To download session resources, click on any hyperlinked resource button in the Convening agenda below.

Convening Agenda
April 22-24, 2008
Little Rock, Arkansas

Day ONE

Tuesday, April 22

Pre-Conference

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM         Breakfast / YEO Campaign Training Welcome

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM “Why you do what you do”
Joel Silberman, Consultant

9:30 AM – 10:45 AM Fundraising
Marsha Scott and Elizabeth Camuti, Scott + Yandura; Christopher Kell, Campaign Manager, U.S. Congressman Vic Snyder (AR-2)
[Resource A] [Resource B]

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM Messaging
Drew Courtney, People For the American Way Foundation
[Resource A]

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Reaching Out to Young Voters
Kat Barr, Rock the Vote

1:45 PM – 3:30 PM Public Speaking
Joel Silberman, Consultant

Day TWO

Wednesday, April 23

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM What is the YEO Network?
Panelists: Comm. Andrew Gillum (FL), Rep. Alisha Morgan (GA), Mayor Heather Hudson (MS), Rep. Rachel Weston (VT), Rep. Carl Sciortino (MA), School Board Member Carmelo Garcia (NJ)

9:45 AM – 11:00 AM Issues Workshop Series 1

Progressive Tax Structure
Nathan Newman, Progressive States Network
Jason Levitis, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
[Resource A]

Avoiding a Lending / Foreclosure Crisis in Your Community
Mark Winston, Drum Majors Institute; Austin King, ACORN
[Resource A] [Resource B]

School to Prison Pipeline
Richard Cohen, Southern Poverty Law Center; Board of Education Member Jeremiah Grace, ACLU/ YEO (NJ)
[Resource A]

Town and Gown: Governing a Split Demographic
Vincent Wong, UCLA; Rep. Emily Cain (ME)
[Resource A]

11:15 AM – 12:30 PM Skills Workshop Series 1 – Real World Training

Navigating Technology to your Advantage
Kari Chisholm, Mandate Media
[Resource A]

Communications and Media Training
Drew Courtney, PFAW Foundation; Joel Silberman, Reblis Inc.

Navigating your Long Term Strategic Leadership Plan
Dante James, CPL; Comm. Dave Woodward, CPL (MI)
[Resource A] [Resource B]

Running for a Leadership Position
Rep. Kathy Webb (AR); Rep. Hannah Pingree (ME); School Board Member Carmelo Garcia (NJ)

12:45 PM – 2:00 PM Working with Labor to Strengthen the Progressive Movement
Reg Weaver, President, National Education Association

2:15 PM – 3:30 PM Issues Workshop Series 2

Economic Development
County Leg. Nathan Sinagawa (NY), Comm. Brandon Buchanan (WI), Comm. Trinity Donovan (AZ), City Rep. Rachel Quintana (TX), Comm. Dave Woodward (MI), Comm. Sean Becker (MT), State Assemblyman Karim Camara (NY)

Immigration Reform
Jorge Mursuli, Democracia USA; Mayor John DeStefano, New Haven, CT; Nathan Newman, Progressive States Network

Beating Back Bad Ballot Initiatives
Kristina Wilfore, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center; Jon Hoadley, Stonewall Democrats
[Resource A]

Progressive Employment Laws
Kristi Graunke, Southern Poverty Law Center; Former Alderman Austin King; Former Supervisor Ashok Kumar
[Resource A]

Prevention Works! Good Health Care Policy is Good Politics
Ikeita Cantu Hinojosa, Planned Parenthood

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Talking to the “Moveable Middle” about GLBT Issues
Greetings: Arkansas State Rep. Kathy Webb
Facilitator: Lisa Turner
Panelists: Josh Ulibarri, Lake Research Partners; Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (AZ); Ineke Mushovic, Movement Advancement Project
[Resource A] [Resource B] [Resource C] [Resource D] [Resource E] [Resource F] [Resource G]

Day THREE

Thursday, April 24

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Plenary Breakfast- Creating a Racially Just Public Education System
Moderator: Susan Sandler, Justice Matters
Panelists: William Romero, Robert Spicer, Karen Morton, Hector Calderon
[Resource A]

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM Skills Workshop Series 2 – How Do I Do My Job?

Working Across the Aisle
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), Mayor Ryan Bingham (CT), Comm. Lee May (GA)

How to Lead from Your Progressive Values
Dante James, CPL; Comm. Dave Woodward, CPL (MI)
[Resource A]

In Retrospect: “What I Would Have Done Differently”
Rep. Neva Walker, Former Alderman Austin King, Former Mayor Jason West

Accessing Federal Funds
Mayor Heather Hudson (MS)

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Issues / Skills Workshop Series 3 – Open Discussions

Supreme Court: “What’s at Stake?”
Kathryn Kolbert, PFAW

2008 Elections: YEOs on the Front Lines of Change
Ruth Martin, Women’s Campaign Forum; Mary Jean Collins, PFAW; Erin Hill, ActBlue; Dan Lucas, 21st Century Democrats
[Resource A]

Racial Justice Education Round Table
William Romero, Robert Spicer, Karen Morton, Hector Calderon
[Resource A] [Resource B] [Resource C] [Resource D] [Resource E] [Resource F] [Resource G] [Resource H] [Resource I]

Ethics and Transparency in Government
Melanie Sloan, CREW, Rep. Carl Sciortino (MA), Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (MO)

Politics of Service
Thomas Bates, Democrats Work

1:15 PM – 3:00 PM “Messaging for Progressives In 2008”
Dr. Drew Westen, Emory University