A conference to be held Saturday on "Planning for Alternative Futures," sponsored by the Institute of Politics, will enable students to explore the field of future planning for the first time, a conference organizer said yesterday.

Future planning consists of anticipating crises, "painting alternative policies," and "choosing one of those policies which conforms with current public values," Nina Dayton, '79, conference coordinator, said yesterday.

An address by Alvin Toffler, author of "Future Shock," will highlight the conference, Dayton added.

Toffler's address will deal with "Anticipatory Democracy," a system which would give citizens the opportunity to participate in public policy decisions concerning the future, she added.

The conference will also include a panel discussion, and a public policy simulation game, in which participants will adopt the roles of policy makers, Dayton said.