Conference Details

Information AdvocacySM Citywide Conference
Date: Friday, May 25
Times: 9:00am-noon (speakers), 1pm-4pm (working groups)
Place: Skyline Room, Central Library, 1901 Vine St.
Admission: Free. RSVP. Brown-bag lunch.
For: People considering becoming Information AdvocatesSM

Information AdvocacySM Conference Registration Form

Conference Update as of May 17

Speakers for the morning session, 9am-noon:

1. Stan Pokras - Director of Nonprofit Technology Resources and proprietor of "Everything for Everybody" an information service on South Street in 1970-1971.

2. Jay Cohen - ParentPower, Philadelphia Home & School Council.

3. Bob Shipman - Philly Parent Partner list moderator; Community Activist (with help from Aliaunda Laniya).

4. Mchael Rice - Community Engagement Specialist, DHS.

Stan will be offering some history about how this process came about. He'll also briefly address the needs we have for further thinking and why it is important for more people to be doing Information AdvocacySM and why we need better tools. Jay, Bob, and Mike will offer insights into the needs they see for this kind of activity, and how their work contributes to helping people.

The lunch period, noon-1pm, may involve a networking activity using a notebook to help people interview each other and collect information about the other participants. This activity can offer practice making "listings."

After lunch, 1pm-4pm, will be small groups to consider the following areas for the development of the network:

1. Governance

This group can begin the thought process about:
* How will the network of Information AdvocatesSM make decisions?
* Who can join this network?
* What are the rules or conventions that guide our work?

There is much to think of here!

2. Technology

* What technology can we use now to help the already overloaded people who do this kind of work?
* What shall we seek to devise for the future, short-term and long-term?

3. Listings

This group will discuss the art of writing messages (listings, "want ads," etc.) that convey what a person offers, needs, or wishes to share.
* Listings include a "type" (offer or request, etc) a subject and text. The writing of listings requires good listening skills as well as good writing skills. How shall the network help Information AdvocatesSM to further develop these skills?

4. Recruitment

* Who else should be part of this network and how shall we find them?

Please register for the conference here:

Information AdvocacySM Conference Registration Form

;