Laura: What a day!

Today has been so busy! This morning we came to campus for our workshops. I went to a great session on the millennial generation and political engagement and enjoyed conversations with students from around the country about their perspectives on politics. We also came up with some ideas about how to increase political engagement on our own campuses--some pretty creative ideas including the use of social networking sites like facebook, involving students in public policy research, and making greater connections between students and politicians. We also had a great discussion about local vs. global issues and which are more effective on our campuses in involving students. 

For workshop sessions two and three, I joined more practical, skill-based sessions on facilitation and recruiting. First, I headed to a workshop on the roles of effective facilitators. It was a great opportunity to practice facilitation skills and get ideas about how to train the students I work with to be better facilitators. The recruitment session was great as well, giving me the chance to talk with folks from other campuses and organizations and start to think about the programs I work with to increase our numbers--and the engagement of the students involved in our programs. 

We just finished our keynote session for the evening, with three great speakers: Robert Gittens, the Vice President for Public Affairs here at Northeastern; Wayne Meisel, the President of the Bonner Foundation; and Shelby Knox, a young activist and star of the film The Education of Shelby Knox. 

One of the best things about this conference is the networking, and of course, the reunions with old friends! It's been great to see folks I haven't seen in a while and get to have conversations about things that matter. I'm also enjoying the chance to hear about innovative new projects that leverage technology to raise funds and serve the public good. I've been talking with Robert Tolmach and learning about an organization he works with, Changing the Present. From their website you can give gifts that support a wide variety of causes. One of the things I know a number of folks will love is the facebook application they've created. On facebook, you can give "gifts" for $1, like a picture of a cupcake on a friend's birthday. Changing the Present has created an application that allows you to use that same $1 to give a gift that will support things like rescuing orphaned chimpanzees, providing schoolbooks for children, or supporting an all-female de-mining team. I've given a few gifts on facebook (mostly since I just know that little picture of a tiara will make my friend smile), and I'm excited about this creative new way to make the $1 I spent on that virtual gift go a little further and do a little good. It's creative projects like this that make this conference so inspiring: inventive ideas to serve the common good. The opportunities fair, open yesterday and today, was full of neat ideas like this. 

It's been a long day and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's workshops. (Well, first a good rest, but then the workshops.) Before that, though, I'm here at the Bonner Program reception, where students from Bonner programs all over the United States have gathered to discuss civic engagement and the connections between service and politics. It's pretty awesome to see so many (looks like 150+) students here engaging in this kind of discussion!

--Laura Megivern, Johnson State College