CaliforniaVolunteers AmeriCorps Conference

Brian McConnell and Erica Helson attended the 2010 California AmeriCorps Conference on December 6-9th in Sacramento. Brian and Erica participated in workshops that offered new strategies for communicating program impacts and new approaches to AmeriCorps member development. Brian and Erica also served as panelist for the Disability Inclusion Panel session. While in Sacramento Brian and Erica also found time to talk to the big man about the program (see photo). Other highlighted sessions from the conference included:

Disaster Divas
Brenda Emrick, Preparedness for All
The Disaster Divas training session is designed to provide participants with current disaster preparedness information, best practices for sharing preparedness messages, and resources for their personal and professional use.

Inclusion Project Panel
AmeriCorps Program Directors, Nadith Schuster, Disability Partner Organization, and Karen Leventhal, Tarjan Center
Hear from six panelists, AmeriCorps program managers and members, who have successfully included people with disabilities, as members, volunteers and community capacity builders. Learn creative strategies that allow everyone to participate in your program. Oftentimes programs think about disability inclusion too narrowly, and then it feels daunting. In reality, there are plenty of ways to include new populations in your program.

Implementing Performance Measurement: Data Collection and Data Analysis
Francis Yuen, Project STAR
In the context of the 5 step performance measurement implementation process, this training will focus in the data collection and data analysis steps, essential for strong reporting and program improvement. Participants will have an opportunity to review key considerations and strategies in collecting and analyzing data and will practice the steps involved in analyzing data.

Ways to Tell Your Story
Bernadette Dawson, CaliforniaVolunteers
Join a field discussion on making reporting both informative and useful. The discussion will include successes and challenges of conveying impacts, sharing ways reports have been useful, identifying common reporting issues, and suggestions on how CV can provide useful feedback on impact.