This year, the American Evaluation Association is loaded with a ton of great stuff. I’ll be speaking on the Potent Presentations Initiative and what makes great messaging, design, and delivery. I’m also really excited to see the closing session on Saturday, because AEA President Rodney Hopson is pulling together something amazing.

The theme of the conference this year is Evaluation in Complex Ecologies: Relationships, Responsibilities, Relevance. What in the heck does that mean, right? Well, this is your chance to help define it. Take a picture, wrap it in 25 words, and send it to AEA2012closingphotos@gmail.com before noon CT on Thursday, October 25. The best photos will be chosen and featured in the closing session on Saturday October 27, 2012 at 4:30 pm. Dudes, there will be prizes.

If it isn’t obvious to you already, what’s so so cool about this project is that it is an attempt to let people get visual with concepts that are pretty darn abstract. We, serious and academic researchers and evaluators, often shy away from exploring a bit of creativity. This is an officially sanctioned license to go play (even for those of you who aren’t headed to the conference this year – you can still participate).

Here’s my submission:

She said to the boy, “Take off your shirt, so maybe they’ll start a shirt project.”