The Virginia Volunteerism Summit, May 4-5, 2022, is excited to announce it's full agenda of workshops and speakers! Day One of this one-of-a-kind convening of volunteerism and service leaders will feature inspiring, nationally-known speakers sharing their knowledge about the impact and future of service and volunteerism, as well as provide an introduction of the 2022-2024 Virginia State Service Plan. Our speakers will include Points of Light President and CEO Natalye Paquin, Marriott International Manager of Social Impact and Volunteerism Jerome Tennille, industry expert Sue Carter Kahl, and Virginia Service Commission Executive Director Kathy Spangler.

Day Two of the Summit will feature "masterclass-style” workshops to build skills, provide new ideas, and create opportunities for connections with other leaders in service and volunteerism. Here are a few highlights:

Understanding Diversity in the Inner City
Pastor Valerie Coley, Divine Covering Ministry
This session will begin to educate others who have not lived in those areas that are poverty stricken. It will empower the participants on understanding the cultural without judging the cultural. The focus is to share the history of inner-city challenges and successes. It will also identify how other ethnic groups can collaborate without pushing personal beliefs, but lifting one another up to a higher level of accountability.

Walking the Talk: Applying Ethics to Your Work with Volunteers
Katie Campbell, Independent Consultant, Skye Consulting
We all face sticky situations involving volunteers where “the right thing to do” is not obvious. This session will provide participants with an overview of ethical core values and principles which apply to volunteer engagement. We’ll also review a decision-making process for navigating real-life ethical dilemmas on the job, as well as tips on how to incorporate ethics into the fabric of your organization. Content is based on the "Professional Ethics in Volunteer Administration" material developed by the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA).

Best Practices for Volunteering in Under-resourced Communities
Emily Zimmerman, Associate Profession, Virginia Commonwealth University
In this session, the findings from of a community-based participatory research project will be presented on the processes and impact of volunteering in an under-resourced neighborhood. It examined whether there was synergy between the efforts of neighborhood-based volunteers and those from other areas who come into to the neighborhood to volunteer. We will discuss how volunteer efforts are affected by community engagement, capacity building, leadership, and collaboration. 

Battling Imposter Syndrome: Believing in Yourself as a Leader of Volunteers
Susan Sanow, Senior Manager, Special Projects and Training, Volunteer Fairfax
Are you hearing whispers of doubt? Do you think others will discover at any moment that you’re more of a fraud than a bona fide leader of volunteers? That’s the problem so many of us face no matter where we are in our careers. Join us as face and fight imposter syndrome by understanding why this is a pervasive idea for volunteer directors, managers and coordinators. We will address the different types of imposters, why this is a very common feeling, identify coping skills and work to build our confidence so we can be great leaders of volunteers!

And much more! Check out the full schedule and register today!