Today’s guest post is written by Stephanie Himel-Nelson, Esq. the Director of Communications for the nonprofit organization Blue Star Families and a long-time volunteer for pretty much anything and everything. She lives in Chesapeake, Va. with her (now retired) Navy man and two boys.
When I was a kid I never really thought of what my dad did as “service.” He spent 20 years in the Air Force, as did his father before him, but it was just what we did. Serving in the military was the family business, so to speak.
Growing up in the family business gave me the opportunity to spend my childhood surrounded by the military community. Helping others was, again, just what we did. The spouse clubs were always rallying for a cause or raising money. And when they weren’t doing that, they were rallying around their neighbors. Let’s face it; being in the military isn’t always a safe job, but when the worst happened, there was always help and support from other military families.
The lessons my mom and dad taught me and my brother weren’t overt. They never sat us down and said, “It’s your responsibility to help where you can,” but they modeled the message every day. So I suppose it was no surprise that my brother headed off to the Army and I spent college and beyond volunteering for a domestic abuse and sexual assault program. Along the way, I met and married a Navy man. Clearly it was meant to be. He was, after all, in the family business!
Of course, for my generation, being married to someone in the military changed completely on September 11, 2001. Over the last 11 years I’ve met some amazing people in my new military community and I’ve seen the challenges they faced along the way. So in 2008, my turning point happened. I left my law firm and joined the ranks of full-time volunteers as a founding member of Blue Star Families, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families.
Over the last four years I’ve worked and, of course, volunteered with some inspirational women and men who truly want to make the world a better place. It may seem idealistic or even simplistic to some people, but I really think that people who serve our communities have it all figured out. You see, you get more than you give every time you volunteer. And service is a proud family business that I hope I can pass onto my children.
NCVS Speakers of the Round Table
On Tuesday, June 19 at 2:30pm, some of the bravest knights in the nonprofit world will come together at the
. They will gather together in service to the realm and protect the people of the realm from the forces that threaten England.
Wait. That’s the wrong round table.
So, what is this rumored round table that’s happening at NCVS? It’s a gathering of some of the brightest folks in nonprofit social media who want to share what they know with you.
It’s not a traditional conference session with one or two people at the front of the room talking about something that will help you in your career. It’s
eleven
people talking about things that could help you and your organization.
Unlike a traditional conference session, the Digital Mobilization Round Table (Session ID: 3011) has different speakers talking about different topics all at the same time. But instead of having to listen to one speaker at a time, you’re allowed to move from table to table so you can get the most out of the session and learn what you’re hoping to learn.
Wondering who is going to be at the Digital Mobilization Round Table?
Jess will show you practical strategies for engaging and mobilizing volunteers using the social web. She’ll share examples and best practices for recruiting, retaining and recognizing volunteers using free and easily accessible web tools and social media platforms.
Do you use service-learning as a tool in the classroom? Do you work with schools to build successful service-learning programs? Lana will share online learning best practices and real strategies for building stronger programs.
Noland Hoshino, [B]cause Media
Noland will discuss “how” to develop effective social media communications strategies in volunteer service programs, social networks, and corporate volunteer programs.
Kate will show you how to get online, drive action offline, and do good! Meeting up online and moving offline is a great way to mobilize for social good. Participants will learn how to utilize online social networks to create good offline in their communities.
Want to learn ways you can more effectively engage youth in volunteer opportunities? Sharilee has you coverd and will share ideas on how to use the latest technologies and online resources to recruit, retain and recognize youth where they are, either online or offline!
Wondering how to build a successful social media strategy? Having trouble telling the digital story of all of the great work that your organization and its volunteers are doing? Want to inspire volunteers to become brand evangelists? Jenn will show you how to take social media to the next level!
The strength of a school’s service program lies in the meaning and connections that are fostered through students’ outreach experiences. Technology offers an innovative way to capture that meaning and use it to forge deeper connections to a community of volunteers. Learn how a school service program was transformed using technology. Experience how blogging can deepen students’ service learning and build a portfolio of their service leadership. See how web tools can forge stronger connections to volunteerism
If you measure it, it will get better, if you measure the right thing! There is more data available to organizations than ever before about their programs, users and web traffic. Hear best practices from orgs that use data to inform communications.
We all know that youth are more digitally connected than ever… so why is it still so hard to engage them? Come learn about a free tool that allows you to offer volunteer opportunities to high school students. The tool also allows students to track their hours towards their graduation requirement. Share your experience with reaching out to young people and keeping them engaged.
Maybe you don’t think they’re your top volunteers or changing the world with their pocketbooks, but “slacktivists” are a powerful force for social causes. Still, cause marketers are divided by the pros and cons of engaging these groups of people. Fox will facilitate open discussion with case-study look backs on how youth slacktivists (in particular) are shifting global, political and social trends. Do you think slacktivists can make the leap between viral social statement and fully engaged activism?
Ten sessions for the price of one! It’s a great opportunity to pack a lot of learning into one session and bring back a lot of great ideas to start your organization’s social media efforts or make them even better!
My Turning Points Inspired Me To Be A Positive Contributor To Society
The theme for this year’s National Conference on Volunteering and Service is “Turning Point.” At Points of Light, we are highlighting turning point stories about the moment or moments that inspired one’s service to society. Today’s Turning Point comes from guest writer, Zachary Watson, Americorps mentor and GED tutor from Evansville, Ind. When not working through AmeriCorps, Zachary spends his time traveling to K-12 schools as a motivational speaker through his business, Trix Stix with Zachary Watson. Zachary creatively inspires students to respect others, set goals, stay motivated in school, stand up against bullying, and veer away from drugs and alcohol by mixing a specialized talent, Trix Stix, with speeches that that capture the audiences he performs in front of.
Service learning and giving the gift of time to communities, organizations and people are some of the most majestic things you can do as a contributor to society. My turning point’s origins can be differentiated between two points in my life. The first happened when I was in seventh grade, when I was accepted to become a peer mentor and tutor. Some of my required duties included: conflict resolution, mediating, schoolwork help, etc. At such a young age, this leadership position showed me how monumental it was to help others. As the years went by, I continued to join and volunteer in such programs.
My junior year in college marks the second and most influential point in my life where I came to the realization that I was indubitably born to serve others. That year, I started my USI Americorps journey. I have now accumulated more than 1,400 service hours to my tri-state area (Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois). I have worked at numerous organizations, from Boy Scouts and state hospitals to counseling places and private properties. The vast amount of experience gained from these on-site endeavors has been life changing. I have seen firsthand the appreciativeness on the faces of the people who I helped earn a GED, or served and fed at a shelter or built a playground for.
Paralleling my trek with Americorps in college, I also started a business, Trix Stix with Zachary Watson. With this business, I use my electrifying persona, enthralling oratory and prose and specialized skills with the Trix Stix to go out in the community and galvanize change…positive change! Because, without change…there can be no future. I am a motivational speaker with platforms and workshops on anti-bullying, anti-drugs and alcohol, the importance of staying focused on the future, leadership, respect, education and its power, health and fitness, and interview skills. I have presented in front of thousands of people at events at schools (elementary through college,) churches, hospitals, correctional facilities, workout gyms, conference centers, concerts, mental care facilities and stadiums. Seeing how my words and actions can move audiences of all ages to modify their lives in a positive direction is a powerful attribute I have. The ability to keep people’s attention while also being motivational is something that many strive for. I am spurring these moments in front of audiences to maintain being a role model and creating atmospheres that are progressive in nature.
Overall, my turning points have helped me understand what it truly means to be an inspiring and positive contributor to society. I plan to continue to spread the word of how service learning is good for the heart, soul and community. Moreover, I will continue to travel the country and marinate the minds of students on the importance of being educated, staying focused on their future and helping others in need.
Change Notes: A Turning Point to Put People at the Center of Change
As we come together in just a few short days, we find ourselves at a turning point, both in the service sector and the world at large. We face significant challenges and constrained resources. And, yet, we have an abundance of human capital that is generating unprecedented energy for positive change. This wellspring of super-empowered citizens holds the potential to address the critical challenges of our time and reshape our world.
This year’s Conference will look at how a new generation of citizens is making their mark – young people, veterans and civic entrepreneurs who are creating new solutions. These individuals are not bound by old traditions or sector boundaries, and are less patient with institutional change. They are creating new pathways for direct action and social enterprise to make a difference and unleashing their optimism with new levels of speed and scale.
A new “greatest generation” is also returning from war, almost one million strong, and they want to apply their knowledge, skills and experience in continued service to our country. How we welcome them and reintegrate their service into civilian life will have enormous implications for our nation.
Together, we are redefining what it means to be a citizen – people are using their time, talent and dollars in new and unique ways. Over the course of our time together, we will hear how three generations of a great American family – the Bushes – have defined, and are redefining, service.
We will hear from valiant veterans like J.R. Martinez who are bringing their skills and service home to lift up our communities. We will explore how Dr. Jill Biden and first lady Michelle Obama are leading us all in Joining Forces with our returning veterans in solidarity and support.
Points of Light’s Service Ambassador Kevin Bacon will share how he is leveraging his fame and talent to generate dollars for nonprofits through social connections. CNN’s Soledad O’Brien will frame our nation’s education challenges and discuss how individuals and institutions can become a part of our national strategy to boost graduation rates and increase academic performance.
We will be inspired by Chicago’s great leaders and favorite sons, like Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Mark Shriver will help us celebrate the legacy of Sargent Shriver, one of our nation’s great citizen activists and a Chicago hometown hero. And that is just a small sampling.
We will have large moments of inspiration and intimate gatherings for Conference participants to meet with civic leaders and time to celebrate and reconnect with our colleagues and friends. This year’s conference will be rich with opportunities for thought-provoking conversations about national service, social entrepreneurship and hands-on action. Together, we’ll examine new ideas that lead to bigger possibilities for activate 21st century volunteers, helping them use all of their assets to build strong, vibrant communities around the world.
Register now to join us in Chicago to be inspired by the ingenuity, passion and spirit of service leaders from around the world. Through collaboration, alignment and action we can make this a turning point to put people at the center of change.
In service,
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light
Have a Ball with Your Kids at NCVS
All audiences are invited to participate at this year’s
will be held June 17. The Youth Summit will bring 250 kids and teens together for civic dialog and service learning.
The Conference will also host a variety of youth workshops for young volunteers who are changing the world and organizations that work with them.
Will Chicago be a great place to host these young innovators of change? Check out all the great attractions Chicago has to offer our younger audiences.
Looking for a variety of attractions to keep your child occupied? Look no further than Chicago’s
. Located on Lake Michigan, the pier offers both a fun adventure and beautiful scenery. The pier has every type of fun a child could want from the famous Ferris wheel to a spectacular fireworks show.
Are rides and attractions not your child’s cup of tea? Take a trip down the pier to the
“Where you’re the star of the show!” The Circus Zirkus allows your child to be a real member of the circus from a clown to a plate spinner.
Does your family have an adrenaline junkie? Check out Chicago’s
. If you have time to spare between Conference sessions – this is your destination for ultimate fun. Fun Time Square hosts a variety of attractions for kids of all ages (even adults). From the paintball field to the bumper boats, you are sure to have a “Fun Time.”
Is your little one more of an animal lover, than a thrill seeker? Check out the
. Shedd’s mission is to connect people to the living world by engaging, inspiring and entertaining their audiences. They have a wide variety of aquatic wildlife from the beluga whale to the zebra sharks. Your child will be both mesmerized and thrilled by the variety of sea creatures and exhibits happening at the aquarium.
Is your child fascinated by space? Check out the
, a fully immersive space experience for young children. Each child becomes a space explorer journeying through the universe of the mysterious Planet X. The Adler Planetarium is also a great place for parents with its telescope exhibits and
, a five-story wrap around screen experience, to watch captivating scientific movies. Check out the museum to give your kids a truly interactive and entertaining scientific experience.
National Service at National Conference on Volunteering and Service
From cleaning up national disasters to teaching in low-income schools, national service members are making the country better. This year’s
honors their commitment by hosting an entire track focused on national service. These sessions will be great tools for not only current, future, and alumni, but also the organizations that host these members. This track will be divided into multiple sessions throughout the conference to allow convenient planning.
Check out all the sessions focused on
National Service
at June’s Conference.
RSVP Competition: Strengthening the Program for Greater Impact
Monday, June 18, 2012
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Session ID: 3149
This session will offer the opportunity for engaged discussion among attendees on the new competitive process and requirements.
Speaker(s):
Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) Town Hall
Monday, June 18, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Session ID: 3139
Join Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS, to talk about her vision, emerging national service initiatives and to honor the 2012 National Service Impact Awardees. Connect with peers and colleagues who are addressing vital community issues through service.
Speaker(s): Wendy Spencer
Twitter Hashtag: #NCVS3139
Building Inclusive National Service and Volunteer Programs: Staff and Member Perspective
Monday, June 18, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Session ID: 2362
Participants will learn strategies for building stronger local programs and launching statewide inclusion initiatives. Illinois and Iowa inclusion team members, national service participants and program staff will present best practices.
Speaker(s):
Organizations can become vulnerable to risk due to a lack of understanding of rules and regulations. This session will provide a basic overview of financial and grants management for new CNCS grantee, subgrantee, sponsor and site staff members.
Speaker(s):
Civic Reflection and National Service Programs: Case Studies of Public Allies, City Year, and AmeriCorps Project YES!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Session ID: 2793
This session will look at the relationship between service and reflection. We will discuss the model of civic reflection, how it is incorporated into national service programs, and its impact on AmeriCorps members and the communities they serve.
Speaker(s):
Learn, Share and Connect: The National Service Knowledge Network
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Session ID: 2952
Learn to leverage resources, promising practices, discussion boards and courses available in CNCS’ online learning communities. Discuss how collaborating to document practices benefits your program as well as the entire national service community.
Speaker(s):
MLK Day of Service: What Can Really Be Done in a Day?
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Session ID: 2712
Impact is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Join us to learn about projects that increase programmatic impact, community connections and strategic positioning.
Speaker(s):
National Service Criminal History Checks: Advanced Briefing
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Session ID: 2650
CNCS officials will offer guidance beyond the basics of National Service Criminal History Checks. The session will include requesting alternative search procedures, exemptions, obtaining FBI checks and evaluating the suitability of vendors.
Speaker(s):
Wide Open Spaces: Multi-site AmeriCorps Program Management
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Session ID: 3021
Local, statewide and national AmeriCorps program staff will share strategies for managing multi-site programs, including host site support, staff roles and responsibilities, and tools you can implement with your program. Prepare to learn and share.
Speaker(s):
Know When to Hold ‘Em, Know When to Fold ‘Em: Recruiting and Retaining Members Across the Generations
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Session ID: 3019
We’ll have fun exploring innovative, concrete strategies for recruiting and retaining AmeriCorps members from the Boomer, Gen X and Millennial generations.
Speaker(s):
Data Collection and Aggregation for CNCS Agencywide Priority Performance Measures
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Session ID: 2641
Discuss with experts and peers the challenges, opportunities and effective practices of collecting data and presenting that data to improve your program and contribute to the local and national story about the impact of service.
Speaker(s):
National Service Criminal History Checks: Basics Briefing
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Session ID: 2647
Criminal history checks are required for all participants and employees serving under grant-funded national service programs. What exactly is required of programs to be compliant? CNCS officials will demystify this requirement.
Speaker(s):
Better Together: Successful Cross-Sector Collaboration Between National Service Programs
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Session ID: 3020
Learn successful approaches to leveraging time, talent and resources from experienced national service leaders who have collaborated in citywide and statewide initiatives. We will share lessons learned from Montana, Nevada and Dubuque, Iowa.
Speaker(s):
Founded in 1879 as both a museum and school, The Art Institute of Chicago first stood on the southwest corner of State and Monroe Streets. It opened on its present site at Michigan Avenue and Adams Street in 1893. Built on rubble from the 1871 Chicago fire, the museum housed a collection of plaster casts and had a visionary purpose: to acquire and exhibit art of all kinds and to conduct programs of education. The collection now encompasses more than 5,000 years of human expression from cultures around the world and the school’s graduate program is continually ranked as one of the best in the country. Within the next decade, a new complex will continue this process of growth.
One of the nation’s largest facilities devoted to the art of our time, the Museum of
Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) offers exhibitions of the most thought-provoking art created since 1945. The MCA documents contemporary visual culture through painting, sculpture, photography, video and film, and performance. Located in the heart of downtown Chicago, the MCA boasts a gift store, bookstore, restaurant, 300-seat theater and a terraced sculpture garden with a great view of Lake Michigan. (Insert picture to the right of paragraph)
Since opening in July 2004, the Park has been visited by millions, making it one of the most popular local, national and international destinations. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. Discover the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States. Visit the Crown Fountain. Become a kid again when you stand in front of artist Jaume Plensa
’
s 50-foot glass block towers of flowing water that project the video images of 1,000 different Chicagoans. Explore the breathtaking Lurie Garden in all four seasons of the year designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel.
The Richard H. Driehaus Museum immerses visitors in one of the grandest residential buildings of 19th-century Chicago, the Gilded Age home of banker Samuel Mayo Nickerson. Chicago philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus founded the museum on April 1, 2003 with a vision to influence today’s built environment by preserving and promoting architecture and design of the past. To realize his vision, Driehaus commissioned a five-year restoration effort to preserve the structure and its magnificent interiors. Today the galleries feature surviving furnishings paired with elegant, historically-appropriate pieces from the Driehaus Collection of Fine and Decorative Arts, including important works by such celebrated designers as the Herter Brothers and Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Today, the Museum is a premier example of historic preservation, offering visitors an opportunity to experience through interior architecture and objets d’art how the prevailing design philosophies of the period were interpreted by artists, architects and designers at the waning of the 19th century and the dawn of the 20th century.
The National Conference on Volunteer and Service takes place June 18-20.
, session content is organized across a series of issue areas so that attendees can tailor their schedules to meet their learning and networking needs.
Take a look at a few of our sessions on
Excellence in Education
.
Leveraging AmeriCorps Members to Engage and Support Urban Student Success
Monday, June 18, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
SID: 2711
This workshop will explore evidence-based programming that uses AmeriCorps members to support urban schools in their quest to increase student success. Participants will join in interactive activities in order to walk away with their own action plan.
Speaker(s):
Service Learning: Progressive Measures to Increase Educational Performance
Monday, June 18, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m.- 2:30 p.m.
SID: 3015
Impact volunteering strategies target specific needs, set clear outcomes and measure progress. This session presents proven models for service-learning and mentoring, and its impact on the overall academic and social performance of students.
Speaker(s):
Aim for Success: Literacy Strategies + Service Learning, a Winning Combination
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
SID: 2690
How do we engage every young person to attain success? What academic and life skills propel youth to self-identify as thriving learners? Experience easy-to-use, research-based methods that enliven students as they develop competencies and confidence.
Speaker(s):
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
SID: 2743
Learn how to build partnerships between higher education, pre-K through 12 schools and HandsOn Action Centers to create a service-learning program. The challenges, benefits and successes will be shared for participants to leave with ideas and next steps.
Speaker(s):
The Third Grade Reads Blueprint: A Literacy Model for Cities
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
SID: 3016
The Third Grade Reads Blueprint is a high-impact service strategy developed in partnership with Target, Cities of Service and ServiceNation. Discover how volunteers serving as reading coaches can drive educational outcomes for high-need students.
Speaker(s):
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
SID: 2624
Here is your chance to bring youth into the conversation on the achievement gap. Learn how to engage students in a national effort and be introduced to materials and activities to guide thinking and spur ideas for youth-led work on this issue.
Speaker(s):
Leveraging Volunteers to Improve Educational Outcomes
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
SID: 3017
Caring adults can play a vital role in improving the educational experience of a child. Join a dialogue with three dynamic organizations to discuss strategies for mobilizing volunteers to partner with schools to improve educational outcomes.
Speaker(s):
Today’s turning point story is written by Elena Ballam, the Volunteer Center Program Manager for Community Thread.
I like to think of my turning point as a service-learning success story. I grew up in a small, middleclass Iowa town. Poverty existed, but was not visible, and as a result, I grew up with very few personal experiences with diversity or different social classes. My parents, however, did an excellent job of teaching us about the world around us, through books, service trips and sponsoring third-world children through Compassion International. As a result, I grew up somewhat aware of social issues, but not yet inspired to take action.
When I went to college just north of Boston, all freshmen were required to volunteer 15 hours as part of our freshman seminar course. I signed up to volunteer with the homeless population in Boston, serving a free meal and distributing warm clothing Saturday mornings in the Boston Commons. Fifteen hours came and went, and I continued to volunteer. I began to get to know several of the homeless individuals that showed up, and my heart was touched by their stories. Spending time in class reflecting on my volunteering, as well as hearing about the experiences of my classmates, made me realize that no matter what your skills, experience, income level, location, schedule, etc., individuals can make a difference.
I quickly sought out more opportunities to serve, including working with urban youth and changed my major to sociology. My new dream was to find a way to serve others through my career, even though I wasn’t quite sure what that would look like!
Since then, I have organized and led several service-learning trips, taught a service-learning course and served as an Americorps member with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. I currently work to mobilize volunteers in Minnesota and Wisconsin through Community Thread’s Volunteer Center. Through our volunteer programs and community-wide volunteer events, we seek not just to give people a task to do, but also to educate and to inspire.
I also volunteer as the Minnesota Volunteer Coordinator for Compassion International and sponsor two international children with my husband. In this way, I have the opportunity to connect with those beyond my community and country and provide education, food and clothing for children in need.
I know that volunteering is transformational because it transformed me and I work to bring others to that moment of change. Sometimes it takes a specific invitation, or a service requirement, to jumpstart an individual to serve. No matter the route taken to start giving back, volunteers make a huge difference each and every day. Everyone can give back, and in doing so, can transform their communities.
Second Lady of the United States to discuss Joining Forces initiative as part of next greatest generation of service leaders
We are excited to announce that Dr. Jill Biden, Second Lady of the United States, will be joining us for the 2012 National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Dr. Biden is a lifelong educator, a proud Blue Star mom and an active member of her community. As Second Lady, she works to bring attention to the sacrifices made by military families, highlight the importance of community colleges to America’s future and raise awareness around areas of particular importance to women.
During our opening session, A New Generation of Service, Dr. Biden will discuss Joining Forces, the initiative she started with First Lady Michelle Obama last year as a way to encourage all Americans to honor, recognize and support our service men and women, veterans and military families.
Veterans and Military Families Track
Don’t miss these sessions focused on supporting and engaging veterans, active service people and military families.
(3136) All the Way Home: The Blueprint for Meaningful Community Response – A Points of Light Community Blueprint Summit for Change
(2955) The Community Blueprint Network: Organizing Communities to Support Veterans, Service Members and Families
(2956) Solutions for Finding and Engaging Veterans in Service
(2484) From the Couch to the Cause: Leveraging Military and Civilian Online Networks
Click here to view all Veterans and Military Families track sessions and register now to ensure your seat in these important discussions.
More Don’t-miss Sessions
Social Media for Social Good (2881) – Presented by NTEN, with speakers Holly Ross and Amy Sample Ward
Faith and Neighborhoods In Action: Addressing Problems with tangible Solutions (2758) – With Joshua DuBois
Civic Fellows Leadership Exchange (2906) – With Susan Ellis
The theme for this year’s National Conference on Volunteering and Service is “Turning Point.” At Points of Light, we are highlighting turning point stories about the moment or moments that inspired one’s service to society. Today’s Turning Point comes from guest writer, Zachary Watson, 
Paralleling my trek with Americorps in college, I also started a business, Trix Stix with Zachary Watson. With this business, I use my electrifying persona, enthralling oratory and prose and specialized skills with the Trix Stix to go out in the community and galvanize change…positive change! Because, without change…there can be no future. I am a motivational speaker with platforms and workshops on anti-bullying, anti-drugs and alcohol, the importance of staying focused on the future, leadership, respect, education and its power, health and fitness, and interview skills. I have presented in front of thousands of people at events at schools (elementary through college,) churches, hospitals, correctional facilities, workout gyms, conference centers, concerts, mental care facilities and stadiums. Seeing how my words and actions can move audiences of all ages to modify their lives in a positive direction is a powerful attribute I have. The ability to keep people’s attention while also being motivational is something that many strive for. I am spurring these moments in front of audiences to maintain being a role model and creating atmospheres that are progressive in nature.
As we come together in just a few short days, we find ourselves at a turning point, both in the service sector and the world at large. We face significant challenges and constrained resources. And, yet, we have an abundance of human capital that is generating unprecedented energy for positive change. This wellspring of super-empowered citizens holds the potential to address the critical challenges of our time and reshape our world.
Today’s turning point story is written by Elena Ballam, the Volunteer Center Program Manager for 
During our opening session, A New Generation of Service, Dr. Biden will discuss Joining Forces, the initiative she started with First Lady Michelle Obama last year as a way to encourage all Americans to honor, recognize and support our service men and women, veterans and military families.