by John E. Kyle
September 25-28, 2005, more than 200 mayors, city councilmembers, municipal staff and representatives of local school and community partners will gather at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, to share in networking, learning and leading.
The 2005 National Summit on Your City?s Families is the nation?s largest gathering of municipal leaders who are working to improve the lives of children, youth and families in their cities and towns. It is being planned by NLC?s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) in collaboration with the City of San Antonio and the Texas Municipal League.
Register now to take advantage of lower fees that will go up after August 15.
Keynote Speakers
Nationally-known keynote speakers will include:
? NLC President Anthony A. Williams, mayor of Washington, D.C., and
? Carol Bellamy, president and CEO of World Learning, who just completed 10 years as executive director of UNICEF (the United Nations International Children?s Emergecy Fund), and previously was the first woman to be elected president of the New York City Council.
Learning
There will be a wide array of workshops, skill-building sessions and discussions that highlight the latest innovations from municipalities across the nation. In addition, there will be site visits to centers, programs and schools that showcase creative strategies and approaches being utilized by the City of San Antonio.
Workshop topics will include:
? So You Don?t Run the Schools: City-School Partnerships that Work
? Supporting Parents of Young Children
? Allies in the Business Community: How to Find Them, How to Keep Them
? When the Going is Tough: Communities that Don?t Give Up on Youth at Risk
? Making the Afterschool Hours Count
? Promoting Family Economic Success
? Youth Voice, Youth Leadership
Leading
A unique feature of this summit is the opportunity for participants to shape a national platform and call to action that will influence municipal leadership on behalf of children, youth and families for years to come.
An interactive ?Town Hall? on the final day of the summit will involve all participants in guiding NLC?s future work and will stimulate both individual and community action.
The basis for the Town Hall discussions will be a platform drafted by NLC?s Council on Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Council), chaired by Mayor Ron Gonzales of San Jos?, Calif.
This draft platform outlines essential tasks for cities and towns across the country that will:
? strengthen families;
? improve outcomes for children and youth; and
? sustain community efforts over time.
During the Town Hall, attendees will engage in discussions and offer views about the most pressing child and family issues facing municipalities today.
These discussions will enable participants to have a vital say in crafting a plan of action not only for the YEF Institute, but also for the communities in which they live or work.
Networking
Sharing with peers is a theme running throughout the summit. There will be interactive discussions led by skilled facilitators and organized around individual topic areas and/or key programmatic challenges such as financing strategies, collaboration and team building.
These small group sessions will encourage individuals with similar job responsibilities and/or issues to share common leadership ideas and strategies and to develop ongoing, supportive communication.
Teams
Cities that bring a team of four or more are eligible to participate in special consultations. Each consultation will be tailored to the wishes and needs of the team related to youth, education, and/or families. An expert will meet with each team individually to assist in developing a relevant, specialized plan of action for that community.
Fees
Prior to August 15, the registration fee is $425 for NLC members and $500 for non-members. After August 15, the fees are $500 and $575, respectively.
Details: Link to the summit webpage for the registration form, draft agenda, list of workshops, hotel details and information on previous conferences at http://www.nlc.org/iyef/your_city_s_families_conference/862.aspx. For questions, contact Sharie Wood at 202-626-3087 or iyef@nlc.org.