CTCNet's National Conference Recap
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Attendees of the CTCNET Conference in July 2006 arrived by many modes of transport but I and my director at Young Entrepreneurs Society, Tim, drove to Washington D.C. in a Toyota Prius. It was surely an economical way for a VISTA and the director of a nonprofit to show how folks can get by on almost no income!
Driving to Washington DC for a conference was a first for me. The Hyatt Regency afforded us beautiful accommodations at a very good price, even if it was beyond our budgets. How exciting it was to get there and meet so many new faces, particularly at the dinner given for us at the restaurant at Union Station, where we ate well and shared stories. It's always fun for me to finally put a face to the name that I've been seeing on the computer, not unlike finally seeing a radio personality for the first time.
Signing on as a volunteer prior to the conference allowed me not only to attend the conference for free, but it also gave me the chance to meet more people and see the mechanism of the workshops from the inside. I monitored sessions and turned in evaluation sheets to Kavita Sing and the other staff and organizers of the conference. It was a very easy job to perform for so much benefit.
My only challenge was how to squeeze in a trip to the American Indian Exhibit with fellow CTC VISTA, Shannon McCue. I was scheduled for the whole day each day of the conference, either to be at the registration desk (another way to meet far more people than I would have otherwise), or to be monitoring the sessions. Luckily for me, another volunteer took a two hour slot, Shannon rented a scooter, and we were off to the museum in the midday sun. It was surely hot, but well worth the trip.
There were daily events for us to mingle in the registration area, including a raffle. I was so enjoying the responses of the teens who won prizes that I almost missed my chance to win an HP Printer when they called my number! I finally realized what had happened and got my goodie. I'm always saying I'm not lucky. What nonsense!
It was a great trip; I learned a lot about volunteering, accessibility, IC3 training, free computer training with GCF Global Learning, and had the chance to enjoy a reception just for our group at the Canadian Embassy. There's an echo chamber in the elevated circle outside of the entrance to the Embassy and I enjoyed it with other tourists in the area. This was a most exciting time as a VISTA, and I highly recommend that all give it a try.
