Meeting planning tools

Event Planning Tool

Also useful is the Fine Speakers Bureau great room set-up tool and list of resources.

Witness list for DHS #dcfy15 budget hearing Apr. 30

DHS Budget Oversight WITNESS

What can we learn from Virgin Atlantic?

I read articles such as this one from Fast Company about how a biz solved a problem and wonder why the human services (nonprofit) sector doesn't do more of this.   Sure, nonprofits seek to help, but in my experience, there's not a lot of problem-solving going on.

What do I mean by problem-solving?   I mean looking at how your clients are doing―are things better, worse, or the same for them?   Why?   What can we (the organization) do to change this?   Of these things to change, which are ours (nonprofit's) to change and which are for others to change?

Beyond this, what is the organization's natural inclination?   Is it to look inside or outside first?   I think the answer to this question is incredibly important.   Not sure all change must be done on the outside.

What do you think?

Ferebee Hope playground improvement meeting May 6 (updated 5/1)

The Department of Parks and Recreation seeks community input on the to-be-new-and-improved Ferebee Hope playground.   The meeting takes place May 6 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at Ferebee Hope Recreation Center (3999 8th St SE).   More info available from PlayDC, via email, playdc@dc.gov.

A little birdie tells me...

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird will become an ebook July 8 according to the FishbowlNY story On Her 88th Birthday, Harper Lee Heralds Mockingbird eBook (via mediabistro's Morning Media Newsfeed - 4/29/2014).   According to ArtsBeat's ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Finally Becoming an E-Book,

With more than 30 million copies sold worldwide since it was first published in 1960, according to HarperCollins, To Kill a Mockingbird, along with another holdout, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher In the Rye, represented a large literary gap in the digital reading library. It continues to sell 1 million copies a year and is a staple in classrooms and reading programs across the country.

Get your tech on at the @FunkParade May 3

The Funk Parade (@FunkParade) takes place May 3 and Tech Embassy will be there to highlight some of their fab projects.

DC Council on budget autonomy

The wonky side of the budget: Does the budget have to go to the President? and DC Council Chairman Mendelson briefs media on budget autonomy Apr. 17 are only part of the budget autonomy story in DC these days.   The DC Council, following Mendo's April 17 media briefing, presented the legislative body's case in Council Defends Budget Autonomy.

The council's case was presented to the public on April 18 on NewsTalk8.   Watch segment with attorney Brian Netter.

A little local history

Lesser-Known D.C. Monuments, Memorials, and Landmarks, a 15-mile bike tour of DC, will answer the questions "Why does DC have a Titanic Memorial?", "What's a boundary stone?", and "Is there a bronze statue of Einstein in whose lap I can sit?"   The tour, brought to you by Knowledge Commons DC (KCDC), will answer these questions and more about the many DC "under-the-radar treasures."   This and other KCDC classes are free.

Interested in Ward 6/SW history?   Sociology in My Neighborhood: DC Ward Six is a terrific resource.

Being good by being bad

If you are interested in being and doing better, Behance co-founder Scott Belsky suggests in this 99U talk, What Are You Willing to Be Bad At?, that you should also decide what you want to be bad at.   Belsky talkes about

how companies like Apple and Southwest Airlines use this strategy to ensure long term success. But finding your competitive advantage is only step one, the world changes quickly, and just as fast as you find your niche, you should be looking for another one.

"Self-awareness," says Belsky, "is the only sustainable competitive advantage you can find."

Blast from the past (1994): Dream City authors on Booknotes

Hacking the University: Will Tech Fix Higher Education? Apr. 30

Interested in higher education?   This April 30 event may be for you.   From the event website:

If 2012 was the year of the Massive Open Online Course, according to the New York Times, 2013 was something of a reality check. MOOCs were meant to give people all over the United States (and the world) access to the best lecturers and classes from some of America's top universities. But their first iterations have been beset with problems--lack of student engagement, high dropout rates--leading critics to question their long-term value. MOOCs highlight the usual trajectory of new technologies that are supposed to transform education: big promises, followed by the trough of disillusionment, and a return to the status quo. So, what's next for technology in higher education in 2014 and beyond? Should we just give MOOCs some room to grow? Does big data have the answers? And anyway, is college even the best option in the tech economy?

"Dream City, 20 Years Later" May 15

"Dream City, 20 Years Later" takes place May 15 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St NW).   It's sponsored by Center for Inspired Teaching and features Dream City: Race, Power, and the Decline of Washington, D.C. authors Harry S. Jaffe and Tom Sherwood.

The town hall will consider whether the District is still a city divided by race, class, and opportunity.   Panelists and participants will also discuss how DC Public Schools teachers and high school students tackle DC's complex local history through class readings, discussions, oral histories and community projects.

RSVP to Mandy Brown via email (miranda@inspiredteaching.org).

A DC Humanities Council grant allows the Center and community to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Dream City's publication.

What prompted the event
Cosby Hunt, Inspired Teaching's Manager of Teaching and Learning and a native Washingtonian, came up with the idea for the town hall to solve the very real problem that the DCPS

middle school curriculum – which focuses on world geography, ancient civilizations, and early US history – doesn't allow for a deep dive into DC politics in the mid-late 20th century.

Hunt's journey to create this event started during his early days in DC.   A House Divided in the Dream City describes Hunt's thinking about DC, its history, and its future and is worth a read, especially if you are planning on attending the event.

Hunt's bio
Cosby Hunt is a native Washingtonian who earned his bachelor's degree in Non-Western History at the University of Pennsylvania and began his teaching career in rural Georgia as part of the Teach for America program ('93 Corps).   He stayed in Georgia to get his masters degree in Secondary Social Science Education at the University of Georgia.   He returned home to DC in 1997 and spent thirteen years teaching social studies at Bell Multicultural High school (now the Columbia Heights Educational Campus) where he led the social studies department as well as the tennis and debate teams.   Cosby earned his National Board Certification in 2006 and is one of only a handful of National Board Certified social studies teachers in the city.

Preparing for east of the river youth crime meeting Apr. 24

From a EotR group email:

Join us and other community organizations this THURSDAY as we discuss youth violence and how we can get all of our young people involved in positive activities.

When: Thursday April 23rd
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Where: Anacostia Neighborhood Library

I'm a strong believer in knowing what has happened in the past and understanding the research associated with a problem I am trying to solve.   To help prepare myself for the meeting tonite, I'm looking at the following so thought I would share:

• Combating Violence and Delinquency: The National Juvenile Justice Action Plan:   While published in 1996, this plan contains the fundamentals and is a must-have and -use resource.
• Broken Windows: New Evidence from New York City and a Five-City Social Experiment (PDF):   This paper dispels the broken windows theory.   A good and necessary read.
• Business improvement districts: Impact on public safety within BIDs and in nearby areas:   A summary of the research and valuable links.
• What is Theory of Change?:   An easy-to-understand description of this term.
• Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, a research program of the Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS) at the University of Colorado at Boulder:   This is the mother ship for best practices.

Here's some history on youth violence plans and intervention in DC:

• D.C. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN:   This was written in 2005 to address the spike in youth homicides during the Williams Administration.   The two purposes of the strategy were: 1) Launch a youth violence intervention strategy that can deliver near-term, powerful results; and 2) Lay the groundwork for a sustainable investment in our city’s young people guided by the values of positive youth development.
• Positive Youth Development Continuum Matrix
• Draft notes from the July 11, 2005 hearing on juvenile violence and homicides:  
  1. Need better outcomes and greater accountability
  2. There are gaps in knowledge about funding for programs for children and youth. The city (government and nonprofits) should maximizing funding
  3. The city must institutionalize collaboration, coordination among government agencies and between government and the public
  4. Improving quality
  5. Involve youth in the process of program and anti-violence plan development
  6. Improve the capacity of community-based organizations to do the (outcome-driven) work required to prevent and intervene effectively
  7. Put in place required youth worker training

Pfeiffer left CM Well's office

In case you missed the news, Jack Pfeiffer left CM Tommy Wells' office last week.   In an email to friends and colleagues, he wrote: "I’d like to thank everyone for their professionalism, comradery and friendship. I’ve very much enjoyed my time here and the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people."

All the best Jack!

From dull to meaningful: Help CFSA name the IV-E waiver program

According to an email from CFSA:

CFSA Colleagues and Partners:

The wonderful, transformative program getting underway in the District deserves a better name than “IV-E waiver” (z-z-z-z-z-z). Please help us give this worthy effort an appealing identity as other jurisdictions have done. We’ve narrowed the field to three choices, and you can play a part in picking the winner. To cast your vote, use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2NS9L8.

Need background to make the best choice? Here’s a short refresher about what we hope to do under the waiver:

Over the next five years, CFSA will spearhead development of a more robust local safety net that includes best practices in child abuse prevention and support services. Families all over town will be able to tap effective services in their neighborhoods before difficulties overwhelm them. Help will range from one-time or short-term supports to long-term, intensive assistance depending on what families need. The Healthy Families/Thriving Communities Collaboratives will serve as the primary coordinators for these services and will ensure they are available throughout the city.

Your vote must be in by Wednesday, April 30, so please don’t delay. We very much appreciate your help.

Interested in economic development?

The Committee on Economic Development (CM Bowser, Ward 4, Chair) shares updates about committee activity.   To sign up for email updates, contact Legislative Counsel Judah Gluckman via email, JGluckman@dccouncil.us or phone, (202) 724-8025.

Which DC schools are on Twitter?

Who has a good list of DC schools on Twitter? @dcpublicschools @susiecambria

— OneCityYouth (@OneCityYouth) April 22, 2014

@OneCityYouth asked this important question and knowing my readers can help out, I decided to blog.   If you are a school (DC Public School, public charter school, or private school), feel free to Tweet One City Youth.   Even better, add your social media information to this list so everyone can find you!   You'll see that the info requested is expansive―and it includes PTAs/PTOs so those organizations should also provide their information.

Volunteers needed Apr. 26 for free book giveaway!

The event is sponsored by FirstBook-DC.

Save the date: East of the River Book Festival May 17

One City Youth recruiting Youth Outreach Coordinators

DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, through One City Youth/Communities on the Rise (COR) Initiative, is hiring young adults (18-24 years old) from the District to be Youth Outreach Coordinators.   The deadline is May 2.    Details about applying.

Not Yet Adults: The Affordable Care Act and Teens Apr. 24

Register:    via email, DCCroundtables@gmail.com.

Have a say in Circulator service―attend a Circulator pop-up meeting!

Shared by our friends at Nspiregreen (note: the meetings start April 22):

TA: Fresh diagram options

Another winning share from AEA365 | A Tip-a-Day by and for Evaluators: Sheila B. Robinson on Delightful Diagrams from Design Diva Duarte.   Sheila B. Robinson, aea365′s Lead Curator is not lying when she writes that the free charts by Duarte are "a new cool tool to spice up your evaluation presentations and reports!"

According to Duarte:

Diagrams use proximity, scale, and links to clarify hierarchy and relationships between information, making your message more easily understood.

Choose from more than 4,000 customizable diagrams and download the free PowerPoint®-ready file to enhance your presentation.

Check out the templates:

(Updated 4/21/14 9:46a)

What a new mayor will mean for sustainability in DC

DC Environmental Network recently sent an email urging green supporters to 1) attend the April 22 event with Mayor Gray (see Mayor Gray’s Sustainable DC Earth Day Event!) and 2) show the candidates for mayor that sustainability is important and worthwhile.

On April 22 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at Langley Education Campus (101 T S NE), Mayor Gray will present a special first year progress report on the implementation stage of Sustainable DC.

As pleased as DCEN is with the progress, the organization also believes that the river cleanup and other work must be accelerated.   According to the email from DCEN:

Mayor Gray will not be Mayor in 2015 and it is not clear that the current candidates for this office will support a sustainability plan for the District. The environmental community needs a strong showing at this first year progress report and other sustainability focused events over the next 8 months to make it clear to decision makers that we want to make real progress on Sustainable DC now and after the Gray Administration leaves office.

LOT'S OF WORK TO DO: Our work has just begun. We all need to work hard to accelerate progress to clean up our rivers; reduce carbon emissions; develop a meaningful zero waste plan that does not include incineration; and continue to pressure our elected officials to promote sustainability principles with every decision that is made.

Book TV Apr. 20: "Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American Politics"

Author Terry Golway will discuss "Machine Made: Tammany Hall and the Creation of Modern American Politics" on Book TV April 20 at 5:45 pm.

From the event page (Update: Link updated 4/21/14 8a):

Terry Golway, director of the Kean University Center for History, Politics, and Policy, recounts Tammany Hall politics in New York City. The author contends that the political machine that controlled the city's Democratic Party in the 19th century has been miscast as crooked. Instead, he asserts that Tammany Hall afforded immigrants to New York a political voice and was responsible for social and political reforms, which included greater worker's compensation and a ban on child labor. Terry Golway speaks at the Irish Arts Center in New York City.

The book is available at Politics & Prose.

May 1: Shared Prosperity for All: The Policy Imperative to Close the Racial Wealth Gap

Youth town hall on the budget being held Apr. 26

Those under age 24 are encouraged to attend and participate in the April 26 budget town hall just for young people.   Details in the flyer below.

Youth Budget Townhall Flyer_4!26!14

The DC Council's lawsuit about budget autonomy discussed on NewsTalk Apr. 18

Today on NewsTalk, attorney Brian Netter will talk about the DC Council's lawsuit against Mayor Vincent Gray.   Friday, April 18 in the 10:00 am hour.   Tune in to the show streaming here: http://news8.net/.   If you have questions or comments, call (703) 387-1020 or email the show, newstalk@news8.net.

Some background: The wonky side of the budget: Does the budget have to go to the President?.

DC School Garden Tour May 4

Learn more about the DC School Garden Tool by going to OSSE's website and BicycleSPACE's Facebook event page.

Need grammar and punctuation help?

Journalist's Toolbox shared this online tool.   I like!

Me and my ideas

I love this from Fast Company: Pixar President Ed Catmull On How To Run A Creative Business.   I don't know about you, but while I love my first ideas, they are rarely where I end up.   And that is good; my last ideas, those that have been massaged and edited and torn apart, are much better.

What about your first ideas?

500 Families. 100 Days. Quality DC Housing Now kicks off today

On Thursday, April 17 from 9:00 - 11:00 am Mayor Gray will officially launch the "500 Families. 100 Days. Quality DC Housing Now" campaign.   Announced at his 2014 State of the District Address (text as prepared), DC government is partnering with the community―Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, the Transitional Housing Corporation (THC), and the Coalition for Housing and Economic Development (CHNED)―to move homeless families from the D.C. General Shelter to permanent housing.

The event takes place at Virginia Williams Family Resource Center (33 N St NE).

Background from the release:

The Department of Human Services (DHS), in collaboration with TCP and THC, has launched an aggressive initiative to identify 500 apartments for homeless families in 100 days. Mayor Gray met with the Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA) in the first week of the campaign, which began April 1, to advocate for housing on behalf of homeless families. He will continue the appeal to landlords and for-profit as well as not-for-profit developers to identify quality, affordable housing for families currently living in temporary shelters.

DC Council Chairman Mendelson briefs media on budget autonomy Apr. 17

DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson will hold a briefing for the media Thursday, April 17 at 10:30 am to discuss budget autonomy and the recent correspondence to the Council from the Chief Financial Officer and the Mayor.   The briefing will take place at Superior Court of the District of Columbia Moultrie Courthouse (500 Indiana Ave NW, front entrance).

DC's got a new Ombudsman for Public Education

Last week the DC State Board of Education announced the appointment of the new Ombudsman for Public Education Joyanna Smith.   According to the release,

Smith will oversee the recently re-established Office of the Ombudsman for Public Education, responsible for responding to concerns and resolving complaints, disputes, and problems faced by students and their families in District of Columbia public and public charter schools. As a clearinghouse for addressing concerns, the Ombudsman’s office also will report on trends in issues and complaints, thus helping to improve the delivery of educational services and informing policy.

Submit concerns or complaints via telephone, (202) 741-0888, by email, via email, ombudsman@dc.gov, or online.

Volunteer for Bike to Work Day

May 16 is Bike to Work Day and folks in Columbia Heights are organizing a pit stop in the afternoon.   If you are interested in helping plan the May 16, 4:00 - 7:00 pm event, attend the planning meeting being held April 23 at 7:30 pm at Mad Momo's (3605 14th St NW, just north of Perry St).   The planning meeting agenda includes event prep and suggestions, solicitation of local businesses for advertisement and prizes, and volunteer opportunities and schedule.   More information is available from Dan Hayes via email, dfchayes@gmail.com.

Information about the entire day: biketoworkmetrodc.org.

TA: When Excel is not the best choice

I admit it, I'm a database person.   I grudgingly work with Excel because that's what others like to use.   But there are times I long for a good Access database.   Harlan Luxenberg on When to Use a Database Solution instead of Excel does a terrific job of explaining when a database is better than Excel.

ANC and civic association meetings in Ward 7

A regular part of Ward 7 CM Yvette Alexander's email to community members is a list of regular Ward 7 organization meetings.   The list is below.

ward7meetingsviacmyma

The value of evaluation

This campaign season, candidates are all about solutions to problems.   As a problem solver, I'm all for that.   But what I am more interested in is improving outcomes for stakeholders of all kinds (first and foremost residents, but also businesses) based on what works and doesn't―with an accepted tool and process rather than by anecdotal evidence.   If all candidates do is talk about more or less or different, we never get to what really works.

My proposal is to embrace evaluation across the government and government-funded services.   Before adding or subtracting more money, let's look at what works.   Some of this is already being done.   One City Summer Initiative, which has morphed into One City Youth, is all about evaluation.   Take a look at the evaluations of One City Summer Initiative.

And before you jump all over me, this is not directed at a particular candidate or set of proposals.   This is based on years of work in public policy in DC.   And understanding that it's easy to criticize without having all the information.

All I'm suggesting is that we work smarter based on agreed-upon outcomes and evaluation tools.

2014 DC Free Summer Meals Program Sponsor Training

Are you interested in participating in the DC Free Summer Meals Program?   Do you believe you are a part of the solution to feeding children and youth during the long school break?

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is holding a mandatory training for new new and returning sponsors for the 2014 program Wednesday, April 30 from 9:30 am - 1:30 pm.

On the agenda are updates from USDA, a review of site eligibility, site monitoring requirements, and much more.

More information about the training is on the OSSE website in the events calendar item 2014 DC Free Summer Meals Program Sponsor Training.

Not sure being a sponsor is right for your organization?   Contact Elisabeth Sweeting at (202) 724-7628 (office), (202) 368-3009 (cell), or via email, elisabeth.sweeting@dc.gov.   For immediate response, contact Norma Birckhead at (202) 442-4010.

2014 poverty guidelines

Mayor Vince Gray's #dcfy15 budget town hall meetings

Fy 2015 Budget Town Hall m Tgs

The wonky side of the budget: Does the budget have to go to the President?

WaPo's Aaron Davis takes on the issue of whether the District's budget must to to Congress via the president or straight through in Warnings of a D.C. government shutdown amid feud over city budget autonomy.   Will Sommer also reports the disagreement in Gray Warns Mendelson of Budget Disaster.

Neither article actually concerns the feds dumping on DC.   Rather, they are about whether the DC government must comply with the Home Rule Act (PDF) or the voters' decision to support budget autonomy via referendum.

The letters from Mayor Vince Gray, CFO Jeff DeWitt, and AG Irv Nathan are below.

mayorgraytomendelsonrebudget autonomy041114

oagopiniorelocalbudgetautonomyact12 040814

OCFO Letter to Chair Mendelson Re Budget Autonomy 4-11-14 by Susie Cambria

Recent #dcfy15 activity on Twitter

I was curious about what people are saying about Mayor Gray's proposed FY 2015 budget so used #tagboard to create this:

The screenshot shows about one-third of the Tweets associated with #dcfy15.   And while the people tweeting have fairly good reach across the city, I was most surprised that so few advocates (individuals and organizations) were using Twitter to share information and ask questions.   The illustration below was generated using Tweet Binder.   You can see how few people are using Twitter for #dcfy15 advocacy, information-sharing, information-seeking, and the like.   This is in sharp contrast to Twitter traffic last year, at least as I recall the activity.   I understand we are only one week into the #dcfy15 budget, so I'm not expecting a huge quantity of Tweets, but ones from more people.

Thoughts?

TA: Interviewing youth

If you are a service provider or are interested in youth and their views, then EEE Week: Siri Scott on Conducting Interviews with Youth is a must-read.   The post includes hot tips for planning (including this: "One main decision is whether or not you will need IRB approval for conducting interviews. Even when done for program improvement purposes, it is a good idea to comply with IRB regulations for data practices and protection for youth.") and implementation.

#dcfy15 budget hearing sked updated Apr. 8

The DC Council has updated the FY 2015 budget hearing schedule again.   The latest update is from April 8.

Mayor Gray's testimony before the DC Council Apr. 7

Mayor's FY2015 Council Testimony

Research on schools, neighborhoods and low-income children

Lawrence F. Katz, Elisabeth Allison Professor of Economics at Harvard University, has studied the "recent evidence on the efficacy of neighborhood and school interventions in improving the long-run outcomes of children growing up in poor families."   On April 14, Katz will be presenting his interpretations of the data at Harvard University's Inequality & Social Policy Seminar Series.   While the event will not be streaming (shame, Harvard!), two of Katz's papers are available online:   Achieving Escape Velocity: Neighborhood and School Interventions to Reduce Persistent Inequality (Roland G. Fryer, Jr. and Lawrence F. Katz) (PDF) and the NBER Working Paper Series Long-term Neighborhood Effects on Low-income Families: Evidence from Moving to Opportunity (by Katz and others) (PDF).

To read more by Katz, go to his page on the Harvard website.

Community event for Child Abuse Prevention Month

Kojo Nnamdi on Q&A Cafe

DC Council holds leg meeting Apr. 8

The DC Council is holding a Legislative Meeting Tuesday, April 8 at 10:00 am in the Council Chamber at JAWB.   The agenda is online.

Can't make it to the Wilson Building?   Watch on the DC Council website or for better audio, watch via OCT's Channel 13 live stream.

Mayor Gray's FY 2015 budget overview presentation (Updated 4/8 7:45a)

Keeping the Promises FY 2015 Budget Presentation - General

DC Watch on Election Reform

From themail April 7, 2014:

Election Reform
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com
Last week, the District had the lowest voter turnout for a primary election in thirty years. Only 22.5 percent of all registered voters went to the pools, with only 11.47 percent in Ward 8 and 16.48 percent in Ward 7. Yet, despite the low number of votes cast, the DC Board of Elections again proved unable to conduct the election and tabulate the votes properly. I visited all the early voting sites between March 17 and March 29, and nearly twenty polling precincts on April 1, and I witnessed serious problems that raised concerns about the BOE’s ability to conduct elections. For example, electronic voting machines and poll books didn’t work, precinct captains were left to fend for themselves and repair equipment, several poll workers were poorly trained, supplies at polling precincts were inadequate, etc. On election night, as has already been reported (http://tinyurl.com/lfk6bg3), the BOE was unable to tabulate the turns in a timely and accurate manner.

On April 29 at 1:00 p.m., Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, the chairman of the council’s Government Operations Committee, will conduct a hearing regarding the BOE’s conduct of the April 1 primary and the problems that arose. Prior to the hearing it would be helpful if voters and poll workers sent me E-mails detailing the issues and/or problems they encountered when they voted, whether at an early voting center or a voting precinct on election day. I hope to hear from concerned citizens and research the problems that arose, and to make recommendations for fixes to be made prior to the general election on November 4. Please send your comments to me directly at dorothy@dcwatch.com or at 202-234-6982.

Registration open for free Oct. 16 How Housing Matters Conference

The National Building Museum's free How Housing Matters Conference will take place Thursday, October 16 from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm and registration is required.

From the meeting invitation:

Housing matters to everyone. The upcoming How Housing Matters conference will explore how having stable, secure, and affordable housing affects child development and education, physical and mental health, and long-term economic success.

This day-long event will explore these important connections and how policymakers and practitioners can better integrate programs and services to achieve improved outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Key leaders, researchers, practitioners, and advocates from housing, education, health, and economic development will discuss practical and cross-platform solutions with local, state, and federal policymakers.

More information is on the event website.

Mayor Gray and team brief CMs Apr. 7 at 10a

The budget season began April 3 with the presentation of the FY 2015 proposed budget to the DC Council by Mayor Vince Gray.   Today is the DC Council's briefing by Mayor Vince Gray and his team; the briefing starts at 10:00 am.

If you can't make it to the JAWB, you can watch it via OCT link (better audio than the DC Council video).

The boundary revision process to-date Storified

Need a summer camp for your kids?

One City Youth has recently posted camp information on the One City Youth website's Summer 2014 camp page.

Thoughts about Politico's "Can Free College Save American Cities?"?

Do you have any thoughts about Politico's Can Free College Save American Cities??   I'll share them here.

WPFW Town Hall Apr. 9

The public is encouraged to help WPFW think through the question "What qualities and skills should the station should be looking for as the search commences for a Permanent Program Director and Permanent General Manager for WPFW?" at the April 9 WPFW Town Hall meeting.   The meeting will take place from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at Guildfield Baptist Church (1023 Otis St NE; a few blocks from the Brookland Metro Station on the Red line).

FY 2015 budget hearing sked updated

The DC Council updated the FY 2015 budget hearing schedule March 31.   The updated sked is online.

Mayor Gray's proposed FY 2015 budget out today

The Office of Budget and Planning reports the proposed budget will be on the OCFO website cfo.dc.gov today.   The proposed budget will also be on budget.dc.gov.   Expect the budgets to be online after the Mayor's briefing with the DC Council which is scheduled to end at 11:00 am.

OBP will make the budget available on CDs again this year.

Participate in the 41st Annual Conference on DC Historical Studies

Mayor Gray's Apr. 3 schedule

Mayor Vince Gray's April 3 schedule is all about the FY 2015 proposed budget:

• Early morning budget briefing for the cabinet
• Briefing for the DC Council from 9:30 – 11:00 am.   This briefing is open to the media.

If the mayor's schedule changes, it will be posted online.

Free webinars in April 2014 curated by Wild Apricot

Wild Apricot has curated a list of free webinars in April; you'll find events about volunteers, graphics, fundraising, and data collection and management.

This list is on top of the offerings by Wild Apricot itself.

VOTE!

Vote.   Don't know where?   Go to the Board of Elections website polling place search page.