Team Up Conference to Chart Course for National Service in Michigan

Across Michigan, more than 56,000 people of all ages and backgrounds are helping to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and increase civic engagement through hundreds of national service programs. More than 150 national service staff; including AmeriCorps (State, VISTA, and National), Learn and Serve, and Senior Corps (Foster Grandparent, RSVP, and Senior Companion) will participate in 2010 Team Up Michigan! Charting the Course for National Service.

The conference will help programs chart their course for the future by providing opportunities to exchange ideas and establish new partnerships with programs focusing on similar issue areas or serving in the same community. It is co-hosted by the Corporation for National and Community Service - Michigan Office as well.

service and volunteerism: sessions will also be presented - two by key leaders of national organizations affiliated with In addition to a variety of informative workshops available for participants, four keynote

• Running a Tight Ship: Navigating the Future of National Service
  Presenter: Patrick Corvington, Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service
• Who's Rowing this Boat Anyway? The Comedy of Collaboration
  Presenter: Alex Ritzema, Motivational Humorist of Alex Ritzema Productions, LLC
• Presenter: Steve Culbertson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Youth Service America
  Uncovering Buried Treasure: Youth as a Resource
• Presenter: Duncan Wyeth, Executive Director of the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns We're All in this Boat Together! Celebrating Inclusion
  

"Training opportunities, such as Team Up, are imperative to the success of national service programs in Michigan," said Paula Kaiser VanDam, Executive Director of the Michigan Community Service Commission. "With more and more opportunities for service available in our state, collaboration is key to ensuring we are tackling our biggest challenges and continuing to place Michigan on its road to recovery."

The MCSC leads cross-stream efforts in Michigan in an effort to enhance and strengthen all streams of national service in the state. To find out more, visit www.michigan.gov/mcsc .

builds a culture of service by providing vision and resources to strengthen communities through volunteerism. In 2010-2011, the MCSC is granting nearly $9 million in federal funds to local communities for volunteer programs and activities. The MCSC is funding 26 AmeriCorps programs, 25 Learn and Serve programs, and seven Volunteer Michigan grantees. The Governor's Service Awards and Mentor Michigan are also premier programs of the MCSC. The MCSC is housed in the Michigan Department of Human Services, whose mission is to assist children, families, and vulnerable adults to be safe, stable, and self-supporting. The Corporation for National and Community Service grants the federal funding the MCSC administers.   The Michigan Community Service Commission BACKGROUND: