Dear AmeriCorps State & National Grantees:

As you may have read in the 2008 National Conference newsletter, our AmeriCorps State & National Town Hall meeting will feature an opportunity to learn from one another about what a world without WBRS will look like. With the hard work, creativity, and determination of AmeriCorps programs, the future looks bright. Many of you have shared your systems on our Resource Center website – thank you. Still, we know concerns in the field exist. Questions about technology and funding need to be addressed. You have the questions, and you have the answers. We’re looking for you to share both at the National Conference in Atlanta.

Have you developed a timekeeping, financial reporting, progress reporting, or other data tracking system for your program? Are you in the process of developing one or more of these systems? Were you able to develop a system with very limited (or nonexistent) funding? Were you able to form a partnership with an outside organization to support the development of your system? Were you able to develop a system without an office full of tech geniuses? Have you developed a system which made all of your AmeriCorps reporting dreams come true?

If you’ve answered yes to any of the questions above, your AmeriCorps colleagues want to learn from your experience. From high tech to low tech to no tech systems, please consider sharing (even if you’ve already done so on the Resource Center website) your post-WBRS plans at the National Conference Town Hall.

Grantees will provide a 30 second overview of their system(s) at the Town Hall (we’ll provide a template for helping introduce your system(s) in such a short period of time). Following the overviews, grantees will have table space in one of the two adjacent rooms to set up laptops, display forms, and exhibit other tools for other programs to view, ask questions, and learn. The sharing session will be informal and will last approximately 30 minutes.

The AmeriCorps State & National Town Hall Lunch and Meeting will take place Sunday, June 1st from Noon – 3:30 pm.

Please respond to your Program Officer with a cc to Sarah Crites, Program Officer, if you would like to share your post WBRS system at the Town Hall meeting. For any questions, Sarah can be reached at 202-606-6876 or scrites@cns.gov. Please respond by 5/1/08.