Presentation Proposals Sought for Service and Volunteerism Conference

The Michigan Community Service Commission is requesting proposals for presentations at the inaugural 2021 Michigan Conference on Service and Volunteerism to be held virtually on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

 Send an intent to apply message that includes your focus area to Hannah Hoskins at hoskinsh@michigan.gov.  Then download the full form below and send the complete version to Hannah Hoskins at hoskinsh@michigan.gov.

Michigan Conference on Service and Volunteerism Proposals Form

Conference Dates

The Conference will be held virtually on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

The 2021 Michigan Conference on Service and Volunteerism is posed to help organizations reimagine the possibilities service and volunteerism can offer as Michigan recovers from the pandemic and moves to developing resilience.

The Michigan Volunteerism and Service Conference is an opportunity for sharing timely resources and ideas related to National Service, volunteer engagement, and relevant research and practices in volunteerism and service.

Conference Theme

The 2021 Conference Theme:  Volunteering - Truth, Youth, and the Future is intended to assist in exploring avenues to support Michigan's path forward. The Conference workshops will include all aspects of volunteering and service, with special components to recognize the importance of involving youth voice and the need to expand quality mentoring. The past year has brought many challenges and has necessitated changes to engage volunteers and AmeriCorps members to make impact. As we look to the future, it is essential that we collectively move forward with truth and examine our roles to be equitable and ensure justice, and it is imperative that we include youth as a part of the solutions. We need to identify how to dismantle the barriers for volunteers and AmeriCorps members as they help communities develop resilience and make an impact.

What We Are Looking For

This is the first of what will be an annual conference for Volunteering and National Service. In the years ahead, it is our intent to create a strong knowledge library archive that serves to support practitioners and researchers. We are looking for pragmatic and innovative ideas, as well as theoretical and practical case studies and practices that reflect effective methods for all ages and populations. We seek proposals that include at least one of the following elements: 

• Demonstrate the effectiveness of existing volunteerism and service practices
• Support the creation of innovative ideas that promote solutions to community issues
• Propose new methodologies or evaluation models
• Provide Equity and Justice frameworks and cross-cultural relationships
• Introduce concepts and ideas to promote and develop high-quality connections 
• Foster avenues to include youth in being part of community solutions and promote youth-adult partnerships
• Include youth and young adults in the presentation
• Present cross-system collaboration

Target Audience

The intended audience for this conference is anyone interested in building the capacity of volunteers and national service into program efforts and creating effective delivery systems within their organizations. Conference participants will gather tools and skills through virtual workshops and lightning talks to utilize new resources in their own programs.

Presentation Format Options

Presentations are intended to be engaging and provide useful programmatic and evaluation information/tools that participants can apply to their own organizations. In developing proposals, consider pertinent knowledge, competencies, research, collaboration, pathways forward, and effective practices in your program/subject matter area in relation to supporting organizations and promoting success. There are two presentation formats:

1. Live Presentation

• Presentations will last from 45 minutes to one hour and fifteen minutes.
• Presenters will provide a slide deck of their presentation in advance.
• The presentation timeline should include Q&A from participants sent in the chat box.
• Each presentation will have a conference moderator to assist with overseeing questions and time.

2. Lightning Talks

• Talks will be Ted-talk style to present a concept or idea to foster learning and innovation.
• The session will be pre-recorded.
• No more than 15 slides for the slide deck will be permitted.
• Talks will last no more than five minutes.

Topic Areas

The conference is designed to share successful strategies that increase the knowledge of participants and foster innovative thinking. Workshops may focus on interdisciplinary approaches that include the identification of effective practices and collaborative partnerships. Your presentation may fit within one or more of the following 10 Topic Areas.  Bulleted sub-topics are intended to provide an understanding of some of the options to consider for the topic area you select.

1. Equity and Social Justice

• Justice, Equity and Inclusion must be front and center
• Equity and Social Justice - searching for the truth
• Addressing Issues of Equity in Volunteerism
• Educational Justice - How to Be Engaged

2. Engaging Youth in Volunteerism

• Engaging Youth in Volunteerism and Service - Youth Co-Led
• Ensuring Youth Voices are part of the Solution - Youth Led
• Service Learning - breaking it down
• Supporting Schools and Youth-Serving Organizations

3. Mentoring and Access to Opportunity

• Launching the Mentor Movement
• Youth National Quality Mentoring System
• Evaluation and Data
• Professional Mentoring

4. Revitalizing the Michigan Volunteerism Movement

• Virtual and Remote Volunteerism - Virtual Volunteering is Here to Stay
• Skills-Based Volunteerism
• UN Sustainable Development Goals Hold New Importance
• Engaging Older Adults
• Utilizing National Days of Service to energize volunteerism

5. Enhancing Management and Operations

• Fund Development
• Writing Grants
• Telling the Story to Increase Volunteers and Donations
• Volunteer Operating Principles
• Strengthening Boards and Commissions
• Technology Supporting Volunteerism and Giving

6. Michigan as a National Service Leader

• Exploring AmeriCorps Programs- NCCC, AC VISTA, State, AC- Seniors
• Engaging NCCC Members for Your Work
• Becoming a Strong AmeriCorps Host Site
• Understanding the Six AmeriCorps Focus Areas: Education, Economic Opportunity, Healthy Futures, Veterans, Environmental Stewardship, Disaster

7. Disaster Response and Recovery

• CERTS - how can they help your community
• Creating Preparedness Response and Recovery Plans
• Mitigation Efforts as Prevention
• Michigan's Regional Map - Healthcare Coalitions

8. Civilian Climate Corps

• Serving communities to mitigate environmental issues
• Advancing sustainability through Community Outreach
• Supporting Innovation to Help the Environment
• Conducting Community Outreach to Impact Change
• Collaboration Drives Value and Innovation

9. Resilience - Developing a Path Forward

• Mapping a Post - Pandemic World
• Focusing on the How, Rather than the What and When
• Volunteerism and Community Resilience
• Locally Owned Solutions Delivering Impact
• Resilience of Whom - individuals, households, communities, organizations, society
• Lessons Learned During the Pandemic

Selection Process

Presenter applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The deadline to apply is July 15, 2021.  Please contact us if you need an extension. We plan to make all selections and notify presenters by late July. Presenters selected will be given a free registration. Proposal will be reviewed on the following criteria:

• Are the ideas presented relevant and significant?
• Are the concepts introduced useful, practical, forward thinking and/or visionary?
• Is the scope of the presentation appropriate to the allotted time period?
• Is there demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter?
• Is the material presented in a logical or sequential manner?
• Is the scope appropriate for audiences of all backgrounds?