Join us for the Washington State Service Summit, September 9, 2009 at the University of Washington Husky Union Building. This gathering of volunteer leaders from the nonprofit, government, philanthropy, military, faith and corporate sectors will focus on service as a strategy to address critical community needs. Our goal is to educate and inspire participants about the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and the opportunities it creates for cross-sector partnerships and programs that increase the volume and impact of volunteers in Washington.
Why a summit on community service in Washington?
Our country stands at the threshold of a historic expansion of service and volunteerism. The public demand for opportunities to address critical social and environmental challenges through service is greater than ever before. There is a growing consensus among business, government, community and faith organization leaders that no single sector of our society can solve these unprecedented challenges alone, and that service and civic engagement must be a core strategy. President Obama has made service a central focus, and Congress has passed landmark bipartisan legislation through the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act that creates innovative opportunities and resources to expand our vision and increase our impact through service.
The purpose of the Washington State Service Summit is to engage volunteer leaders and service champions from public, private, and governmental organizations in an important dialogue about utilizing service and volunteerism as strategies to solve critical community issues.
What are the goals of the Summit? The Summit will set the stage for ongoing cross-sector dialogues that collaboratively shape the future of the service movement in Washington State. Our goals are to:
Increase the awareness of leaders from philanthropy, business, and government of the potential of service as a problem-solving strategy, and increase advocacy for resources for service programs.
Ensure Washington State is strategically positioned to take advantage of the expansion in national service programs provided by the Serve America Act and other opportunities to develop new local and statewide placements and collaborations.
Stimulate cross-sector collaboration and planning to take existing successful service strategies to scale, and to develop new and innovative programs.
Who should attend the Summit?
Summit participants will include approximately 500 leaders from nonprofit, business, government, education, philanthropy, and faith-based sectors who guide and influence volunteer strategies and programs within their organizations and sectors. These individuals will have the opportunity to engage with local and national officials and experts in the field of community service. Through a series of plenary sessions and interactive breakout groups, participants will collaborate with new and existing partners across all sectors to build innovative service strategies that help address critical needs facing communities in Washington state.
