Conference: The New Face of Volunteerism

11/5/2015

Join MAVA on International Volunteer Manager’s Day for a full day conference focused on volunteer management.

This is an excellent opportunity for you to connect with others who work in volunteer administration while enhancing and expanding your knowledge in current volunteer management practices. You will have a choice of sessions in both the morning and afternoon (chosen when you register), and will also have an opportunity to be inspired by our keynote speaker, Robert-Falcon Ouellette. Breakfast, lunch and light refreshments are included in your registration fee.

Where: Canad Inns Destination Centre. 1405 St. Matthews Avenue, Winnipeg Manitoba
Date: November 5, 2015
Time: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Parking: Free
Food: Included
Rate: $150 per person for MAVA members or $175 per person for non-members
Registration closes on Thursday, October 29, 2015

Click Here to Register for the Conference

Agenda
8:00am-9:00am Registration/Continental Breakfast/Info Village
9:00am-9:30am Keynote address: Robert-Falcon Ouellette
9:30am-10:00am Coffee break/Info Village
10:00am-11:30am Morning Sessions
11:30am-1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm-2:30pm Afternoon Sessions
2:30pm-2:45pm Coffee Break
2:45pm-3:45pm Roundtable discussion
3:45pm-4:00pm Closing remarks

Keynote Speaker: Robert-Falcon Ouellette
Coming from Red Pheasant First Nation in Saskatchewan and raised in Calgary, Robert-Falcon moved to Winnipeg in 2010 and quickly earned a reputation as a diligent community advocate working to bridge racial and economic divides. Robert-Falcon was a Program Director for the Aboriginal Focus Programs at the University of Manitoba, where he was a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funded researcher on education and Métis issues of identity. He is passionate about addressing and solving inner-city issues, city planning, transit and how we live together.

Choice of Morning Sessions (10:00am - 11:30am)

Jennifer Stadmiller

Transgender Cultural Awareness with Jennifer Stadtmiller
Transgender Cultural Awareness explores language, terminology, gender, gender identity and the assumptions we make in our daily, social, and professional interactions. Participants will learn how to identify sexism and transphobia in the delivery of services and how to work towards providing a welcoming, positive and respectful environment for transgender and gender non-conforming people. During this workshop, we will use lecture, small and large group discussions, video, case scenarios, and interactive activities to raise our awareness of our roles in creating trans-positive and nurturing spaces.
About the Speaker:
Jennifer Stadmiller is an Education Facilitator with Rainbow Resource Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She holds a Master of Education with a specialization in Global Training and Development. Jennifer has been an educator for 18 years in various contexts, both in Canada and abroad. Her involvement with Rainbow Resource Centre began in 2012, when she and her partner immigrated to Canada. Additionally, she is one of the co-facilitators of New Pride, a support group for LGBT newcomers to Winnipeg and serves on the steering committee of Reaching Out Winnipeg, a network for supporting LGBT refugees settling in Winnipeg. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys staying active, finding new plant-based recipes to tantalize the taste buds, and exploring all the latest technology.

Sarah Khan

Essential Event Planning - top tips to make event planning easy, and keep attendees coming back with Sarah Khan
Learn the critical elements to create memorable events, while streamlining the process as a planner! Participants will learn the absolutely critical elements to creating an event that not only runs smoothly, but creates a clear desire to attend in the attendee.  Learn what makes an attendee want to keep coming back, and how to use audience profiling to create activities and experiences that leave the attendee feeling fulfilled. Participants will learn the 3 key questions to ask when defining an event goal / objective, and how to use those questions in anticipating the needs of the audience.
About the Speaker:
Sarah Khan is an engaging and motivating presenter who brings 20 years of event management experience, knowledge and passion to her workshops. An expert trainer and consultant, she specializes in event management, professional and fundamental career skills development and executive coaching. For nearly 20 years (including seven in Europe) Sarah has worked not only as a practitioner, but as an advisor and mentor within the hospitality, tourism and events sector, bringing a wealth of practical knowledge. Her events have encompassed everything from intimate dinner parties to the elaborate Bollywood Oscars for the International Indian Film Academy.

Paula Speevak

Volunteer Screening with Paula Speevak
Volunteer screening continues to emerge as a priority within the charitable and non-profit sector, and there have been significant policy developments in many provinces and territories, as well as with the RCMP. Screening practices help define the relationship between people and organizations and play a critical role in fulfilling the organization’s moral, legal and ethical responsibilities. Thorough and consistent screening is a responsible, respectful approach to involving volunteers in serving the organization’s mission. It will be most effective when its importance is understood and accepted at all levels of the organization. Using the Screening Handbook as a framework, this session will provide an overview of the 10 Steps of Screening as well as updates on issues related to screening and will explore potential implications for organizations and volunteers. Participants will have a chance to ask questions, share knowledge and experience, and collaborate to develop collective strategies moving forward.
About the Speaker:
Paula Speevak joined Volunteer Canada after serving as the managing director of Carleton University Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development. At Carleton, in the school of public policy and administration, she taught a graduate course in non-profit Management, and at the University of Ottawa she taught undergraduate courses in governance in the voluntary sector and community service-learning. Prior to her focus on applied research, Paula enjoyed a 24-year career as a practitioner and senior manager in the non-profit and voluntary sector in both institutional and community-based settings, in Montreal, Ottawa and on pan-Canadian initiatives. She holds a master of management degree from McGill University in the McGill-McConnell Program for National Voluntary Sector Leaders.

Choice of Afternoon Sessions (1:00pm - 2:30pm)

Melenie Olfert

Welcoming Newcomers with Melenie Olfert
As our province becomes more culturally diverse, your volunteer base will reflect an increase in cultural diversity as well. In this session, you will get an update on current immigration trends in Manitoba and recognize how this trend will impact the face of volunteerism. You will learn the benefits of engaging newcomers into your organization by tapping into their rich experiences, skills and cultural competencies while at the same time assisting newcomers to connect to their new communities, gain Canadian experience and develop new skills. Everyone benefits! In addition, a newcomer volunteer will share their personal experience, providing you with information you can take back to your organization to further explore ways you can welcome and integrate newcomer volunteers.
About the Speaker:
Melenie Olfert works for Manitoba Start as the Program Coordinator for the Diversity and Intercultural Training Program where she coordinates and delivers workplace training for businesses hiring a culturally diverse workforce. With a background in adult education and training, Melenie is now a published writer with expertise in content and materials development, as well as an accomplished speaker and trainer on intercultural and diversity in the workplace, Essential Skills, and language interpreter training. Melenie has also taught English to new immigrant adults in community-based settings.

Chris Loewen

Client Centered Design with Chris Loewen
How do you know what to build for end-users? What problems are worth solving? When do you engage end-users in solution design? A focus on customers and end-users has the ability to motivate people and validate innovative ideas quickly. In this highly interactive session, attendees will explore two important frameworks that inform one another - the Customer Jobs Empathy Map and Value Proposition Canvas. They will also learn how an idea can be developed by creating empathy with its intended customers and understand how empathy ties into solution development. By sharing Protegra’ s development journey of Butterfly (http://ourbutterfly.com/) – a service aimed at bringing the community improvement ideas of youth into life - participants will see how an idea can be developed by creating empathy with its intended customers. Furthermore, participants will learn how empathy ties into product/service development, as well as show the importance of mentors while creating ideas with youth. Through utilizing easy to use and interactive activities, participants will leave the session knowing what the first steps to take are in developing new ideas.
About the Speaker:
Chris Loewen is a venture developer at Protegra, and is the founder of Butterfly (http://www.ourbutterfly.com) – an online service that aims to bring the ideas of youth into the world. Chris is creative and ambitious in his endeavors, and believes whole-heartedly in the potential of others, especially young people, which is why he started Butterfly. Problem solver, multi-disciplined, highly adaptive, and imaginative – Chris’ focus and interest areas are those which involve solving complex issues in the areas of business, government, and communities.

Carla Loewen

Engaging the Indigenous Community in Volunteerism
with Carla Loewen
In Winnipeg there have been many “Calls to Action” that demonstrate how believing in a cause can bring people together. The power behind the Idle No More Movement, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women groups such as Drag the Red, and the numerous walks our city holds are examples of how “Calls to Action” generate community building. This presentation will provide recommendations on how to invite and collaborate with the Indigenous community for volunteering projects. It will also explain how applying student engagement theory to community engagement can create a sense of belonging to the community, which can lead to long-term volunteerism.
About the Speaker:
Carla Loewen is Cree and a student advisor at the Indigenous Student Centre at the University of Manitoba where she facilitates two Indigenous student engagement programs. For her campus work she has been recognized with an Outreach Award and an Award of Excellence. Carla is also finalizing her Masters of Education degree, with a focus on Indigenous student success. For her thesis focus and community involvement she was awarded a scholarship from the Aboriginal Circle of Educators and the Graduate Students’ Association. She is a 9 year volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg that began through a call to action.

Round Table Discussion (2:45pm-3:45pm)

Round Table Discussion with Cora Dupuis
If you could have the answer to one question that would help change the fundamental way your volunteer program runs, what would it be? How is your organization embracing the new face of volunteerism? Join us for a lively roundtable discussion about some new trends, issues, and other emerging topics of interest to the sector. This personal and interactive setting requires everyone to come ready to share questions you’ve had, challenges you’ve faced, and successes you’ve experienced.
About the Host:
Cora Dupuis has been recruiting and managing Gen Y volunteers for the last 15 years and has learned a million and one things in the process.
Almost four years ago she moved to Winnipeg to become the Student Leadership Coordinator at the University of Manitoba, and has recently become the Director of the Student Life Office (a department with almost 1000 Gen Y students engaged in about a dozen different programs).
Cora has a BA in History from the University of Waterloo, a Certificate in Volunteer Management from Conestoga College, and is currently pursuing a Masters of Education in Adult and Post-Secondary Education at the University of Manitoba. In her spare time loves to run, cook and volunteer.