Call for Proposals: 2009 DC Conference on Service and Leadership

Posted by on November 10, 2008

From Nice to Necessary
2009 DC Conference on Service and Leadership

May 13-15, 2009 Washington, DC
Deadline for Workshop Proposals: Monday, February 16, 2009

Each year Serve DC-The Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism brings together community and faith-based organizations in a conference focused on enhancing their organizational capacity to meet growing community needs. Next year, on May 13th-15th, the 2009 DC Conference on Service and Leadership will reach and engage hundreds of AmeriCorps program directors and members, Learn and Serve America and Senior Corps program directors, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, youth, and representatives from community and faith-based organizations in skill-building workshops and learning tracks. The vision for the event is to promote and foster cross collaboration while providing sustainable and tangible tools to solve serious community issues and addressing real community needs through service, showcased in this year’s theme: “From Nice to Necessary.” In addition, the conference will feature the Serve DC Mayor’s Community Service Awards ceremony to celebrate the great works of leaders in local communities.

This year’s conference is based on three programmatic themes: Leadership, Collaboration, and Sustainability. These themes represent the continuum of growth that leads to healthy and strong communities. These themes will be woven throughout the conference in workshops, plenary speakers, events and materials. Speakers should be prepared to submit workshop proposals that fit into at least one of these three themes.

Theme: Leadership
Harnessing leadership in community members is critical to building a strong foundation. Leaders tackle issues and concerns facing their communities; facilitate leadership within fellow community members; and, collaborate among various groups. It is important that service professionals learn ways to cultivate leadership while enhancing their leadership skills to bring effective change in communities.

Theme: Collaboration
As we develop ourselves as leaders, we must consistently collaborate with organizations, businesses, and community members. With each new experience or challenge, we must continue to seek ways to identify resources and tools that are present to reduce a duplication of community efforts. Workshops that will be offered around this theme include partnership development, cultural competency, and marketing.

Theme: Sustainability
As leaders develop projects that meet critical community needs, it is important that projects are sustained monetarily with the support of the community. Leaders must identify and actively seek funding while making sure that the projects are getting the job done.

To obtain an application, email Natasha at natasha.ballentine@dc.gov.

The completed application and narratives must be received at the Serve DC office on or before Monday, February 16, 2009, via email or disk by mail. (We will not accept proposals via fax.)

Please send proposals to:
Email: natasha.ballentine@dc.gov

Mail:
Natasha M. Ballentine, Training and Technical Assistance Manager
Serve DC, Executive Office of the Mayor
Re: Presenter Application
441 4th Street, NW Suite 1140 North
Washington, DC 20001