Submit Your Presentation Proposals Now for EPA’s Community Involvement Training Conference

EPA has announced a February 22nd due date for presentation and training proposal submissions for the 2013 Community Involvement Training Conference being held July 30 – August 1, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts.

This three-day conference will feature plenary sessions with guest speakers, topical discussions, multiple 90-minute information sessions, and dozens of engaging and interactive training sessions.   Additionally, there will be field trips demonstrating effective community involvement and cooperative conservation efforts in the Boston area, a poster session, exhibits, a technology demonstration area showcasing new tools, technology, and software, and a variety of networking opportunities.

The goal of the conference is to both inform and train EPA staff, stakeholders, and partners in best practices to enhance community involvement.  EPA is asking for proposals that address this conference theme, and focus on topics, ideas, challenges, and opportunities within one or more of the following five categories (we have also included a few of the sub-categories here that state drinking water programs might want to submit proposals for):

1. Communication and Collaboration through Technology and Social Media
2. Cultural Diversity, Competency, and Environmental Justice
3. Non-traditional Community Involvement Strategies
   1. Utilizing creative approaches for public meetings and outreach
   2. Thinking “outside the box” about how to communicate scientific/technical concepts in an understandable way (e.g., communicating risk about contaminated groundwater, treatment technologies and processes)
4. Facilitating Effective Collaboration
   1. Collaborating among different organizations and programs (federal, state, tribal, local, non-profit, and private) to enhance community involvement, such as with technical assistance
   2. Fostering strong internal collaboration and communication skills to enhance community involvement
5. Additional Related Topics

Please note that EPA does have some limited funds available to pay for speaker travel.  For the full list of presentation topics, criteria, and other information for potential speakers, go to:  http://www.epa.gov/ciconference/cfp_instructions.htm. For more information about the conference, visit: http://www.epa.gov/ciconference/index.htm.