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| Bryan, right, with HOIE staff members Denise and Megan at the conference |
By
Bryan Nakawaki, AmeriCorps VIP Leader at HandsOn Inland Empire
Between June 17th and 20th, I attended
the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Chicago, Illinois—an
event that proved hugely educational! Over the four-day period I attended
sessions discussing service-learning, disaster preparedness, best practices in
volunteer management, and a variety of other informative and useful topics. I
also had the chance to learn about a number of non-profit organizations doing
great work across the country, including the Israel Idonije Foundation, founded
by a member of the Chicago Bears.
Especially interesting was a series of discussions on how to
engage youth in volunteerism, sponsored by Generation On. Through this series,
I was able to learn how to deeply engage youth in service and how to develop
projects that tap into the social, emotional, and psychological needs of
students so they walk away as powerful agents of change. After attending this
series, I was anxious to get back to the Inland Empire to put these valuable
strategies to use!
After each day of the conference, the team from HandsOn
Inland Empire and I also tried to immerse ourselves in the city, visiting
iconic landmarks (Willis Tower, Soldier Field, the Cloud Gate sculpture),
watching some of the local sports teams, and tasting the city’s signature pizza
and hot dogs.
Both culturally and practically, the conference offered me a
tremendous chance to grow as a person and a volunteer organizer. To say that I
simply feel more prepared to lead volunteers and engage citizens in acts of
volunteerism would be an understatement. I also feel more knowledgeable about
the challenges our nation faces and how we, as a team, can combat them.
This conference was nothing short of an incredible
experience, and I look forward to attending future conferences in cities
throughout the country!
