Brampton - As a member of Canadian Parents for French (CPF), I recently attended their Parent Engagement Conference.  The event provided me, along with 61 other participants, the opportunity to understand more about volunteering and learn skills that enhance the volunteer's role.  You could feel the synergies in the room as participants were sharing and learning from each other.Some of the agenda items included: the Volunteer Cycle, Effective Communication, and Best Practices.

We talked about the many different reasons people volunteer, such as: because they were asked; to support the cause or help the group; to make a difference; to learn or develop new skills; to make new friends; etc.  Everyone was asked to think about what drives them away in their volunteer role as well as what keeps them coming back.  Discussions also touched on what each volunteer deserves, such as to be given a meaningful assignment, recognition for work done, etc.

Some of the conference activities were geared toward effective verbal and written communication skills.  This made a lot of sense, as every CPF chapter must at some point communicate with educators, school trustees, and school board staff.  I found the time we spent on understanding the structure and roles of the school boards beneficial.  This type of information will help each CPF chapter in their advocacy role.

The day ended on a high note with an Awards dinner and presentation, followed by a fun night of listening to Hélène Nicole Richard sing French songs.  She got people laughing, singing, and some even cried during more touching songs.  It was a first class conference and I am already looking forward to next year's.

© Lisa Gallant, Solid Choice Services