As an organization driven by volunteer man-power, big changes can be hard and take time. At AICP, embracing everything the virtual world has to offer has taken us some time. Our current work-from-home environment, while challenging and uncomfortable, has forced us to move more quickly than we have previously.
I think we can all agree that in-person networking and educational opportunities are one of the best things about AICP. We do them better than anyone else (at least I think we do). With those opportunities not available, at least temporarily, we’re having to get creative to continue providing the same high-quality events we are known for.
We have a couple of different things coming your way over the summer.
- Podcasts – We are in the planning phase of putting together a series of podcasts. If you are like me, and a little unfamiliar with the world of podcasts, these are conversational audio pieces available on platforms like iTunes and Spotify. You can download or stream the content at your convenience on your smart phone, tablet, laptop or other device. It’s a great way keep up-to-date on anything you are interested in. Soon, that will include AICP!
- Virtual Outreach Events (VOE) – These are virtual meetings hosted using Zoom and intended to be more casual and social in nature. We held our first VOE on May 13th. The group was engaged and discussed how, driven by COVID-19, working from home has impacted us all. It was great to see some familiar faces, meet new people, and catch up on what’s going on with some of our members. We will be scheduling more of these, both as topic based discussions and social meet-ups for our members.
- Webinars and Zoom – Our Learning & Development Committee and chapter leaders are busy putting together content for release. Whether as a traditional webinar, or a Zoom meeting, we are hard at work building content to help you do your job, develop in your career, and stay connected with AICP.
Even though I imagine most of us will be working from home for at least part of the summer, AICP is here for you and determined to continue our work toward providing the networking and educational opportunities you need.
Bri Dahl
