SAVE THE DATE! The SC Farm to School Summit will consist of keynote speakers and educational sessions discussing topics such as local procurement, school nutrition, agricultural education, school gardening, and how to Bridge the Gap from Farm to School. More information is coming soon!
Support the South Carolina Public Health Association and register your team for the 17th Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser!! To become a 2024 SCPHA Golf Tournament Sponsor, please contact Richard Funderburk at funderrp@gmail.com. Visit www.scpha.com for more information!
AT THE SPUR AT
NORTHWOODS GOLF CLUB
201 POWELL ROAD,
COLUMBIA, SC 29203
Check-in: 7:30 am – 9:00 am
Shotgun starts 9:00 am
The saying “Together we are better” is easier said than done. Discover how statewide organizations overcome challenges to lead partnerships with limited capacity and resources. Join them as they share insights on balancing short-term activities with a long-term vision of a state where quality of life is a priority, and everyone has an equitable opportunity to thrive. Gain valuable lessons, insights into obstacles, and highlights as they establish priorities, coordinate activities and measure impact across the state.
Get ready to learn about the exciting initiatives underway in our state that aim to bridge the gap between communities and schools! Join us as Rachel Fobare takes us on a journey through the implementation of Erin’s Law in our schools and shares valuable information about community resources that can support this law’s requirements. And that’s not all – we’ll also hear from Robin Cooper, who will discuss how schools and community partners can work together to improve student and community health by aligning their shared goals. This is a unique opportunity to discover how collaboration and partnerships can lead to positive outcomes for our communities, so don’t miss it!
How do you pull off a first virtual conference during times of uncertainty without pulling your hair out? Patiently…very patiently. That was the mindset of Wholespire staff who were planning the virtual Leadership Summit for Healthy Communities + Youth Edition and learning how to execute a virtual conference.
At the direction of the Summit Planning Committee, Wholespire staff embarked on its first ever virtual conference in December 2020 with the search for a virtual platform. While virtual conferences were still new for many organizations at the time, it was just as new for platform developers. But, staff managed to find a platform that worked out fairly well in the end.
For the next four-and-a-half months, the work began. From pulling together the call for speakers to thinking about fun and engaging things to do, staff were constantly brainstorming and finalizing the details.
“I think the hardest part of planning a virtual conference is remembering what our in-person conference offered attendees,” said Brandie Freeman, communications and marketing manager at Wholespire. “I had to keep reminding myself that we could still provide networking opportunities, physical activity breaks, and interaction with the speakers. We just had to figure out how to do that.”
In the end, it all came together with two intimidating things – technology and the unknown. During the two half-days on May 12-13, staff came together for the first time in over a year to run the virtual Leadership Summit + Youth Edition.
“While scattered about our office building, we stayed pretty busy greeting speakers behind the scenes on Zoom, clicking buttons to play videos, going live for some of us, and engaging with attendees through session chat boxes,” said Meg Stanley, executive director at Wholespire. “It was quite the fun yet uncertain scene, but we made it through with flying colors.”
Evaluations seemed to repeat some common thoughts: ease of use, accessibility, inclusivity, engaging sessions, great speakers, and chat box features to name a few. Of those who completed an evaluation, results were:
The Summit featured three keynote speakers: Gullah/Geechee Nation Chieftess Queen Quet on May 12; Dr. Kathryn Silva Hyde on May 13; and By the Hand Club for Kids & Austin Harvest youth on May 13. Attendees gave high marks on all three keynote speakers:
During the call for speakers and conference registration processes, Wholespire staff ensured speaker and audience demographics were asked to help ensure the event would be diverse, equitable, and representative of the communities served. While demographic questions were optional, a surprising number of people completed them. Here’s a glimpse into what it revealed:
“With this and much more audience demographic information in hand, we can use it to increase outreach and partnerships with specific communities and groups around the state,” said Stanley. “We can even increase inclusivity on our social media platforms by promoting health observances, events, and webinars that speak directly to these types of groups.”
So, what’s next for the Leadership Summit for Healthy Communities? The planning committee will reconvene soon to determine the 2022 date and platform. All data collected in evaluations will be used to ensure another great event. If you would like to join the planning committee, email brandie@wholespire.org.
