AmeriCorps Member Conference Session History

Get inspired! What knowledge or skill will you share with Maine AmeriCorps members?

It's time to get planning! The Maine AmeriCorps Member Conference is the perfect venue to share your unique talents with service-minded individuals. 

These sessions are more than a simple presentation or a networking opportunity. Whether you're an AmeriCorps member, AmeriCorps alumni or a community member, it is your chance to impact the delivery of service in Maine.

Browse this page to view example presentations delivered during prior Maine AmeriCorps Member Conferences.

Communication Strategies

21'st Century Skills 

Hiromi Mizu and Abbie Shaw; Maine Energy AmeriCorps Program, Maine Campus Compact 

Do you want to level up your communications or collaboration skills? Are you worried about your productivity or technology literacy in these trying times of virtual burnout? We are going to provide suggestions on overcoming the challenges COVID-19 has brought with working from home. This will be a fun and interactive experience with polling questions throughout to keep you engaged in the conversation and a breakout session at the end so you can brainstorm with peers on what skill you want to improve on the most! 

Building Relationships; improve your collaboration skills

Katlyn Rich, Shale Peters, Trekkers, Trekkers Americorps Mentor Project

Are you craving collaboration? Want to learn what great things other AmeriCorps members are working on? Want to build connections with others who are working towards similar goals? Come to Trekkers' workshop on networking, building strength-based relationships, and getting to know yourself and others better!
 

Get Real - Speaking Authentically 

Deidrah Stanchfield, Maine Conservation Corps, Maine Conservation Corps & Courtney Allen, James Place Recovery Housing

Have you been waiting for another sleep inducing communication workshop? This is not that one! Join us for an active after lunch conversation about your true self, and how sharing can benefit your future service and career. Attendees in this interative session will learn about speaking your truth, and how authentic communication can be an asset for both you and your community.

Workplace Conflict:  Recognition and Resolution

Rebekah Morrisson, Eddie Ryan and Liz Thibault, Maine Conservation Corps

Workplace drama got you down? Here we will discuss workplace conflict, share a broad range of scenarios that occur in the workplace and collaboratively share and demonstrate techniques for navigating uncomfortable situations. 

Effective Networking

Kayla LaVoice, STEM Collaboration VISTA, & Katie Kracht, Maine Hunger Dialogue VISTA, Maine Campus Compact 

Building connections is an important way to further professional opportunities. In this workshop you will learn the importance of networking, how to utilize resources and how to maintain your network. Tools include personal interaction, media email and online strategies, as well as specific resources fro building and maintaining your network. Networking is a vital tool not only for expanding career prospects, but for personal development as well.

Turning Conversations into Collaborative Partnerships

Meghan Carter & Jessica Evans, Maine Campus Compact VISTA Program, serving at Bates College and USM respectively

Have you ever facilitated an excellent community conversation but saw no results? In this workshop, we challenge you to see from the perspective of community members to better understand how to tackle tricky dialogue and ensure positive outcomes. We will also investigate ways to follow up on community conversations to ensure the development of sustainable, collaborative partnerships.
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Community Engagement

Kelsey Byrd, Island Institute, Island fellows AmeriCorps Program serving on Vinalhaven

We will look at how to engage community members to address local problems and explore potential solutions. We will also review effective meeting facilitation techniques AmeriCorps members can use to empower community members to share their opinions.

Girl Talk: Facilitating Girls Group Workshops

Jenifer Craven, SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps, RSU-14

Having open and honest discussions can sometimes be hard for adults, never mind teens. Come participate in Girl Talk to learn how to tackle necessary conversations with young girls tactfully. Attendees will participate in an interactive "Gender Expectations, and Stereotypes" session and engage in discussions about the ways in which society defines traditional gender roles. They will learn the basics of facilitating pre-teen and teen girls groups and also receive an overview of two other girls' workshops, "Song Analysis" and "Let's get Critical".

Build Your Own Facilitation Toolkit!

Amanda Nguyen, Maine VISTA Project, serving with the Finance Authority of Maine in Augusta

Whether you're just starting to think about facilitating meetings or you do it on a regular basis, you can use this workshop to gain ideas and skills that will help your group get great results. We will practice using a variety of facilitation tools and build our own facilitation toolkits that contain strategies to use with multiple thinking and learning styles.

Bridging the Generation Gap

Lindsay Ouellette, National Digital Equity Center, Axiom

Millennials vs. Baby Boomers, can they work together to improve the world they've accused each other of ruining? 

What's My Response? Dealing with Difficult People

Crystal Smith, LearningWorks AIMS HIGH, serving at Spruce Mountain High School in Jay

You know that person you find difficult to be around, the one that just gets on your nerves? Yeah - the one that just came to mind! We all find ourselves in these situations at one time or another "annoyed" by someone else. We can't change others, but we have a choice in our response. What's your response going to be?

The Principles of Marketing

Gordon Liu, AmeriCorps Alum

This workshop will guide you through the complex world of marketing. Use the framework we present; you will be able to create your own comprehensive marketing strategy (with focus on online/social media marketing). Did you notice all 5 errors? Attend this workshop to learn why they were used.

Effective Meetings: Anything is Possible!

Michelle Erhard, FoodCorps Fellow and Paige Utterback, FoodCorps service member at Healthy Acadia, Washington County

Join us for an in-depth look into what it takes to plan a great meeting. We'll co-learn as we discuss facilitation and planning techniques to set you up for successful meetings at your schools, organizations, and beyond. Anything is possible... with planning and intentionality!

The Art of Connecting People In Need to Community Resources

Merrilee Schoen, Maine Hunger Initiative; Piscataquis Healthy Food For All/Piscataquis Regional YMCA

Creative process, intentional design and flexibility were essential in carrying the program FarmShare for Homebound Seniors from pilot project to recurring service. In this session you'll learn how to identify existing resources that can help you connect with hard to reach audiences and the potential benefits of unexpected situations. Learn about creative and community-based approaches, including the value of one-on-one conversation and taking time to build trust and rapport. You will think of existing resources in your community that are not linked, but could be. You'll share these resources and consider ways to create sustainable relationships between people and organizations and leave inspired.

Potlucks, Partnerships, Problem Solving!

Jessie Hunt & Laura Personette

Learn successful methods for networking with AmeriCorps members and community partners in your area to identify community needs and address them unilaterally. While having fun, supporting each other, and sharing good food, you can use collaborative techniques to get EVEN MORE things done for America!

The Benefits of Self-Promotion & Teamwork

Laurie Beane & Amy Nigen

Learn the Art & Science of promoting yourself, your skills, accomplishments and talents. Discover honest tricks that will lead other members of your organizational team to say YES to your great ideas! This engaging and interactive workshop is designed for networking and idea sharing as it relates to effective communication.

Knowing Yourself and Knowing Others: Group Dynamics and the Significance of Personality

Genna Cherichello and Taylor Weiss

Really get to know yourself and the AmeriCorps members sitting next to you! In this fun and engaging workshop, attendees will participate in a series of icebreaker and team-building games to get to know one another, followed by individual personality analysis. We will conclude with a reflection activity that addresses the importance of working well with various personalities and diverse backgrounds.

Youth Skills: Communication and Employability for Today's Students

Jason Aylmer & Denise Smith

Come join the discuss about successful approaches to communicating with the youth you serve, their employability skills and how we all have something to bring to the table. Topic Area: Connecting with Youth and Identifying/Growing Employability Skills Outline: We are going to start with introductions, then an overview of our Youth Program at EMDC. We will then watch a short video, followed by to very fun classroom activities (games). That will be followed by a discussion about communicating with youth, highlighting the power of hard working, identifying generation differences and employability skills.

Storytelling Toolbox: Explore Your Capabilities and How to Encourage Others to Share Their Voice

Celia Whitehead, Island Fellows AmeriCorps, Island Institute

Explore your own capabilities as a storyteller and how to encourage others to share their voice. With interactive group activities we'll experience storytelling as a tool for group bonding, a tool for empowering voice and identity, a tool for transforming a situation, and a tool to have lots of fun.

Writing: Brainstorming and Using Your Imagination

Monika Pardon 

Albert Einstein said, "Creativity is intelligence having fun." Come and learn a new way of idea gathering that helps a creative mind focus. We will gather ideas as a group and put them to use by writing stories. Whether you use those ideas to write a creative work of fiction or tell a story about your service as an AmeriCorps member is up to you. This class is for the creative or for anyone who wants to have fun.

Beating Writer's Block

Richard O'Malley

Have you ever stared at a piece of paper and found your mind as blank as it is? This workshop is intended to examine all of the steps in the process of writing, from the formulation of an idea, through the creation of a solid opening line, the flow of the composition, and a strong closing summary. The workshop is intended for all types of writing but the area of focus for the class will be creative in nature.

Diversity

Transformative Service: A Workshop on Inclusivity, Diversity and Privilege 

Paige Barker, Goodwill VISTA Partnership, serving with the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program in Waterville

Do you find yourself thinking about inequality and justice? Do you ever wonder how your service fits into social change? Join me in this workshop for activities and discussion about inclusivity, diversity, and privilege. Attendees will explore the dynamics of civility, reflect on why is it important to think about inclusion and exclusion and apply these concepts to themselves as service members.

Diversity, Maine & YOU!

Octavia Clarkson, Maine VISTA Project, serving at the New Mainers Resource Center in Portland and Deborah Breiting, with Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants

Have you ever wondered, "How am I making a difference in my organization?" or "What do I offer?" This workshop will explore the ideas of diversity as it pertains to what each individual brings to their organization. You add value to your organization, and we will discuss your impact! We will explore diversity beyond the ideas of race and culture, to discuss how a diverse workplace is valuable to Maine's economy.

disAbility: Critical Perspectives on Language

Christine Mars, Goodwill VISTA Partnership serving as Outreach and Program Coordinator with STRIVE

WHAT'D YOU JUST SAY?! During this workshop participants will take a critical look at language and how the language we choose to use contributes to the inclusivity of our environments. Participants will understand harmful terminology, identify alternatives, examine diversity in Maine and critically analyze their own perceptions and strategize on how to "check" them.  Participants will leave this session with increased confidence to have those difficult conversations regarding politically correct language.

Refugee Immigrants and the American Dream

Riko Bol, Portland Housing Authority Kennedy Park, Goodwill VISTA Partnership

Structured learning and Descriptive representation might just be whats needed to reach a diverse body of students at the center of where they are.

Creating Safe Spaces for Youth

Hannah Mitchell , Culinary program and Natalie Landry, Restorative Learning Program at SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps on Macworth Island in Falmouth

Are you interested in becoming an active ally for LGBTQ+ youth, but aren't sure how to begin? Join us in "Creating Safe Spaces for Youth," where you will engage in conversation and learn tools for advocating and supporting youth. In this workshop, members will learn about different ways to address cultural diversity and issues facing youth today who do not identify with traditional gender expectations. Topics will include: the gender binary, safe spaces, facilitating conversations, bystander intervention and pronouns.

Radical Roots of American Alternative Education

Eve O'Connor, SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps Program serving at South Portland High School and at REAL School on Macworth Island in Falmouth

This workshop will introduce participants to the theory and history of American alternative education, focusing on the educational movements that rose alongside the Black Freedom Struggle, women's liberation, and the broader social movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The goal of the workshop is to develop a greater understanding of the ways in which theory can inform practice, offering a new lens through which members envision the relationship between their own service or teaching and broader social change. This session is especially designed for members serving in schools, with youth, or in another educational capacity--but all are welcome!

Restorative Practices - The Purpose and the Practicalities

Anne Sedlack and Amanda Bucci, REAL School AmeriCorps Service-learning Program in Falmouth

We will explain the origin and theories around Restorative Practices and how it applies in different settings. Specifically, we will describe the process of our Restorative Learning Program at The REAL School and why is it important particularly for the population of students that we are working with. The process of Restorative Learning allows our students to relate to their community as they see how their actions affect others. It is also gives the students an opportunity to gain new tools for meeting their needs that will affect their community and sense of self in positive ways.

Maine Youth Court: An Alternative to Punitive Disciplinary Practices

Hawreh Haddadi, SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps, Windham High School, RSU 14

Come learn how some Maine Schools are taking a different route to juvenile justice, and preventing kids from falling deeper into trouble. Participants will learn about Maine Youth Court and how it is being integrated into schools throughout Southern Maine. Instead of suspension and explusion, schools using this approach seek resolutions aimed at: repairing the harm, building up on the students' interests and talents, creating connections, and increasing knowledge, skills and resources. Attendees will learn about the restorative justice process and participate in a mock trial.

Education

Facilitating Belonging 

Sage Walker; Main Street Fellows AmeriCorps Program, MDF 

If you have ever facilitated a group experience - whether in a classroom, playing field, the backcountry, or even your roommates - you have undoubtedly run into challenges along the way. As an outdoor educator I have spent the past 10 years trying to facilitate positive group experiences for a diverse range of people. My students have shown me time and again that the key to a successful group experience is a sense of belonging within each individual. This rarely comes organically -  facilitating belonging is an exercise that takes planning, intention, and an open mind. You will leave this workshop with new group facilitation tools, and ideas for how you can apply them to your service, work, and life. 

Learning with Chopsticks: how do you learn?   

Amy Bley; First4 AmeriCorps, KVCAP/ Educare Central Maine 

Have you ever wanted to learn how to use chopsticks? Communicate better with your peers and students? Well, you've come to the right place! In this short session, we will find out how we learn best, as well as how we can use that knowledge to better serve ourselves and those we work with. This is an interactive workshop. When signing up, please acquire 1 set of chopsticks and a bag of popped popcorn. 

The Brain Smart Start 

Mary Pletcher, Sydney Brenda, and Seraphim Spencer; First4 AmeriCorps, KVCAP/ Educare Central Maine 

You will learn the four parts of The Brain Smart Start and how they are applied to a classroom day with children and teachers. The four activities that you will learn about are: An activity to unite (a song), activity to disengage stress (breathing methods), activity to connect (I love you ritual), and activity to commit oneself to learning (safe keeper ritual and we wish you well). You will only need yourself and the willingness to learn to join in on this session! 

The Seven Learning Styles

Megan Campbell & Lauren Ouellette, LearningWorks, AIMS HIGH

Ever wondered what makes someone a visual or auditory learner? Ever tried to teach something using words or pictures but had no success? Ever wondered why you had an easier time learning when you were up and moving? Come learn about the different learning styles that make each person different! Gain some strategies that will help you identify different learning types, and how best to teach to them!

Easy STEM/STEAM Challenges on a Budget

Darlene Jeffers, SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps, Manchester Elementary School, RSU 14

Want to make learning STEM/STEAM fun and engaging?  Want to learn how to do STEM/STEAM activities with low or no budget?  Let me show you how. We will explore resources for finding free, cheap materials for your activity as well as fun and engaging activities that your students will love and that will have them asking for more.  Spend an hour doing hands on activities that you can take back to your site and do with your kids. These activities are sure to engage all kids, even those who usually don't engage with others.   If you don't work with kids that's okay.  You can take some of these ideas to your next family reunion. Oh, did I mention that there may be some competition involved?

Wild Child: Reconnecting Kids with Nature

Chelsea Cardner, LearningWorks Americorps AIMS HIGH lead member serving in Biddeford 

Come get your hands dirty with me as you learn about the importance of the nature to a developing child. Investigate ways to engage children while in the great outdoors through both hands on activities and unstructured experiences.  Participants will learn about the importance of nature in a childs' life. They will also learn about different activity ideas as well as the importance of unstructured play and learning outdoors.

Restorative Learning Processes: Alternatives to discipline 

Molly Nevins, Culinary program and Grace Nevins, Restorative Learning Program, at SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps, Macworth Island in Falmouth 

Restorative Learning Processes, or RLP's, are a new and innovative tool for teachers, leaders, or officials, to foster and maintain positive relationships throughout disciplinary actions. Veering away from harmful, ineffective zero-tolerance disciplinary practices, RLP's not only address conflict, they aim to prevent it as well. By targeting triggers, problem behaviors, and situations, we can then create a new plan of action to avoid and address future situations in and around the classroom. Focusing on responsibility and accountability, this process challenges students to reflect on behavior and mend relationships. RPL's can be practiced in many cooperative or academic settings and produce a noticeable and lasting effect.
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STEAM Activities For Engaging At-Risk Elementary Students

Darlene Jeffers and Jessica Swartz, SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps Program, both serving at the Manchester Elementary School in Windham

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math...Oh My!!    Have you ever heard the following when it comes to STEAM:    "Boring", "I can't do this", "I can't learn this". Let us show you how fun and engaging STEAM can be. In this workshop you will do several easy STEAM projects that can be done with children, adolescents and even adults. These are AWESOME and fun activities! If you don't serve in a field that requires working with children, adolescents, or adults...that's ok; you can always do these activities at your next family reunion!!   Packets with STEAM activities will be provided.

The Best Learning STEMs from Experiences 

Alaina Clark, STEM Collaboration Program Coordinator, Maine Campus Compact VISTA

What are your most memorable moments in school? They probably aren't your teachers' lectures. ME Campus Compact helps educators take learning out of the classroom to address real world, critical challenges. This workshop will guide you through our STEM Education research and hands-on activities that can help students apply STEM outside of the classroom. Participants will learn three activities that they can use to help local students enjoy and understand applications of STEM in the real-world, and will develop an understanding of the challenges and opportunities in creating STEM partnerships between higher education, K-12, and non-formal educators in the state of Maine. 

Teachers as Guides; Why we choose to Teach

Nicholas Beauchesne, Lewiston High School, Goodwill VISTA Partnership

Why do we choose to teach? What drives us to coach, to impart knowledge, and to assist in the pursuits and the potential of others? There must be some common thread that pulls us all in some degree toward the degrees we pursued and the professions we practice. It is in the shared experience of knowledge, in the imparting as well as in the acquiring, that draws us together. We seek to guide others, by sharing experience and expertise that will assist others on the trials and the triumphs that lay ahead.

Design Thinking for Social Change 

Molly Siegel, Goodwill AmeriCorps Multilingual Leadership Corps, serving with Portland Housing Authority

Do your part to empower youth in becoming agents in change in their community!  Learn how one pilot program at King Middle School is empowering 8th grade girls to become cultural innovators and use their ideas to make positive change in their communities. This interactive, hands-on workshop will cover the impact of design thinking in shaping emerging populations and multicultural communities to be more inclusive. It is intended for those working with youth and diverse populations who want to develop better methods to include community members in the design thinking processes for a more inclusive community.

Using the Experiential Learning Cycle to Engage At-risk Students

Ruth Solow, SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps Program

Participants in this session will use experiential education techniques to practice community-building in a manner that values individual learning styles. Participants will become familiar with interpreting children's play cues and conflict resolution during free play.  Participants will learn about the tenets of the experiential learning cycle and how to facilitate an education debrief after team-building activities.

Powered By Girl: How to Build a High School Media Activism Group

Alaina Ennamorati, Trekkers

This workshop will introduce you to our girl-driven media activism site, Powered By Girl (PBG), and will offer tips on using social media for youth activism. It will explain what a PBG media activism group looks like and does, and how you can bring PBG to your high school or community. Alaina will introduce you to the curriculum and connect you with Hardy Girls Healthy Women, a nonprofit based in Waterville, Maine that empowers girls with knowledge, critical thinking skills and a platform to drive social change. 

Engaging Disengaged Youth

Katrina Reid and Toby Nicholson, REAL School AmeriCorps Service-learning Program in Falmouth

How can you engage the most disengaged youth with their communities? The REAL School AmeriCorps program strives to develop empathy in at-risk students through the implementation of service-learning projects that center on contribution to the Maine community at-large. This workshop will highlight the strategies we use to conceptualize and bring to practice authentic and meaningful learning experiences for some of the state's most at-risk alternative learners.

Positives and Negatives of Labels and Children

Rebecca Stabler and Jenifer Craven

As AmeriCorps members, we play a significant role in how those we work with see themselves. Learn how to encourage people to have a fuller view of themselves by avoiding labels ‐ good or bad. We will also discuss how to best represent the population you serve in the larger community.
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REAL School‐ Life 101: Preparing at risk students for real world success;

Grace Nevins & Julia Harpe

The REAL School is an alternative, adventure based high school, where students who have been unsuccessful in mainstream schools can have a more personalized and therapeutic environment to learn and grow. The workplace readiness program within the school assists students in both gaining real world work experience and academic instruction. The teen aspirations program is an added benefit to all students which provides individually structured transition planning for life outside of high school (college, employment or military).

Connecting With Youth

Keri Westbaker

Are you having trouble connecting with the students you work with in a meaningful way? This workshop will teach you the best ways to engage middle and high school students while specifically focusing on helping them envision a bright future through targeted aspirations building. Helpful for participants engaged in education and mentoring.

Who am I and how did I get here? How our changing identity plays a role in the classroom and beyond 

Katherine Stitham

This workshop challenges members to explore their identity and motivations in order to better work with students from diverse backgrounds. We will delve into issues of power, community, and dialogue through interactive exercises aimed at developing deeper commitment and understanding of social justice. 

Engaging At-Risk Youth in Experiential Education

David West & Holly Seeliger

Tired of blank stares from rows of non-engaged students? Then come join our think-tank style session on engaging at-risk youth in experiential learning. In this session we will discover and share each other's best strategies for engaging all types of students in work that is relevant, meaningful and aligned with common core standards.

Non-traditional Teaching: Marshmallows, Music, Memorization?

Kemper Tell and Kari Kutrich 

If there are no two fingerprints the same, why are we instructed to teach the same and expect positive results? This workshop takes you into a non-traditional learning experience that will appeal to all learning types. This ain't yo' grandma's classroom.

STEM/STEAM: Engaging Students in Hands-on Learning

Darlene Jeffers, SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps Program serving at the Manchester School in Windham

Do you work with children? Here is a fun, hands-on seminar teaching you about easy STEM/STEAM projects that you can do with the children you work with. These projects are fun, engaging and easy.  You will leave with hand-outs on how to do these projects and how to hold a Family STEM activity.   You will also learn how to do a quick and easy art project that you can take with you.

Lesson Planning: Creative Fun

Gordon Liu

The science of rock candy and the history of medieval siege machines: Both of these lesson plans are education, exciting, engaging, and can be taught using a Popsicle stick and a few sugar packets. This workshop will introduce you to divergent and convergent thinking, an analytical approach to creative problem solving, and show you ways to design high‐quality lessons with whatever resources are available.

How to MacGyver a Lesson Plan

Sonia Noble & Gordon Liu

Do you have a large budget for curriculum and lesson planning? If so, this workshop is NOT for you. For everyone who thinks that having a budget sounds too good to true -- don't despair! You can create memorable and meaningful lessons with things you already have, and you can have fun at the same time.

Environmental Stewardship

Conservation Beyond the Corps

Alaina Dedo, Zach DeLorenzo, Taylor Elkins, Rachel Herr, Becky Joyce, and Cassidy Plaud, Maine Conservation Corps Field Team members

Bring Conscious living and conservation principles into your everyday life. Join MCC Trail Training Members for a hour of awareness on societal norms, their planetary impact, and how to hold oneself accountable through an exploration of conservation principles. Enjoy an interactive dialogue with six members, tying conservation into the your daily life through activities, information and inspiration.

Save Energy, Save Money, Save The World!

Christine Seibert & Casey Hess, UMaine, Maine Partnership for Environmental Stewardship, Maine Campus Compact

Come learn how to make simple modifications to improve your energy efficiency! We will help you identify easy ways to save money and keep you more comfortable in your home. Small changes add up to big change!     Please bring a laptop or smart phone for this session.

Fortifying Community with Window Inserts

Stephanie Tardiff & Megan Kennedy, Maine Partnership for Environmental Stewardship (MPES), Unity College

Come to our workshop and learn how organizing and hosting a model public project can help you learn skills for organizing, promoting, planning and hosting a successful community event.  Our window insert build events promote community & program partnerships, increase energy efficiency, cost savings, and volunteerism in your community! Attendees will get hands-on experience with assembling a window insert! 

Green Room Certification; an Interactive Method of Energy Efficiency Education

Alicia Oberholzer, Maine Partnership for Environmental Stewardship, Maine Campus Compact - University of Maine

Learn how to galvanize environmental action by starting a Green Room Certification program in your community! At this session, you will learn how to interactively educate the public about energy efficiency using a Green Room Certification program. This PechaKucha presentation will offer an interactive method of spreading energy efficiency awareness across the state of Maine. Participants will walk away with the toolkit necessary to start a Green Room Certification Program within their community

Leave No Trace; MCC Trail Training Members

Chantelle Hay, Taylor Deely, Paul Morris, Richard Barnhart, Leah Beck, David Hicks, Mitch Dumas, and Reggie Clark with the Maine Conservation Corps

The participant lead Leave No Trace (LNT) Awareness workshop will equip you with the knowledge and skills to preserve the environment and educate others to act as stewards.  As more people use parks and recreation facilities, LNT principles become even more important for outdoor visitors.  Learn to practice LNT in your attitude and actions where ever you go.

Fostering Stewardship in Small Non-Profits

Shelby Greene 

In this workshop we will discuss the formation of volunteer committees within a nonprofit setting to help foster stewardship while tapping into a variety of volunteer skills to maximize fundraising efforts and community outreach. This includes identifying volunteer skills to organize fundraisers, write fundraising letters, research grants, and organize programs/events.

Food

Foraging for Food and First Aid 

Jonathan McEndarfer; Goodwill VISTA Partnership, Nylander Museum 

Plants are something we see when ever we go outside. With each plant there is the opportunity to use them for both food and medicine. There are plants we step on that when used right, are very effective for healing from bee stings. The best part is it is free. During the presentation there will be exercises to help you ID wild plants.

Backcountry Nutrition

Hugo Rodriguez, Kevin LaPointe, Emily Brown & Rosemary Trahan; Team Leader Trainees, Maine Conservation Corps

Satisfy that hiker hunger with food that will keep you healthy and happy on the trail.  In this session, we will provide you with backcountry cooking techniques, recipes, and tips for packing and planning your next adventure in the outdoors.

Cooking Matters Pop-Up Tour

Julie Salerno, Cooking Matters, Good Shepherd Food Bank

Join our Pop-Up Tour and learn how to shop for healthy and delicious food on a budget! This interactive workshop brings the grocery store to you through visual aids. We cover each food group as if we were moving through the aisles and what key components to pay attention to. Some topics include: comparing unit prices and learning how to find the most cost efficient option, reading nutrition facts labels and the importance of checking serving sizes, how to make half your grains whole by reading the ingredients list and understanding different ways to purchase fruits and vegetables based off season and convenience. At the end of the class, each participant receives a $10 gift card to Hannaford and a recipe book that also includes a seasonal vegetable chart, tips on storing/freezing food and how to stretch ingredients.

Why Eating Local Really Does Matter

Darcy Cooke, Maine Partnership for Environmental Stewardship, Maine Campus Compact; UMA-Bangor

"Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food." -Hippocrates. Everyday, three times a day, we are given an opportunity to improve our health and the health of our environment, or to do them harm.  Eating from small, local farms is not only good for you and good for the planet, but it has a range of other benefits. You can boost your local economy.  You can reject factory farmed meat. You can protect soil qualities and biodiversity- all by upping your local food intake. Come learn how you can easily access local foods and why it is important to do so. Join us for this presentation and learn the true value of what ends up on your plate.

Maine Hunger Dialogue: The Event

Tom Gallant and Heaven Riendeau, Maine Campus Compact VISTAs

Come learn about the Maine Hunger Dialogue and "How To" event planning techniques used to organize highly successful conferences. Find out how student-led groups began hunger alleviation projects on their campuses, the mission of the Maine Hunger Dialogue and the various programs sponsored by the conference. Participants will also learn about the tools used to coordinate statewide events.

Cooking Matters for AmeriCorps: How To Shop Healthy on a Budget 

Adeline Browne, AmeriCorps Cooking Matters Coordinator, Good Shepherd Food Bank 

Why are cashews so expensive? What is the difference between brown eggs and white eggs? What does trans-fat even mean? Come get your burning questions about nutrition answered at this Cooking Matters workshop. We will discuss nutrition, eat a healthy snack, and share techniques about how to shop for healthy food on a budget. This presentation will provide AmeriCorps members with nutrition information and tips for how to purchase healthy food on a budget. It will be a "pop-up" version of a grocery store tour tailored for members. Participants will earn a $10 Hannaford giftcard for completing the workshop. 

The Art of Connecting People In Need to Community Resources

Merrilee Schoen, Maine Hunger Initiative; Piscataquis Healthy Food For All/Piscataquis Regional YMCA

Creative process, intentional design and flexibility were essential in carrying the program FarmShare for Homebound Seniors from pilot project to recurring service. In this session you'll learn how to identify existing resources that can help you connect with hard to reach audiences and the potential benefits of unexpected situations. Learn about creative and community-based approaches, including the value of one-on-one conversation and taking time to build trust and rapport. You will think of existing resources in your community that are not linked but could be. You'll share these resources and consider ways to create sustainable relationships between people and organizations and leave inspired.

FoodCorps in Maine

Laura Budde, Jane Spencer, & Dan Rennie

This workshop will explore the new national service program called FoodCorps. Service members will be sharing their experiences of connecting Maine youth to local and healthy foods. Learn strategies from their experiences of teaching nutrition in schools, building school gardens, and increasing farm to school initiatives. FoodCorps members will also provide insight on how to make school gardens work and school gardens sustainable through networking, resource sharing, and community organizing. This workshop is intended for members who serve in schools, with high need populations, and/or on similar initiatives.

Leadership Development

The Leadership Toolbelt

Kevin Rossi, Brennan King, Dean Samuelson, & Joe Grabinski; Team Leader Trainees, Maine Conservation Corps

This workshop will provide you with tools and techniques to engage, motivate, and lead a team of volunteers.  We will have thoughtful conversations around leadership, and share effective team building activities.  Join us for this interactive and thought-provoking session on Leadership.

Leadership and Communication Styles

Ryan MacGlashing and Amie Daniels, Maine Conservation Corps

Identify the pros and cons of your leadership style.  Then, using this knowledge, develop strategies to work with others and work towards a better you. The end goal is to promote balanced leadership and to become a centered individual who is able to work with all types of people.

Promoting Leadership Development in AmeriCorps Programming

Laura Personette, AmeriCorps Alum & UMaine Coop. Ext. 4-H Community Central Program Coordinator and Elaine Theriault, Multilingual Leadership Corps, Aspirations Coordinator at Lewiston Housing Authority

Extracurricular activities and programs play an important role in the leadership development of youth. While research shows that formal mentoring relationships between youth and adults best promote leadership skill development and awareness, this can be difficult in some programming designs  In this workshop, we'll explore how leadership development can be woven into existing programming and look at activities, both formal and informal, that can strengthen leadership skill development for all participants in your programming

Sounds of Leadership:

Exploration Through Music and Discussion; Kaitlyn Kuzio, Maine VISTA Project, serving with Bucksport Bay Healthy Communities Coalition and John Moist, Maine Campus Compact, serving at the University of Maine at Presque Isle

There are several leadership styles, just like there are several work styles. Every single person fits into at least one of these styles. This may sound like something that doesn't require conscious effort, so why should you care? For one, we'll be making music with home-made VISTA instruments! To the point: just like your personality traits and your skill sets, there are qualities that you have naturally, and there are qualities that you can learn and sharpen. In fact, in this session, we will use an activity and discussion to assess our individual leadership styles, learn the vices and virtues of each leadership style, and review methods of improving our leadership styles based on what we've learned.

Quiet Leadership: Valuing Diverse Communication Styles and Self-Awareness

Sophie Booth  

Would you like to maximize your own personal and professional growth during your term of service and learn more about yourself? Sometimes we can lose ourselves in the shuffle when we're devoting all of our time to service. We'll talk about different personality types, communication styles, and leadership techniques and how they influence the ways we come across to others in the workplace. We'll also talk about the ways in which self-awareness and our approaches to challenges influence our AmeriCorps experience, and we'll end by discussing concrete ways to gain the most from our year of service.

Finding Purpose in Your Work

Emily Mitchell and Hannah Mitchell, Maine Campus Compact. Emily serves at University of Southern Maine & Hannah at Bates College

Purposeful work has a meaningful impact in your life and in the wider community. How do your values align with your current role? This workshop will help you to identify your personal values, strengths, and sources of inspiration while connecting them to your work.

Creating Leaders through Service-Learning

Kaitlyn Richardson

Mount Desert Island Regional School System (MDIRSS) has worked diligently the past 10 years to embed service-learning into students' school experiences. Hear MDIRSS's vision and story about using service-learning as an instructional method to improve student's academic success, engagement in school, and civic attitudes. Special emphasis will be placed on how to create mutually beneficial relationships between schools and community partners, and the role an AmeriCorps member can play in building service-learning sustainability.

Finding Your Leadership Compass for Success

Eileen Buzzello & Erin Dunne, Maine VISTA Project

Discover your leadership compass, loosely based on the Native American Medicine Wheel. The workshop will explore four components of leadership - Vision, Relationships, Process, and Results. Each participant will gain an understanding of their personal strengths and weaknesses in these areas through the techniques taught in the workshop.

Rethinking Service

Emily Marvin & Caroline Fish

We all want to serve, but sometimes our own agendas get in the way. In this workshop, we will challenge you to seek new perspectives in order to better enable yourself to tackle the real problems in the communities where you serve. Through activities and discussion, we will share techniques we have discovered to question our assumptions, ideas for creating and engaging a vibrant community, and ways to practice self-care and avoid burnout. 

Rethinking Your Moods

Sidra Nasir, Island Institute, Island fellows AmeriCorps Program, serving on Chebeague Island and Miriam Briscoe, Goodwill's Multilingual Leadership Corps serving at the Front Street Study Center

This workshop introduces ten common distorted ways of thinking. These distortions (adapted from the work of David Burns on cognitive therapy) are like "old tapes" that we have played in our minds for years. We will be looking at some techniques to become aware of these distortions and challenge them. Are you ready to record some new tapes?

Life After AmeriCorps

Impacts of AmeriCorps Service (A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Perspective) 

Paige Bradshaw; LearningWorks Aim High AmeriCorps 

Curious about how Peace Corps and AmeriCorps are connected? Join our panel discussion and learn more about the perspectives of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who have served in both the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps and the potential academic and professional benefits of each program!

Life After Service

Stephanie Armstrong, Service Year Alliance

"People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it." -Simon Sinek    In organizing and networking efforts, storytelling helps us answer the question of "why?" -- why we care, why the work that we do matters, why we value one goal over another. Most of us don't do this work because of a list of facts; instead, we're here because of our values.  The desire to make change stems from beliefs like fairness, equality, democracy, or service. Join Service Year Alliance to learn how to tell your story and network with other alums across the nation to ensure that service years are an equal and common opportunity for every American.

National & International Service Opportunites

Elizabeth Holt, Multilingual Leadership Corps, Goodwill Industries of Northern New England

Join me to learn about service opportunities Nationally and Internationally! What do you really know about Peace Corps? Have you ever heard of Bike & Build? In this presentation, we will discuss these programs and more! Attendees will hear and see overviews of various service programs they may not be familiar with and will also learn about additional opportunities for service.

It's 2017. Do I Really Need a Resume?  

Jessica White, AmeriCorps Alum working with Goodwill AmeriCorps in Portland as a Program Director

After serving with AmeriCorps, a natural next step is to begin the often daunting task of returning to the "real world" and finding a job.  After months in the nonprofit sector living at the poverty level, attending trainings and professional development events, buildings trails and mentoring students, filling out timesheets and reports, the idea of compiling those experiences into a few bullet points can seem overwhelming.  Come to this workshop to learn how to best represent your service on a resume and how to talk about the impact you made in a cover letter so you can get that J-O-B.

Setting Up Your Host Site for the Road Ahead

Laura Personette & Kristy Ouellette 

We don't want our service with AmeriCorps to end, but it is a reality we have to face (eventually). How can you help to ensure a smooth transition for your program and a warm welcome to the new member? Join us as we tackle this topic through the lens of a two-term State & National member and a former VISTA supervisor!

Exploring Peace Corps Pathways

Byron Schuldt; Maine Conservation Corps

The skills you gain in AmeriCorps know no borders. This session will explore options for overseas service with the Peace Corps through volunteer stories and discussion. International service isn't easy, but can have an echoing impact on the volunteers who serve and on our increasingly interconnected world.

Life After AmeriCorps

Solange Carpenter & Steve Niles, AmeriCorps Alums

Are you nearing the end of your term? Are you anxious about Life After AmeriCorps? What's next?! Let us help you set yourself up for the future.  Come learn the tips and strategies of negotiating the transition and make the most out of your unique service experience. Learn how to access and use the Segal Education Award, strategies for easing the transition from a term of service into the "real" world, and discover opportunities with AmeriCorps Alums!

Financial Habitutes

Olivia Gambocarto, Bangor AmeriCorps Opportunity Collaborative, serving with Four Directions Development Corporation

Money Habitudes: Your Attitude on Finance -- Learn, Plan, Stabilize, Leverage.  Learn about the financial systems that exist in our lives and how the interact with one another, how they impact us and how best to manage or current habits and attitudes with an eye towards developing new and better financial strategies.

A Great & Growing Alumni

Heather Correia

We are AmeriCorps, a great and growing Alumni. There's something incredible about being an AmeriCorps Member, maybe it's that serving alongside you, there are thousands of Members that have also committed to bringing volunteerism to communities throughout the Nation. Join us for some compelling storytelling of service and learn more about how you are already an Alum, as we take a closer look at the impact both you and Members since 1964 have been making. This is your chance to reflect and grasp how our connection through volunteerism will linger beyond the term of service. 

Life After AmeriCorps

Jenifer Craven and Gordon Liu, AmeriCorps Alums

Are you feeling anxious about what to do after your term of service? That's completely natural; we did too! This is your chance to chat with Alums and hear how they made the transition. Participate in a work session with a panel of Alums and hear about post-service opportunities. Learn what you can do to make the most of your time NOW.

Philosophy‐ Crossing the Precipice of Life After AmeriCorps

Darlene Rowan

The motives that brought you to AmeriCorps are multiple and varied. These motives are what opened the door for your term of service here. So how can we move from anxiety, fear, and uncertainty to the next steps that will bring you over the threshold into seeing the right opportunity for you?

Match Savings Accounts - Build Your Assets 4x Quicker!

Taylor Pond, MaineStream Finance, Goodwill VISTA Partnership

Are you finding it difficult to save for school, training, or a home?  Maybe a Match Savings Account could help! For every $1 you save it's matched with $4 additional dollars. These accounts can help you, or the people you work with, save in a more reasonable amount of time.  Learn about what Match Savings Accounts are; how to be eligible; what programs are available; and to get in touch with your local CAP to access one.

Live + Work in Maine

Nate Wildes, Executive Director for Live and Work in Maine

Join Nate Wildes, this year's keynote speaker as he hosts an intimate Q&A following his keynote presentation.  Nate will dive deeper into Maine's demographic challenges, and further explain the mission and current initiatives of Live + Work in Maine.  Nate is focused on raising awareness about the career opportunities and world-class quality of life experienced by those of us who live and work in Maine.

Succeeding in Your Year of Service

Motivation Station!

Meghan Loury and Amy Cazier, Maine Conservation Corps 

Are you like us and sometimes find yourself struggling with the Coronavirus blues? Is water cooler chat no longer available? Stuck inside with only your screen for company? Come join us for some activities and tools to keep motivated and energized! We will talk about effective ways to make use of your breaks, go through a guided meditation, provide ideas on how to stay active, and go over some stretches to relieve the aches from sitting behind a desk! Come prepared with a song to "shake it out" because we'll end the workshop with a quick dance party! 

 
Saving Energy and Money in the Home 

Grace Bukowski-Thall, Colleen Hendricks and Grace Sherman; Maine Campus Compact 

Do you care about the environment? Do you want to spend less money on your energy bill? Join the Maine Energy AmeriCorps program to learn about saving energy and money at home! 
 

Tips to Best Manage Your Money During and After AmeriCorps 

Hannah Bobker, VISTA, Finance Authority of Maine

The personal is financial (and the financial is political). In this session, you will learn how to manage limited funds during service and avoid going deeper into debt; how to move toward a more secure financial future after AmeriCorps and how understanding personal finance can help navigate our complex socioeconomic system. Topics covered will include your education award, saving/budgeting and credit/debt management. Please feel free to bring questions.

Signing up for SNAP as an Americorps Member

Blake McCartney, Goodwill VISTA Partnership, Maine Hunger Initiative

Have you signed up for SNAP yet? Did you know most AmeriCorps members can? Have you lost your benefits and you don't know why? Learn more about hunger in Maine, how SNAP works, what it requires to sign-up and how to maintain benefits as an AmeriCorps member.

Making it Without Faking It

Ethan Palm, AmeriCorps VISTA at One Tree Center, Goodwill VISTA Partnership

Do you ever feel out of place at your host site? Worry your emails sound like a high schooler wrote them? Feel awkward in your grown up clothes? Learn strategies to thrive in any work setting and recognize that you belong in your role. This workshop will cover best practices for email etiquette, interpersonal communication strategies, and mindfulness exercises. Learn to conduct yourself with confidence and develop strategies for confronting impostor syndrome language.

Treat Yo' Self

Kallie Dorsey, Goodwill's Multilingual Leadership Corps serving at Lyman Moore Middle School in Portland

Do you ever feel a little burned-out of your AmeriCorps position? Well now it is time to Treat Yo' Self! Come find out how you are doing in your own self-care and ways to improve your overall well-being. Engage in a self-assessment, learn about the biopsychosocial spiritual model and set goals for your own self-care during your AmeriCorps term.

Cooking Matters for AmeriCorps: How to Shop Healthy on a Budget

Adeline Browne, AmeriCorps Cooking Matters Coordinator, Good Shepherd Food Bank 

Why are cashews so expensive? What is the difference between brown eggs and white eggs? What does trans fat even mean? Come get your burning questions about nutrition answered at this Cooking Matters workshop. We will discuss nutrition, eat a healthy snack, and share techniques about how to shop for healthy food on a budget. This presentation will provide AmeriCorps members with nutrition information and tips for how to purchase healthy food on a budget. It will be a "pop-up" version of a grocery store tour tailored for members. Participants will earn a $10 Hannaford gift card for completing the workshop. 

Savor Your Moments of Service

Heather Rose, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator, Maine Conservation Corps

Your Service is something to savor - Capture the insights and efforts of your term and learn how they can make a lasting impact not just on you, but on the world! This workshop will explore different methods, mediums and media, including scrapbooks, journals, instagram, and many avenues and options to collect "snapshots" of your experience throughout your term of service. This exposure, awareness and opportunity to connect with what a term of service encompasses, is enriching for the member and enlightening for everyone else it touches.

Making Your Finances Priority During AmeriCorps

Amanda Troxell, Maine Conservation Corps

Are you out of your own financial loop? Don't be afraid, ask questions, and engage your financial future. AmeriCorps has awesome benefits which can ensure members remain in good credit standing. When you know what to look for, answers are easier to find. After this talk, you will be more confident and comfortable with your financial circumstances. Participants will walk away with the tools to find the answers they seek in regard to their own finances. Also, they'll be more aware of the options AmeriCorps provides for financial assistance.

Rethinking Service

Emily Marvin & Caroline Fish

We all want to serve, but sometimes our own agendas get in the way. In this workshop, we will challenge you to seek new perspectives in order to better enable yourself to tackle the real problems in the communities where you serve. Through activities and discussion, we will share techniques we have discovered to question our assumptions, ideas for creating and engaging a vibrant community, and ways to practice self-care and avoid burnout.

Managing Stress while Serving in AmeriCorps

Rosalia Pembroke, Maxwell Martin & Matthew Daniels, Maine Conservation Corps

Check yourself before you stress yourself! Please join us for a self-evaluation and guided meditation, designed by and for AmeriCorps members. It can be nerve-wracking to move to a new state and live in a rural or isolated community. AmeriCorps service involves living on a strict budget, spending a lot of time attending to the needs of others, and often sharing living space with many other people. We will share some of the techniques we have found helpful lowering AmeriCorps member stress.

Making the Most Out of Maine

Jessica Brancely & Kallie Dorsie, Multilingual Leadership Corps

Moving to Maine for your AmeriCorps service? Feeling nervous about the surplus of moose and the lack of civilization? No fear! MLC AmeriCorps is here! Join us for a discussion on how we made it through our AmeriCorps terms by soaking up all the sunshine and snowflakes this great state has to offer!

Digging Where We Stand But Not Letting Go Of Why We Signed On

Benny VanDerburgh and Martha Schnee, both serving at Portland Housing Authority as members with Goodwill NNE's Multilingual Leadership Corps

Come to this workshop ready to problem-solve about nonprofit scarcity, bring your own creative background to consider DIY projects with heart, and to think about what expansive missions you can tether to as a way to be better at the day-to-day work of direct service. Participants will learn how to expand their thinking related to their own programming and consider ways to innovate with what resources they have. Attendees will learn one framework of "working with what you've got". And will take away a variety of resources for continued learning and engagement with creative DIY projects!

This VISTA Life - Getting Things Done as a VISTA 

Jennifer Grobe and Emily Loker, Anti-Hunger Opportunity Corps VISTAs, serving with the Preble Street Maine Hunger Initiative in Portland

Have you ever wondered how to navigate partnerships and priorities to make the most of your service year? In three acts, This VISTA Life will follow the journey of two VISTAs trying to find their way with the hopes of guiding others to do the same. Join us for a dynamic presentation that is sure to inspire, engage and entertain.

Health, Humor, and Homesickness

Stormy De Lucia, Maine VISTA Project, serving with Down East AIDS Network and the Health Equity Alliance

This workshop will focus on taking care of yourself mentally and physically during your service to perform the best that you can! Topics include finding humor during stress, healthy activities, seasonal events around Maine, and group collaboration on what helps to keep you going during the slumps and all of the no good, very bad days.

Match Savings Accounts - Build Your Assets 4x Quicker!

Taylor Pond, MaineStream Finance, Goodwill VISTA Partnership

Are you finding it difficult to save for school, training, or a home?  Maybe a Match Savings Account could help! For every $1 you save it's matched with $4 additional dollars. These accounts can help you, or the people you work with, save in a more reasonable amount of time.  Learn about what Match Savings Accounts are; how to be eligible; what programs are available; and to get in touch with your local CAP to access one.

What It Means To You To Serve: Reframing Preconceived Notions Of Service & Volunteerism 

Solange Carpenter, Goodwill VISTA Partnership, Goodwill Industries of Northern New England

What role does your year of service play in your community? Do you want to share the positive ways your organization is helping your community? Join us in a discussion about understanding your reasons for serving, creating a positive, community-based service year and combatting saviorism in service. Bring your stories, your questions, and your suggestions. Learn to identify positive service vs. toxic service/voluntentourism/saviourism; share experiences and brainstorm positive solutions.  National service members who understand the challenges make a difference with how we approach our service.

Making the Most of Your Year of Service 

Paige Barker, Maine VISTA Project, serving with the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program in Waterville

Do you struggle to find things to do when you're off-duty? Do you want a space to discuss the struggles that can come with moving to a new town, serving in AmeriCorps, and living in poverty? Come to this collaborative workshop to talk with other AmeriCorps members and brainstorm ideas for making the most of your year of service.

Healthcare Options

Penobscot Community Health Care AmeriCorps

The March deadline 31 has come and gone, but are you one of many Mainers who are still unsure about how to apply for health insurance, compare plans, or enroll online? Join us to learn more about the Health Insurance Marketplace, coverage options for all budgets and needs, and hear real stories about positive change for Maine citizens who we have helped enrolled as part of Community HealthCorps and our year of service.
Whether you're uninsured or just want to explore your choices, we will provide an overview of the new options available and answer any questions you may have  

Money Management for Serving and Beyond

Richard Whitehouse 

Serving on a budget can betough, especially when you could be saving or paying down a student loan. This workshop will explore strategies for saving, budgeting, and dealing with student loans that you can apply during your term of service and in the next stage of your life.

Financing Your Year of Service

Jennifer Wilson  

Are you ready to stop living pay-check to pay-check? Attend this workshop and learn how to create a budget, use credit wisely, re-pair your debt, and save for your future!

Working to Leave a Legacy

Maine Campus Compact, Maine Campus Compact VISTAs

Working to leave a legacy; tips, tricks & lessons learned ‐ Join Maine Campus Compact VISTAs for an engaging panel discussion as they reflect on their year of service supporting and expanding college access programming around the state. They'll share the tools and best practices they've discovered for building capacity and embedding sustainability into their programming. The discussion will be followed by an ample Q&A and group reflection time.

Working with Tough Subjects and Staying Positive 

Lauren Chaves

Fostering Compassion in those who have given up ‐Sex Trafficking Identification ‐How to remain positive about your site. Through her experiences with helping sex trafficking victims Lauren has learned how to protect herself from depression, and feeling defeated, she would like to pass these lessons on as well as, explain the lack of compassion volunteers may run into.

Self-Care

Perri Powell

The more we care for ourselves the better we care for others. This workshop will offer the space to explore individual needs for self-care. There will be an introduction to various techniques in the hope that each person will leave with tools to achieve better self-care and have a greater understanding of its importance.

Tech Tips

Manipulating Maps: cool visuals, bad information 

Kelly Rehberg, Shale Peters; AmeriCorps Resilience Corps, Greater Portland Council of Governments 

Maps can be effective learning tools, great visualizations for complex data, and tell fascinating stories, but what if I told you maps lie to you--or at least don't tell the whole truth. In this workshop, attendees will learn the basics of how maps are made and how they can be biased. The goal is to then explore how bias in mapping can change our perspective while also learning to think critically when given or using visual data. 

Website Accessibility: Designing for All 

Madeline Tripp and Una Huang; AmeriCorps Resilience Corps, Greater Portland Council of Governments 

When you design a website or other digital tool, you want it to be useful to everyone-- but how do you do that? Join us for a conversation about digital accessibility and creating positive user experience for all. We'll share useful perspectives and strategies to keep in mind for an inclusive design. 
 

Spreading the Joy without Compromise, protecting against cyber threats

John Tarbox, National Digital Equity Center, AmeriCorps Digital Inclusion Initiative

The internet can be a scary place, it can also be a great way to share our experiences on social media and with our friends. In this workshop you will learn how to keep your devices, as well as yourself safe from cyber-threats while at the same time having fun sharing your ideas, photos and videos.

Social Media Style Guide 

Theresa Makowski, Piscataquis Regional Food Center, Goodwill Americorps VISTA

Brand yourself and your organization!  Learn how to make your postings, and graphics stand out on social media, keep your message consistent, and be a social media rock star.

Bullet Journals & Other Organizational Practices

Tayelor Gosselin, Maine DEP, Augusta, Maine Conservation Corps

Ever wonder where all your time goes? Why you always scramble at the last minute to finish a project or a report? We will explore the different ways you can manage your work/service time to be more productive and efficient in tasks by creating an organized work space, with good habits. Some topics include bullet journals, block schedules, and habit incentives.

Blogging for Service 

Dylan Cookson, Maine Conservation Corps

Learn how to promote your Service Organization and its projects through Blogging. Like an amateur's form of journalism, a Blog can be used to share stories and experiences in whatever format fits your organization's mission. Blogs can also build an online community of followers who are anxious for each new update and cultivate online support for your organization and mission!    We will discuss the online tools you can use to make blogs, content, and the advantages of blogging.

Filmmaking Basics

Dylan Pardue, Cobscook Community Learning Center, Goodwill VISTA Partnership

Learn how to shoot and edit your own videos using just a smartphone, or with a camera and Mac or PC. The goal of this session is to gain useful, practical filmmaking skills that can be applied at an AmeriCorps site or any other project, while operating with no, small, or large budgets.

But First, Lemme Take A Selfie!

Megan Hughes, Multilingual Leadership Corps, Portland Housing Authority Study Center Coordinator and Joel Stetson, VISTA Leader with Goodwill VISTA Partnership

Meeting your "clients" where they're at. Youth these days are ultra-stimulated. In order to meet them at their level, we'll explore diving into the world of social media and video. We'll go over the components of telling your story to better promote your programming to all ages, editing programs for little or no money, creating basic scripts/production outlines, getting to root of your story and understanding your audience. Learn to tell a story to get YOUR voice heard.

Technology Tips and Tools: Using Spreadsheets Effectively

Gordon Liu, Midcoast Maine AmeriCorps Alums

A one-hour talk about spreadsheets may seem boring, but here are three reasons to attend this workshop:  1. Spreadsheets are used everywhere by (almost) everyone, making these skills crucial to the workplace.  2. Spreadsheets are incredibly powerful. Learn how to more fully utilize this amazing tool.  3. Spreadsheets are great at automating your workflow. Come learn how a spreadsheet can do work on its own!

Using Prezi to Breathe Life into Presentations

Genna Cherichello, Food Corps

Hear about integrating service-learning into the kitchen and garden, but instead of a PowerPoint, it will be a Prezi! The rest of the workshop will be exploring the ins and outs of Prezi, an internet-based presentation program that enables users to create lively, exciting presentations that easily integrate various forms of media! 

Marketing 101: A Step-By-Step Guide to Crafting a Marketing Plan

Gordon Liu, Midcoast Maine AmeriCorps Alums

Join us for a comprehensive walk-through of marketing. We'll cover the basics of developing a marketing plan, including branding, market segmentation, and messaging. You'll walk out of this workshop with a marketing plan you can implement at your host site, and valuable knowledge for your post-AmeriCorps career.

Resource Sharing and Networking in the 21st Century

Coral Breuer

Resource Sharing and Networking in the 21st Century Tech Talk: What to do when you've got a state‐wide team and low travel funds? These days we have all kinds of cool tools we can use to connect virtually; Google Hangout, Skype, Gchat, Wiggio, Dropbox...the list goes on. It can be easy to turn to these methods when opportunities to connect in person seem challenging, but how do we utilize these tools in ways that DO support connection without getting bogged down in tech glitches, distraction, and screen fatigue? This participatory session will explore the various (free!) methods that exist and discuss lessons learned from mistakes that can bog the whole process down. Your skepticism and participation are highly encouraged for this one!

Start‐up Project Liftoff

Jill Braceland, STEM VISTA, Maine Campus Compact

Staring at a blank piece of paper at the start of a project can be intimidating. Working off a Blank Piece of Paper will give you a chance to experience some organizing techniques to get the project started. Participants will document initial concepts for a start‐up project, organize preliminary information into a provisional sequence and generate a tentative timetable for a project.

Get Organized with Google Drive!

Alexandra Hodges, Island Fellows, Island Institute

SurveyMonkey, Microsoft Office, iWork, ShareDrive, Canvas, blah, blah, blah! With so many different programs to keep track of, it can be hard to get your organization, well, organized! With Google Drive, you have everything in one - a free online word processor, survey generator, presentation creator, spreadsheet program, and drawing program. With just one account, you and your peers can collaborate on hundreds of different projects. Plus, since Google Drive is hosted on the internet, you no longer have to worry about using the same computer to get your work done. As long as you have an internet connection, you can jump in the fast lane of Google Drive.

Grant Writing

Emily Baer, Maine VISTA Project

Topics to be covered in this workshop are identifying your resources, developing a resource development strategy, finding the right grant for your project, getting started--overcoming writers block, writing a compelling proposal, making your proposal stand out, and how to steward funders. 

Film, Edit, Share: Using Video for Service

Adam Harr

Introducing the Maine service community to video production as a means of promotion and outreach for their service projects, attendees will learn the basics of video editing and how to integrate video with social media strategies via free apps on mobile devices and browsers. Attendees will work in small groups to film, edit and share short videos. Participants are encouraged to bring their smartphone, tablet, and/or laptop in order to get the most out of the workshop.

Multi-Media Service-Learning Projects; Makin' them HAPPEN!

Hannah Tannebring, Kate Webber, Island Fellows, Island Institute & Melanie Strout, Maine VISTA Project

Come learn how to effectively integrate technology into projects, explore different tools and methods, and learn the mechanics behind beginning a service-learning project. Participants will hear about a successful multi-media Local Stories project happening now on Swan's Island.

Oinkonomics - Teaching Students to Bring Home the Bacon!

Connor McFarland

So, what do you do when you want to share a lot of information with as wide an audience as possible but your target community is just starting to realize there's something better than dial-up? Learn how to use technology and community partnerships to maximize limited internet access to its fullest potential, while gaining a wider digital audience. 

Other Sessions

Special Considerations for Incarcerated Recovery Coaching  

Ray Demko; Maine Recovery Corps, Healthy Acadia 

Come learn about standard procedures of mental healthcare in the jails and prisons of Maine for people living with Substance Use Disorder/Opioid Use Disorder! I will clearly define what a Recovery Coach does and does not do, in the community and incarceration. This Recovery Coaching module will help you reach the most vulnerable souls in jails and institutions with real solutions, real support, and real hope!  

 
Thinking with Crits: Role-Playing Games and their Effect on Critical thinking 

Zachariah Dewey; I Know ME AmeriCorps, Maine Youth Alliance  

Critical thinking is the practice of taking information and using it to create something new. Role-Playing is a form of experiential play where the players take on the persona of other characters to tell a story. This session will highlight how role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons feed into critical thinking as participants play through a short game. 

 
Community Empowerment Through Public History 

Rebecca Lo Presti; Vista Steward, Vemont Granite Museum 

Join the Vermont Granite Museum for a session about revitalizing neglected areas of your community through public history! Using Vermont's Elmwood Cemetery as an example, we will discuss how historic locations in your town can be transformed into social, economic, and cultural hubs. Attendees will receive a handbook about the Elmwood Cemetery project to use as a reference. Everyone is welcome to attend! 

 
Building Community Resilience Using Restorative Justice Practices 

Pamela Corcoran; Goodwill VISTA Partnership, Penquis CAP 

Attend this workshop and learn more about using tools to support equity and inclusion. We'll focus upon Ten Ways to Live Restoratively, identify strategies to motivate colleagues and learn about current programs in Maine. 
 

Yoga as a Path to Addiction Recovery 

Kate Sebelin and Sarah Juster, Maine Recovery Corps, Healthy Acadia 

Learn the 8 elements of a traditional yoga practice including moral ethics and disciplines, breathing techniques, movement, meditation practices, self-study and personal growth.  Connections will be made to more commonly recognized substance use disorder and addiction recovery support groups and their models to illustrate the shared steps in the process. The presentation will close with a few simple practices for the audience.
 

How Not to Die in the Woods: Risk Management and Response in the Outdoors

Joel Kopcial and special guest stars: Adam Beck, Johansel Caraballo, Nick Kovsky, Dylan Keith, Louis Chiappetta; Maine Conservation Corps, Trail Training Academy,

Life is dangerous.  Let us help you stay alive in the outdoors. There are a lot of potential hazards associated with being active in the outdoors; participants will leave this session with useful knowledge which will minimize these risks.  We will discuss preparations and procedures used for maintaining safety in the outdoors.  We will cover both occupational and recreational scenarios.

Embrace a New Place; strategies for life's changes

Lawson Jaffe, 30 Mile River Watershed Association, Maine Conservation Corps Environmental Steward

Have you ever had a difficult time adjusting to a big life change? Come learn how to make the transition here at the Embrace a New Place Workshop.

Volunteer Management through the Interview process 

Zora Cora Ordway, LearningWorks, VISTA

Are you interested in volunteer management? Confident and purposeful interviewing can not only help you choose the right people, but it can also prevent confusion and problems with volunteers down the road. Join us to discuss!

Ultimate Frisbee As A Tool For Social Emotional Growth

Gunnar Heckler, Learning works AIMSHIGH, East End Community School

Want to learn about the best sport on the planet? Look no further!  Come learn why Ultimate Frisbee is a great tool for social emotional growth(especially for young children!).  Ultimate's unique aspects, such as the lack of referee's and having a concept of "Spirit of the Game" make it a perfect opportunity to promote social emotional development. Come see how Ultimate can be used and how to take it to your site.

The Environment, the Artist's Perspective, and You

Colette Shumate-Smith, Unity College, Environmental stewardship, Maine Partnership for Environmental Stewardship, Maine Campus Compact

See where an artist has been and learn to go forward, yourself, with confidence.  As an artist I have learned to believe in what I do.  Learn that "can do" attitude and produce a memory-scape poster for your office to frame and remind you, how great you are!!!. Come, learn how to believe in the impossible.  Learn how to become that creative person that makes things happen. I have worked this way for over 20 years.  I will speak of my work on large murals with children to commemorate environmental learning.  I will show you my humble beginnings and why I choose this as a life's work.

Take a Breath

Sarah Savage, LearningWorks AIMS HIGH, Reiche Community School

Attitude is everything and a great way to keep it in check is through the breath.  Come to this presentation to see how something you are naturally doing all the time --breathing-- can help to facilitate an ease of mind. And, consequently, a state of joyful interaction with your placement!  Participants will learn a variety of specific breathing techniques and how they facilitate a body-mind connection

Open Hands, Open Hearts

Deidrah Stanchfield; Program Coordinator, Maine Conservation Corps and Chris Myers-Asch, Teach for America, Capitol Area New Mainer Project

Do you ever wonder how some of the initiatives in your community got started? Sometimes it is people like you! In this workshop, you will learn how two AmeriCorps alumni have brought together a group to help a local community of "New Mainers". By using the skills learned during their service, Deidrah and Chris have initiated the Capitol Area New Mainers Project and can answer questions you may have about starting a grassroots initiative in your community.

Issues Affecting Maine Veterans

Jerry DeWitt, Maine VISTA Project

This workshop will discuss and inform you with regard to the issues facing Veterans today - including education, housing/homelessness, health care, unemployment, suicide, mental health, demographics, and transportation. As each issue is presented the question will be asked, "What can you/we do in our communities to address this issue?" 

Amplifying Volunteerism

Deidrah Stanchfield; Program Coordinator, Maine Conservation Corps and Director of the Augusta Community Warming Center

Do you want to rocket your volunteer program into the fourth dimension and find ways to use your amazing AmeriCorps skills beyond your term of service? This workshop focuses on harnessing your AmeriCorps experience with volunteers to help community organizations benefit from your experience with "Getting Things Done". Building a volunteer program locally can make the difference for a non-profit with limited funding and can directly improve the lives of both the volunteers themselves and beneficiaries of the organization.  Learn about the Essential Practices of Volunteer Management, and how to make them work for you.

Homesteading -- Living the Self-reliant Life

Ryder Bailey and Dan Muller, Community Leaders with Maine Conservation Corps

Do you have what it takes to run a homestead? Are you interested in being more self-reliant? Come join us for an informational hour about homestead basics and how to get on the path of self-sustainability. Topics include homesteading philosophy, home options, heat sources, gardening and food production, livestock and other related issues. Learn how to begin taking steps toward minimizing your global footprint and to use the skills acquired through your service to enhance your own well-being.

How to Successfully Implement Change

Nick Simon, Goodwill VISTA Partnership, serving with Bath Housing in Bath

Are you having internal struggles at your organization that keep you from implementing the programs you have passion for? In this session we will explore barriers to implement change and brainstorm ways to overcome these and make our goals stick. This is a workshop to get VISTA's, and other AmeriCorps members, thinking about the changes they are implementing at their site and thinking through possible barriers and ways to overcome them. Helping co-workers embrace change is the main goal.

Introductory Yoga and Mindfulness

Zora Raglow-DeFranco, Goodwill VISTA Partnership, Penquis CAP

Come learn beginner yoga. Yoga is a great way to release stress and increase mindfulness in the workplace.  We will learn basic Hatha yoga poses and techniques like breathing and meditation to increase energy and focus. Benefits include a better work ethic, a healthier mindset and body, decreased stress, and increased energy.

Arts and Performance

Tina Smith & Megan Guyn

Artistic expression serves well as a positive, creative and constructive outlet for many youth to find their own voice and tell their own stories. The artistic sharing of stories provides opportunities for strengthening youth's connection with community. This interactive workshop will demonstrate how to use performance arts as a means for capturing youth's attention and engaging them in learning

Camp Culture‐Building a Summer Camp

Maria McMorrow, Island Fellow, Island Institute

Have you ever thought your host site should run a summer camp, or do they already and you want to make it better? This workshop will define "camp" very broadly to include everything from a school garden summer crew to youth trail work weekends. I will share my experiences starting a 2‐week overnight camping and service experience for teens in Washington County.

College Volunteers: Recruitment and Retention

Stacy Normand & Lauren Cappuccio

This workshop will focus on recruiting and retaining college volunteers, particularly focusing on using position descriptions as tools for recruitment and recognition. Workshop participants will be given a general overview of things to keep in mind when working with college volunteers (including identifying campus resources, recruitment techniques, and facilitating reflections), be instructed in how to write a clear position description and how position descriptions can affect what types of volunteers you recruit, and also how you can recognize volunteers for their service.