Each year Serve DC, The Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, brings together community and faith-based organizations in a conference focused on enhancing their organizational capacity to meet growing community needs. This year, on May 13-14, the 2009 DC Conference on Service and Leadership will reach and engage hundreds of AmeriCorps program directors and members, Learn and Serve America and Senior Corps program directors, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, youth and representatives from community and faith-based organizations in skill-building workshops and learning tracks. The vision for the event is to promote and foster cross collaboration while providing sustainable and tangible tools to solve serious community issues and addressing real community needs through service, showcased in this year’s theme: “From Nice to Necessary.” In addition, the conference will feature the Serve DC Mayor’s Community Service Awards ceremony to celebrate the great works of leaders in local communities. The Life After AmeriCorps Pre-Conference will take place May 13 and the DC Conference on Service and Leadership will take place on May 14, 2009. This application is for May 14, 2009.  

This year’s conference is based on three programmatic themes: Leadership, Collaboration and Sustainability. These themes represent the continuum of growth that leads to healthy and strong communities. These themes will be woven throughout the conference in workshops, plenary speakers, events and materials. Speakers should be prepared to submit workshop proposals that fit into at least one of these three themes.