mahi, we ask all attendees to complete Te Rito 1–7 ahead of the 2027 Symposium Te Rito Course Link
PRESENTATION FORMAT
We will consider presentations in many forms, for example:
- Interactive workshops – 45 min or 90 min in length.
- Panel discussions or talanoa-style conversations – 30 mins
- Oral presentations / case-based or story-based sessions – 10 mins
ABSTRACT CRITERIA
Abstracts will be considered using the following criteria:
- Clear link to one or more of the symposium themes.
- Relevance and usefulness to practising speech-language therapists across settings.
- Evidence of reflection on equity, cultural safety, and the communities we serve.
- Clarity of learning outcomes and implications for practice.
Key dates
- Abstract submissions open: 16th February 2026
- Abstract submissions close: 13th March 2026
- Notification of outcomes: April 2026
- Programme published: April 2027
- Registrations open: May 2027
Abstracts should be submitted via the online NZSTA abstract submission by the close of business on 13th March, 2026.
