TPSR Alliance Conference Program
Chicago, Illinois
July 16-19, 2025
The 2025 TPSR Alliance meeting theme is “Sweet Home Chicago: Moving Forward without Losing Sight of Our Past”. Northern Illinois University (NIU) will be the host institution. After reviewing the details below, please complete the registration form if you plan to attend.
Registration: Registration is required so we can maintain an accurate head count. The cost will be $100 for professionals and $25 for students.
Lodging: Participants will pay for their own lodging. We recommend the follow two hotels for conference participants. Both are near the scheduled events.
Crowne Plaza
Chicago West Loop
25 South Halsted Street
Chicago, Illinois 60661
1-800-972-2494
OR
Marriott Courtyard Chicago
at Medical District/UIC
625 S Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60607
Meals: The Friday evening conference dinner as well as refreshments at meeting breaks will be provided. Participants will plan and pay for other meals on their own.
Overview: This year’s program will feature university professors, graduate students, and practitioners applying TPSR in a wide range of settings. We will learn about TPSR initiatives in countries such as New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Belize, and the U.S. We will honor two new Hellison Award recipients and have opportunities to discuss the 4th edition of Don Hellison’s landmark text as well as the new TPSR Alliance website.
We will begin with a welcome reception at the Crown Plaza hotel bar in the evening on Wednesday (7/16). Core programming will occur during the day on Thursday (7/17) and Friday (7/18) on the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus. The conference dinner on Friday (7/18) evening will be at the Greek Islands restaurant near the hotel. Saturday (7/19) morning will be an opportunity for debriefing and wrapping up.
Pre-Conference Resource: This presentation by Dr. Baofu Wang is about a TPSR action research project he recently conducted with our 2025 Hellison Award Winners, Dawn Torrance and Samantha Cameron. While Dawn and Samantha will share their practical experience learning to work with the model, this presentation explains the study design and findings from a research perspective.
Agenda
Click here to view and download the Conference Program.
WED.
JULY 16th
Evening
Many travelers will be arriving on this day. Those who can are welcome to gather at 6pm in the Crowne Plaza Hotel lobby bar.
THURS.
JULY 17th
Morning Session 1
Welcome and opening remarks with Gloria Balague, Tom Martinek, Dave Walsh, and Paul Wright.
Followed by ice breaker activity & break
Morning Session 2
Emerson Baptiste, Northern Illinois University. Promoting positive youth development through sport in Belize. Click here to view the presentation.
LUNCH
Afternoon Session 1
Cody Sanders, University of Virginia’s College at Wise. Transfer: The impact of the TPSR Alliance and the power of global collaboration.
Break
Afternoon Session 2
Karen Puckett, Cooperative Association for Special Education. Implementing TPSR with students who have disabilities.
Adjourn
FRI.
JULY 18th
Morning Session 1
Hellison Award Winners Samantha Cameron and Dawn Torrance, Lincoln School, Macomb Illinois. Integrating TPSR into an elementary physical education program. Click here to view the presentation.
Break
Morning Session 2
Yongsun Lee, Korea Science Academy, South Korea. Early Reflections on Infusing TPSR Ideas and Strategies at Korea Science Academy of KAIST for the Gifted. Click here to view the presentation.
Break
LUNCH
Afternoon Session 1
Hanif Abdul Rahman, Ministry of Education, Singapore. From Intentionality to Impact: Infusing 21st Century Competencies through Affective Learning Opportunities in Physical Education.
Break
Afternoon Session 2
Tanner Wheat, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Implementation and evaluation of a TPSR summer camp for underserved youth. Click here to view the presentation.
Break
DINNER
Greek Islands Restaurant on Halsted Street.
SAT.
JULY 19th
Morning Session 1
Tom Martinek, Dave Walsh and Paul Wright. Discussion of the 4th edition of Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility.
Break
Morning Session 2
TPSR Town Hall for feedback and discussion on the new TPSR Alliance website, the conference, and future plans.
Adjourn, farewell and safe travels