— The Model — First Wednesday — Training — Coaching — Improvement Process —

First Wednesday Schedule 2024

Registration is encouraged but not required, and if you register you’ll get the reminder emails!

Invite Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85257738850 Meeting ID: 852 5773 8850

Share a topic idea or your feedback about our session!

3.6.24

12:00-1:00p EST

Rest is resistance — Part 1

We’re reading the book, Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey and are becoming practitioners of rest. Rest is radical, rest is needed, especially for historically marginalized communities whose bodies and emotions have been exploited for economic gain. Join us to learn how we’re moving from individual rest to organizational rest, and how we’re putting our people first. Register for the March session here.

4.10.24

12:00-1:00p EST

Rest is resistance — Part 2

Ok, we’ve established our organization’s culture - Rest is important! But how do we build accountability and progress into this new system when we’re supposed to be rejecting the current system? Well, we’re working on it! Join us to learn about our new values, the roadblocks, and the processes we’ve put in place to keep us accountable. Register for April’s session here.

5.8.24

12:00-1:00p EST

Accountability & Repair in Communities

So…sometimes we (as nonprofits, organizations, etc.) cause harm in communities, whether we meant to or not. Lots of times others have caused harm, and even if we weren’t involved, we get lumped in. In this session, we’re going share experiences and strategies for addressing and repairing harm to communities. Register for the May session here.

Building representative decision-making tables within your team

Studies show diversity in decision-making leads to better results. Are your decision-making tables diverse? Did you build in the right processes to support diversity at the table? We’re here to share our process and learn from you how your processes are going within other organizations. Register for the July session here.

How to form decision-making bodies in marginalized communities

Creating decision-making bodies (e.g. Steering Committees and Working Groups) in historically marginalized communities helps move your organization, programs, and outcomes from community involvement to community ownership. Learn how we established these groups, how we keep people engaged in them, and how to bring on new folks into an existing group. Register for the August session here.

Understanding Community Priorities - And acting on them

There are so many issues today that need our attention, from housing to health, how can we get our communities to care about them? We get this question a lot, and when we do, we try to rephrase it: what is keeping folks from caring about these issues and what do they need to engage? Join us to hear how we have community members set their priorities for their neighborhood, and move them from interest into action. Register for the September session here.

Human Centered Workplaces

Do you feel like you’re a cog in the machine? Who hasn’t at some point? We don’t want to feel that way at VACV, and so we’re taking a different approach - creating a human-centered workplace. Join us to learn how our philosophy of putting people first is fostering a culture of rest, where the internal work environment is aligned not with white supremacist productivity norms, but rather centered on the human experience.. Register for the November session here.

Developing Policies that Support rest

You’ve heard our philosophy on human-centered workplaces, but how do we put these into practice? To pivot away from burnout and center equity, we had to make some changes. Join us to learn which policies we had to develop, change, and work through as a team to ensure we are living out our values. Register for the December session here.