A State Wide Training

Sara Sitch, Program Manager, CalSERVES

The AmeriCorps Volunteer Infrastructure Program and California’s PROMISE came together in mid-October for a statewide conference. Hosted at Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, the training offered multiple tracks for members and supervisors.

The conference kicked off on October 14, with keynote speaker Dr. Seth Pollack, Director of the Service Learning Institute at CSU Monterey Bay. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali in his twenties, Dr. Pollack learned first hand what it is to serve. Last year, while on a Fullbright Scholarship, Dr. Pollack reconnected with old friends and became reinvigorated by the power of service and learning to change the world. His address, “Elephants and Dung Beetles—Doing the Heavy Lifting Through Service for Social Change” was the perfect beginning to an exciting and educational three days.

The conference continued with trainings centered around volunteer management, event planning and facilitation, national service days, and on-the-job workshops. To underline the importance of service, AmeriCorps members also had the opportunity to participate in a beach clean-up and a greenhouse service project.

 On October 16, the conference culminated with a fantastic send-off by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which offered AmeriCorps members and supervisors free admission for the afternoon. There, eighty conference attendees go to take in exhibits at one of the best aquariums in the world. Attendees were treated to the new seahorse exhibit and were able to catch a rare glimpse of a young white shark. But, even with the two new attractions, the jelly-fish display continued to be an all-time favorite.