RVA Engage

We're excited to announce the panelists of the next Civic Action Conversation: Addressing the Gap in Affordable Housing. Meet the regional experts who will be taking part!

Please note that this event is now sold out. You can register for our waitlist for the opportunity to attend. Learn More: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/896601287587?aff=oddtdtcreator

Learn More and Register: https://engage.richmond.edu/.../partners.../index.html

We’re excited to gather with community partners in our region for food, fellowship, and shared learning! ⚙️

Chief executive officer at Voices for Virginia's Children Rachael Deane will offer opening remarks and join a panel discussion with director of change management at University of Richmond Julie Farmer, independent research consultant Judy Pryor-Ramirez, and volunteer and education director at Shalom Farms Hannah Wittwer!

Learn more and register: https://engage.richmond.edu/events/partners-gathering/index.html

Did you miss the the recent Civic Action Conversation? Watch the recording of Literacy: Why It Matters and What You Can Do.

Literacy: Why It Matters & What You Can Do The ability to read touches nearly every aspect of life such as health, educational attainment, jobs, housing and income levels. Learning to read and write e...

The ability to read touches nearly every aspect of life such as health, educational attainment, jobs, housing and income levels. Learning to read and write early in childhood is crucial to ensuring future success in school, work, and life in general. In Virginia, 68% of 4th grade students are not reading at a proficient level and in Richmond, 16% of adults lack the literacy to read a bus schedule, fill out a job application, or help their children with their homework. 📚

In this webinar, local experts will explore the historic and current socio-political contexts around education policy, the impacts of literacy and the efforts to increase literacy rates for residents in our region.

Registration is now open to attend! 📝 Sign Up: https://planrva-org.zoom.us/.../WN_rm1XsxA5Q0WIi-3TYN2xIg...

In a democracy of diverse voices, what are the tools we need to be active citizens? Join us in April as speakers from our community dive into four tools for civic action. Held virtually and free to participate! Register at rvaengage.org/events

Ripples from the Summit - https://mailchi.mp/67a386f3467e/ripples-from-the-summit

Ripples from the Summit We wanted to take a moment to say Hi! and let you know some of the amazing actions that folks have taken since the Summit in November. We also have an ask of you so be sure to keep reading!

Check out the "Seen & Heard" blog about the recent Civic Impact Summit.

Blog | 'Seen & Heard' at the Civic Impact Summit

What an inspiring day it has been! Here are some members of our planning committee with keynote speaker Eric Liu from Citizen University.

Dr. Paula Pando, President of JSargent Reynolds Community College getting the Summit off to a great start!

We are looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow! GRTC Transit System Route #14 will do the trick. If you are driving, please set aside additional time to park and arrive at the VUU Living and Learning Center.

Please meet the contributors to our third optional afternoon breakout session - Community & Resident Leaders Dialogue:

- Adrienne Cole Johnson (Facilitator) - Peter Paul RVA
- Marco Thomas - Resident Opportunities, Inc.
- Ebony Walden - Ebony Walden Consulting
- Elaine Williams - Virginia Community Voice

Join us to hear from community members leading the way in the work of social change. Authentic community engagement means that those impacted most by critical issues are at the forefront of discussions, decision-making and implementation of the solutions to address those issues. This session will share different models of community engagement, discuss ways in which community voice has made a difference in social change, and highlight ways to effectively engage community members.

Our keynote speaker for this year's Civic Impact Summit Eric Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Citizen University. In this TED animation he describes the six sources of power and explains how understanding them is key to being an effective citizen.

How to understand power - Eric Liu Every day, we move and operate within systems of power that other people have constructed. But we’re often uncomfortable talking about power. Why? Eric Liu describes the six sources of power and explains how understanding them is key to being an effective citizen.

We are offering four optional breakout sessions at this year's summit. Meet the leaders of the first afternoon breakout session - Measuring the Value of Volunteer Engagement:

- Katie Campbell (Facilitator) - Skye Consulting
- Dr. Sylvia Gale - University of Richmond-Bonner Center for Civic Engagement
- Sally Graham - GoochlandCares
- Kristen Kaplan - CarMax
- Diane Reale - GoochlandCares
- Hannah Wittwer - Shalom Farms

In this session participants will learn how effective volunteer activity can result in significant value and benefits for individuals, institutions, organizations, and the larger community. But it isn’t always easy to document and measure. Come learn how nonprofits and businesses are approaching this challenge, assessing their return on investment, and demonstrating real impact.

Meet the panelists for the 2019 Civic Impact Summit:

• Gwen Corley Creighton with Corley Creighton Associates, LLC
• Dr. Joseph P. Casey with Chesterfield County, Virginia
• Kathie Markel with The Circle of Friends
• Chimere Miles with Peter Paul RVA
• Albert R. Walker III with Richmond Memorial Health Foundation
• Kevin Wilson with Dominion Payroll

These experts will share their diverse perspectives on what effective civic engagement looks like in action. Register for the Civic Impact Summit today at our website >> https://www.rvaengage.org/

A great opportunity to lend a hand and enjoy all that the Civic Impact Summit has to offer. Sign up to volunteer today!

Volunteer at the Civic Impact Summit! RVA Engage is looking for volunteers to assist with wayfinding, greeting guests and assisting with check in at the upcoming Civic Impact Summit (see below for descriptions). This event is a unique opportunity to celebrate all the ways people and institutions get involved and make a difference in our...

A great selection of valuable breakout sessions for the afternoon of the Civic Impact Summit. Which one are you most excited for? https://www.rvaengage.org/breakout-sessions

Breakout Sessions — RVA Engage Effective volunteer activity can result in significant value and benefits for individuals, institutions, organizations, and the larger community. But it isn’t always easy to document and measure. Come learn how nonprofits and businesses are approaching this challenge, assessing their return on inv...

We are looking for volunteers to assist with wayfinding, greeting guests and assisting with check in at the upcoming Civic Impact Summit on November 6th. This is a great opportunity to exercise your civic voice and experience the Summit at the same time! Sign up today at the link below.

Volunteer at the Civic Impact Summit! RVA Engage is looking for volunteers to assist with wayfinding, greeting guests and assisting with check in at the upcoming Civic Impact Summit (see below for descriptions). This event is a unique opportunity to celebrate all the ways people and institutions get involved and make a difference in our...

Check out this excerpt from our keynote speaker Eric Liu's book You're More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen's Guide to Making Change HappenMaking Change Happen. Mr. Liu is the co-founder and CEP of Citizen University and we cannot wait for him to bring his unique insight to RVA.

Reimagining What It Means to Be Powerful An excerpt from Eric Liu's "You're More Powerful than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen."

Civic Impact Summit keynote speaker Eric Liu at the 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival discussing we don't need fewer arguments in American civic life, we need less stupid ones.

Can Americans Come Together by Arguing Better? - The Aspen Institute We don’t need fewer arguments in American civic life today, we need less stupid ones.

We are so excited to have Eric Liu, co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, keynote this year's Civic Impact Summit!

Why ordinary people need to understand power Far too many Americans are illiterate in power — what it is, how it operates and why some people have it. As a result, those few who do understand power wield disproportionate influence over everyone else. "We need to make civics sexy again," says civics educator Eric Liu. "As sexy as it was durin...

Some fascinating insights from this year's Civic Impact Summit keynote speaker Eric Liu, co-founder and CEO of Citizen University.

Americans Need to Get Better at Arguing Americans can do better. Remember: America doesn’t just have arguments; America is an argument.

A very special "Thanks!" to Virginia Union University for hosting the Civic Impact Summit on November 6th! This beautiful campus provides a central location for the entire Richmond region to come together and raise our collective civic voices!

Start your week with these inspiring words from our keynote speaker Eric Liu, co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, given at the April 2019 TED Talks.

How to revive your belief in democracy Civic evangelist Eric Liu shares a powerful way to rekindle the spirit of citizenship and the belief that democracy still works. Join him for a trip to "Civic Saturday" and learn more about how making civic engagement a weekly habit can help build communities based on shared values and a path to bel...

Check out the inspiring words from our keynote speaker Eric Liu, co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, given at the September 2016 TED Talks.

There's no such thing as not voting Many people like to talk about how important voting is, how it's your civic duty and responsibility as an adult. Eric Liu agrees with all that, but he also thinks it's time to bring joy back to the ballot box. The former political speechwriter details how he and his team are fostering the culture ar...

Thank you to our generous sponsors for helping bring the 2019 Civic Impact Summit to life!

Our fearless planning committee working hard on this year's Civic Impact Summit!

We are so excited to have Eric Liu, co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, keynote the 2019 Civic Impact Summit on Nov. 6th at Virginia Union University!

Citizen University | Eric Liu