Human Services Coalition presents "Imagine Miami Changemaker Summit"

There is no other program quite like this. See the full agenda below to understand just how unique an opportunity this is.

The Agenda -- What's Happening at the Summit

8:30 - 9 am: Registration & Breakfast
After registering, enjoy a breakfast including orange and grapefruit juices, fresh fruit (including locally grown), Haitian bread with guava jelly, and coffee and assorted teas. This is a Green event, so we're not using any plastic or styrofoam.

9 - 9:30 am: Welcome & Discovery
Artist Lela Lombardo will get us warmed up with a fun activity that helps us learn about fellow participants in the Summit. Then Imagine Miami director Corinna Moebius will provide an overview of the Summit and the programs of the Human Services Coalition. We'll transition into the World Cafe conversation with an inspirational story from a local changemaker.

9:30 - 11:15 am: World Cafe Community Conversation
We will use the innovative dialogue process of World Café to tap the wisdom of everyone attending the Summit. Our facilitator will ask everyone a question, and at tables of 6 we'll share our answers. But then each person will move to a different table to answer the 2nd question, and then a different table for the 3rd question ... We'll have bilingual Spanish/English and Creole/English coaches to help with translation, too, so no one's left out. After 4 questions, we'll all share and discuss the key themes and ideas that have emerged during this process. Before you leave for the day, you'll get a handout with a list of these key themes and ideas; ALL the notes from the conversations will be posted online after the Summit.

11:15 am - 12:30 pm: Changemakers Tell Us How They Do It
In four concurrent breakout sessions, hear the true stories of changemakers improving Miami-Dade communities. Learn how they have used particular techniques for change, such as (1) an asset-based approach (focusing on community strengths and opportunities) ; (2) community dialogue, and/or (3) storytelling for social impact. One panel will be offered in Spanish, and will cover all three topics.

Option 1: Jobs & Economic Prosperity
Learn about Public Allies (trains young adults for careers in non-profits and as community leaders); Global Elegance (a Black-owned business that promotes health, sustainability and the local economy); La Galeria del Barrio (a Wynwood art exhibit that helped build awareness of gentrification) ; and Arts4Learning, a non-profit that is building Miami-Dade's creative economy by connecting artists to each other and to local schools.

Option 2: Environmental Sustainability
Learn how Bike Miami is creating spaces that promote alternative transportation as well as health and community dialogue; find out how Operation GreenLeaves uses storytelling to promote its environmental efforts in Little Haiti and Haiti; hear how Urban Paradise Guild has tapped local strengths to help preserve and protect Biscayne Bay; and discover how local students are greening their schools.

Option 3: Healthy Communities
Residents of Little Haiti will share how a community dialogue process helped them launch a campaign against domestic violence as well as an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. Hear how local high school students, residents and universities collaborated to create the Overtown Cookbook -- healthy versions of favorite Overtown recipes. Find out how local residents have shared their stories about healthcare access for a national video-for-social- change effort (1000 Voices Archive). Hear from elders in Overtown who used a community dialogue process to successfully bring better lighting to their neighborhood, making it a safer place to walk.

Option 4: En Español: Building Healthy, Prosperous, Sustainable Communities
Hear how residents of Little Havana used a "study circle" dialogue process to come up with creative ideas for helping youth participate in local economic development. Find out how local groups are collaborating for a campaign against domestic violence. Discover how the Prosperity Campaign has created a network of financial supports for local residents in need. Learn how the Organic Hip-Hop Festival uses hip-hop as a tool for promoting healthier lifestyles in low-income neighborhoods.

12:30 - 2 pm: Lunch & Civic Networking
THE LUNCH
Enjoy a delicious "green" lunch (sponsored by the Green Family Foundation) that includes ingredients grown here in South Florida, including collard greens from Roots in the City -- prepared using a favorite recipe from the Overtown Cookbook. Our caterer, Global Elegance, is offering an array of tasty, healthy dishes (including vegetarian) that represent our local cultural diversity. The Summit is Green, so we will not be using plastic, styrofoam or paper products.

South Florida Buffet
* Mixed greens salad with grapefruit, mandarin orange slices, walnuts & light raspberry vinaigrette
* Arroz con pollo (Cuban-style chicken with rice)
* Fried sweet plantains
* Collard greens with smoked turkey
* Hot water cornbread, rolls & butter
* Bread pudding, coconut macaroons
* Tropical fruit punch, iced tea & water

South Florida Vegetarian Buffet
* Mixed greens salad with grapefruit, mandarin orange slices, walnuts & light raspberry vinaigrette
* Eggplant with garlic & green onions
* Fried sweet plantains
* Stir-fried collard greens
* Assorted rolls & butter
* Bread pudding, coconut macaroons
* Tropical fruit punch, iced tea & water

THE DOCUMENTARY
After a brief introduction by Human Services Coalition founder/CEO Daniella Levine, we will premiere a short video documentary on the making of the meal that you will be eating. This documentary is produced by Imagine Miami director Corinna Moebius, Sam Van Leer (volunteer Green Coordinator for the Summit and Executive Director of Urban Paradise Guild) and Devin Browne, who works with the Overtown Cookbook program at Booker T. Washington High School. Our partner for the documentary is uVu/WPBT/Channel 2, particularly Jessica Reyes and Neal Hecker. We will the final touch to the documentary during the Summit itself, when we will be interviewing participants (like yourself) about their experience of the meal.

THE NETWORKING
During and after lunch, meet and network with other local changemakers, and if you'd like, add a topic to one of the table tents if you're looking to meet people with a particular interest or shared concern. Artist Lela Lombardo will be having a 1/2 hour gathering with local artists for social change during the lunch period, in one of the breakout rooms (if you're interested in participating) . To top it off, we'll have a big map where you can find out about local venues/places across the county that are willing to host follow-up conversations using World Cafe, story-sharing or other community dialogue processes on the topics that matter to you. Sign up to host or join a conversation (we will provide additional training for the dialogue hosts/facilitators -- "Changemaker Catalysts").

THE EXHIBITS, SERVICES & RESOURCES
You will also have time to browse the many interactive exhibits of local non-profits, programs and businesses aimed at local changemakers. Plus, you can get your taxes done for free (if you made less than 40K last year) and get a free health benefits screening (in English, Spanish or Creole) or health screening. We'll even have a free yoga class!
2 - 4:15 pm: How to Make Change: Hands-On Workshops
Choose from one of four concurrent workshops that can help you build your skills as a changemaker:

Option 1: Discovering Our Strengths, Telling Our Story: Popular Education & Theater for Social Impact
Instructor: Delmance “Ras Mo” Moses (with coaches assisting in Spanish & Creole)
Workshop participants will learn to use Theater of the Oppressed and other active methods to identify community assets and issues and to think about them in new, more empowering ways. Through fun, interactive activities, we will explore popular education methods for communication, prevention education (violence, HIV, etc) and community organizing for social change.

We will learn to use our diverse cultural traditions and cultures, including storytelling, song, dance, poetry and ritual, to give voice to the marginalized and to enhance talents, skills and assets for overcoming obstacles to community unity. While the workshop will be fun, participants will walk out with practical tools for working in their communities.

Option 2: Building Communities through Dialogue
Instructor: Parmer Heacox
Different methods exist to engage people in dialogue for the purpose of building their capacity for civic engagement and to work together to develop communities that reflect the vision of all members. People who are informed and understand their community as a dynamic system of assets are better able to make the right decisions for the common good, for informed voting, and holding elected officials and authorities accountable. The methods discussed in this session (Study Circles, World Cafe, Open Source and Three Questions) are designed to increase listening, to promote learning across diverse backgrounds and help build consensus. These methodologies are building blocks to help people achieve greater access to resources and understand the underpinnings of what is working and not working within our society, and to build upon this understanding by working together through shared visions.

Option 3: Starting with What Works: Asset-Based Community Development
Instructor: Corinna Moebius
Everyone has something to work with. discovers what people can do. Rather than take a need-based approach to change, Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) looks at what people have and can do. By working together, people can do more than they can alone, so ABCD brings methods for harnessing neighbor participation and cooperation using what they have to make life better for everyone. Learn how to take an inventory of local assets and strengths and how to connect these assets in ways that can lead to positive community impact.

Option 4: Video Storytelling for Social Change Impact
Instructor: Phoebe Eng
Good stories have always been powerful tools to engage and inspire audiences to action. This workshop will help you to identify your unique "social change" story, and provide tips for making your story come to life through video. You'll also learn how to share your story on social networking sites and other media outlets, and create a plan that ensures that your story is creating social change impact.

4:30 - 5 pm: Rapping It Up with Seeds of Change
Nationally recognized spoken word artist and Miami resident Rebecca “Butterfly” Vaughn will share a freestyle poem based on the comments, energy and ideas she has witness among participants during the Summit. We will also present murals created at the Summit by local artists and Summit participants based on the same inspiration, and distribute hard copies of the "community idea map” created from the World Café. Favorite local artist and community educator Lela Lombardo will lead us in a fun wrap-up activity, helping us reflect on all the connections, energy and learning we have embraced during the day.

The energy from the Summit doesn't end here. Remember -- we'll provide a way to connect you with places/venues where you can join or host a World Cafe conversation or story-sharing group on the topics/issues that matter to you and other residents.

For more information or register for the summit
telephone: (305) 576-5001 x45, Email: corinnam@imaginemiami.org
or go to http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/default.aspx?EventID=710047