Plan now to attend the Volunteer Management Conference on Friday, November 20, 2009!

What: A one-day conference focusing on volunteer management issues in adult literacy programs.

Who Should Attend: Volunteer coordinators, managers, teachers, and other staff members involved in volunteer management/support.

Where: Minnesota Department of Education, Conference Center A, 1500 Hwy 36 W, Roseville, MN 55113  view map

How to Register: Please register online -- click on the link in the right sidebar. Contact us if you need a paper form (cgrady@theMLC.org or 651-645-2277 x208).

Cost: $40.00, please make checks payable to the Minnesota Literacy Council

Schedule:

8:30 am - Continental Breakfast and Registration

9:00 - 10:10 am - Concurrent session

10:25 - 11:35 am - Concurrent session

11:45 am - 12:45 pm - Lunch

1:00 - 2:10 pm - Concurrent session

2:25 - 3:35 pm - Concurrent session

3:45 - 4:00 pm - Wrap-up, door prizes, CEUs

It’s Not As Scary As You Think: Observing and Giving Feedback

Burgen Young and Gail Irish, MLC Trainers

One of the most effective ways to improve instruction is through regular observation and feedback.  In volunteer-led programs, concerns about upsetting your volunteers may prevent you from doing formal observations.  Learning a process and some tools will help you feel prepared instead of scared.  Then you’ll be able to support quality instruction and instructors.

No Such Thing as a Dumb Question

Jason Brazier, MLC Technology Administrator

Upload/Download – what’s the difference?  What in the world is Twitter and why should I care?  What’s an RSS feed?  What does “open in a new tab” mean?  Do you have questions like these?  Don’t be embarrassed to ask!  There is no such thing as a dumb question in this session.  We’ll answer common questions and have time to take yours, too!

Introduction to MLC Online Training

Susan Wetenkamp-Brandt, MLC Educational Technology Trainer

The Minnesota Literacy Council offers free, self-paced online courses for volunteer training and professional development.  Come to this hands-on session to explore resources for your own professional development and for training your volunteer tutors and teachers.  You’ll see just how easy it is to sign up and start learning online.

Putting Social Media to Work for Your Program

Cathy Grady and Susan Wetenkamp-Brandt, MLC staff

Social media tools like FaceBook and YouTube are coming to dominate the online landscape.  How you can you put these tools to work for your volunteer program?  Come to this lively session for an exploration of tools and tactics – and a thoughtful discussion of how to use those tools wisely.

Tom Cytron-Hysom, Literacy Minnesota Legislative Committee Chair

ABE is in a period of very rapid change in which we must adapt and grow, or become increasingly irrelevant. Tom Cytron-Hysom will provide an overview of the many forces reshaping ABE in Minnesota, including: alignment of ABE with workforce development; national stimulus spending, and policy changes from the national administration; development of distance learning; expectations of collaboration; emphases on accountability and outcomes; and the economy.

Build a Better Brochure: 5 Design Rules for Non-designers

Melissa Martinson, MLC Communications Specialist

If you want to boost the look of your brochures (or flyers, advertisements or handouts, etc.), this session introduces you to 5 design rules that will help make your message pop. These simple principles can be applied to all of your outreach materials, whether you design in Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign or anything in between!

The Art of Tabling: Making the Most of Volunteer Fairs and Outreach Events

Allison Runchey and Bailey Craft, MLC Volunteer Outreach Staff

If you’ve ever set up an outreach table at a volunteer fair or community event and no one stopped to learn more about your program, this session is for you.  Tabling is a great way to recruit new volunteers and raise awareness about your program, but a bit of strategy is needed to make it successful.  How can I create an effective display to attract people to my table?  How can I best relay the need for volunteers?  What information and materials should I bring?  This session will offer tips and resources as we explore these questions and more.

The Pareto Principle (or 80-20 Rule) and Other Nifty Rules of Thumb

Eric Nesheim, MLC Executive Director

Do you ever feel like 80% of your time is spent on the 20% of volunteers who provide you with challenges? In this session we’ll look at performance management and risk assessment with volunteers. Topics will include volunteer screening, performance review, ongoing feedback, recognition, and having difficult conversations. Join us for a fun discussion and a look at some case studies, and then walk away with some helpful maxims that will stick in your head!

Building Curriculum Development

Burgen Young and Gail Irish, MLC Trainers

Curriculum design can be overwhelming. There is a lot to consider: writing clear objectives, pacing, practicality, resources, volunteer time commitment, and much more. Come and get ideas for designing a manageable and effective teaching system for volunteer-led classes

Good Task, Bad Task

Rob Podlasek, MLC Training Manager

Not all volunteer roles are created equal. Come discuss which tasks are good for volunteers, which are less productive, and how we can help ensure that volunteers have a good experience while meeting the needs of your students and program.

Are You Listening?

Alex Seydow, Metro North ABE

Have you struggled with how to maintain a relationship with your volunteers after they’ve been assigned?  Do you want to know what your volunteers think about their experience volunteering at your site?  Learn how to use focus groups to evaluate your volunteer program.  In this presentation, you will learn the basics of running a focus group including how to write effective questions.  This presentation is also helpful for anyone considering using focus groups to survey their students or employees.

Where Do You Want to Go from Here?

Volunteer Issues Committee of Literacy Minnesota

Influence the direction of volunteerism within adult basic education programs in Minnesota by sharing your ideas and concerns. The Volunteer Issues Committee of Literacy Minnesota will facilitate a focus group to find out how you are using volunteers, the challenges you may have in working with volunteers, and what resources would be most helpful for you.  Similar focus groups are being conducted around the state.  Feedback gathered at this session and others will be used to guide future projects and initiatives of the Volunteer Issues Committee to better serve the needs of all adult basic education programs  in MN.

Informal Lunch Discussions

Network with colleagues, share your ideas and get your questions answered about a variety of literacy-related topics.