November 26, 2019
Media Contacts:
Scott Peterson, Director of Communications, 410-313-4023
Kim Eisenreich, Administrator, Office of the Local Children’s Board, 410-313-1461 (voice/relay)
Conference workshops to address community engagement, equity, mental health, technology integration and capacity-building
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and the County’s Department of Community Resources and Services (DCRS) will hold the second annual Champions of Change: Engage, Equip, Empower conference on Wednesday, December 4 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, December 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel, 10207 Wincopin Circle in Columbia.
“Champions of Change is designed to help build and expand the capacity of local agencies to work collaboratively on behalf of those individuals and families seeking a better life in Howard County,” said Ball. “Working together, we are making a difference in providing services for all our residents.”
Coordinated by DCRS’ Office of the Local Children’s Board and geared towards nonprofit directors and staff, local government officials and employees, and other human service providers, this two-day conference will include application of collective impact and community engagement workshops.
The conference will kick-off on December 4th with a networking reception and an opening plenary, “Courage in Leadership,” a panel discussion moderated by Howard County Youth Leaders with panelists to address issues related to equity and trauma-informed care.
On December 5th, the conference will continue with an opening address, “The Change We Seek: Enabling Equitable Outcomes for Howard County,” by Kike Ojo, Principal Consultant with the Kojo Institute. Following Ojo’s address will be 10 breakout sessions offering insight into topics including community engagement, equity, trauma-informed care, technology integration and collective impact. Thursday’s events will conclude with a closing plenary featuring A.J. Ali, director and producer of Walking While Black: L.O.V.E. is the Answer, an award-winning documentary film about improving relations between police and people of color, and Major Luther Johnson, Deputy Chief of Administration and 30-year veteran of the Howard County Police Department.
The conference training activities are co-sponsored by the Howard County Department of Social Services, who is providing social work CEU's to qualifying participants.
The fee for the Champions of Change conference is $89 and includes two days of conference activities, an opening reception and continental breakfast and lunch. To register for this event, as advance registration is required, visit https://champsofchange2019.eventbrite.com.
For more information and full conference details, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/LCB. For questions about the conference and/or to request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations to participate in this event, contact Ben Barnwell at 410-313-0221 (voice/relay).