The American Youth Horse Council (AYHC) cordially invites individuals to submit proposals to speak at the 2009 National Youth Horse Leaders Symposium in Lincoln, NE, on March 27–29, 2009. The deadline for presentation proposals is September 15, 2008. This annual event, now in its 32nd year, presents an opportunity for leaders in the youth horse industry to come together to learn, network, share ideas and grow as an industry. The American Youth Horse Council is a network of academic, breed, industry and other representatives interested in facilitating the flow of horse-related educational and promotional resources for youth. AYHC's mission is to provide encouragement, communication, leadership and resources to serve and promote the youth horse industry.

Presentations at the hotel will be offered Saturday and Sunday. Demonstrations with horses will be held Saturday. Priority in selection will be given to new presentations, innovative or unique ideas for programs, and topics that meet the locally requested subject matter. All abstracts will be peer reviewed by distinguished members of the AYHC Symposium Committee. Classroom lectures will be 40 minutes with 10 minutes for questions.

Three audiences will be represented at the meeting: Adult Leaders of Youth—mostly volunteers who work directly with youth in the field, Youth Industry Professionals—those employed in the youth horse industry (such as extension specialists and breed association youth program coordinators), and Peer Leaders of Youth— older teen leaders, and college students, focusing on leadership. Peer leaders are also encouraged to submit presentation abstracts for consideration. The presentations will be identified in program materials as targeting one or more of these audiences and a specific track will be included for the Peer Leaders, called the Teen Track.

A longstanding policy of the AYHC is that no honorariums will be paid to speakers and presenters. However, speakers’ registration fees for the symposium are waived. Speakers are responsible for their own travel and lodging and other expenses not included in the registration. The conference facilities of the Holiday Inn in downtown Lincoln coupled with the educational and networking opportunities offered by top notch presenters make this a must attend event! For more information, visit www.ayhc.com or call (800) TRY-AYHC or e-mail [email protected].