As part of my internship with Virginia Community Health Worker Association (VACHWA), I had the unique opportunity to both help plan and attend the association’s 5th annual conference, Coloring Outside The Lines, which gives CHWs a chance to continue their education, connect to resources, and network with each other. It was a meaningful experience that gave me hands-on insight into how nonprofit event planning and professional networking take form.
My activities in planning included organizing materials, making sure schedules were clear and communicating with speakers, sponsors, and vendors. I learned how much teamwork goes into getting all of these moving parts to line up for a smooth event.
During the event, I helped with event setup, attendee sign-in, and connecting attendees with where they needed to be. During this time I was also able to connect with professionals at the event and learn about the efforts they’re making to improve community community health all over Virginia! One moment that really stood out to me was the working lunch presentation where I was able to hear Senator Gazala Hashmi speak about the importance of CHWs in the community and the ways we can help support their efforts through advocating for policies that support their funding.
This experience has helped me grow professionally and showed me how CHWs and related professionals come together to share ideas and improve health in our communities.
Watch the video below to hear reflections of this experience from the eyes of the CHWs we serve!
Rajah Daughtry, MPH 