West Coast Fellows' Spring Retreat - Coalition Building Training and Field Trip to the Port of Los Angeles

SATURDAY, MARCH 27th
COALITION BUILDING TRAINING
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Trainer:
Kevin Bryan of the Meridian Institute. Kevin works with other
professionals to design and convene multiparty problem-solving
interactions for public policy problems, such as the Climate Action
Partnership.
The core focus on coalition building will blend the
training focus with the real world examination of the coalitions that
have been built for environmental justice, community impacts of goods
movement, and air quality issues. The training will consist of:

• Discussion
  of Coalition Building Principles. What are coalitions? Why do they
  succeed? Why do they fail? When should an organization participate in a
  coalition?
• Establishing a Coalition. Participants will engage in
  small group simulations to establish a coalition, including identifying
  key issues that the coalition will address and how the coalition will
  help each organization achieve its goals; determining the best strategy
  for action; and assessing how to resolve differences of opinion as they
  arise.
• Building the Foundations for Action. Continuing in small
  group simulations, participants will agree on a set of principles to
  guide the coalition, as well as a plan of action for actualizing those
  principles.
• Taking Action and Preparing for the Unexpected. Each
  group will be presented with an unexpected challenge that the coalition
  will have to address.
• Summary and Conclusions. A summary
  discussion about lessons learned during the exercises, and an
  opportunity for participant questions and feedback.

DINNER
6:30 p.m.
Location: Zucca Ristorante, 801 South Figueroa, Los Angeles, CA 90017

SUNDAY, MARCH 28th
FIELD TRIP TO THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES
Depart by bus from the Sheraton Downtown L.A. Hotel at 8:30 a.m.
Return to hotel at approximately 3:00 p.m.
Join
Switzer Fellows Martha Matsuoka (2001) of Occidental College, Francisco
Donez (2007) of the Southern California Field Office of the EPA, and
Colleen Callahan (2009), Deputy Director of UCLA's Luskin Center for
Innovation, and others for a tour of the site as well as a review of
the community and cumulative regional impacts of goods movement.
Details on the tour stops and schedule are still being worked out, but
we ask that participants schedule flights or return trips home for
after 3 p.m. Sunday.

NOTE: travel expenses for 2009 Fellows
traveling from within California will be covered. All others should
contact Erin if you would like to attend but would need travel
assistance to do so. We will do whatever we can to help as resources
allow, including Fellows outside the region.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND SCHEDULE:
The
training is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 27th. We
have reserved a block of rooms Friday and Saturday nights at the
Sheraton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel for out of town travelers.

TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE.