Mini-VLE Invitation
Hi Mid-Atlantic Chapters!
Last year at NCSU-CVM, we hosted our first annual Mini-Veterinary Leadership Experience (VLE) based off of the National VLE. The event happened largely due to the substantial efforts of our past Chapter President and current National Treasurer Adam Berman. It was a great success with almost 100 participants, several of them being local practitioners and faculty who received 12 CE hours for a $100 participation fee. The event was free to students/VBMA members.
This year, we are planning on hosting the 2nd annual Mini-VLE at NCSU-CVM in Raleigh, NC on February 5-7, 2010. Once again we will be flying in Dr. Rick DeBowes and his staff to put on the event. It begins Friday evening with an intro and social, and continues all day Saturday and Sunday morning with several lectures and games. As with the National VLE, we explore character education, servant leadership, and emotional intelligence in an experiential learning environment.
We would like to open the invitation to attend (free for students) to all VBMA members around the nation, especially the Mid-Atlantic region. Please contact me asap if your school is able to send one or more students to attend the event and bring valuable lessons back to their school. We can help with lodging accommodations, because we would LOVE to have other schools represented this year!
Please post any replies: comments, concerns, questions, etc.
Sincerely,
Shannon VanDyke
NCSU-CVM c/o 2011
VBMA Chapter President
Details about mini-VLE
Shannon,
I would love to get some more information on your mini-VLE. We considered doing something similar at KSU, but were not sure if we could swing it logistically. Did your SCAVMA help you bring Dr. DeBowes and his staff out for the weekend? How did you generate interest in your VLE and ensure that you would have enough people attend to cover the cost of hosting it? Did you work with your school's CE department to get the local practitioners interested in attending and coordinate their CE credit? I would be grateful for any information/advice you can provide! Thanks!
Jennifer Darby
KSU CVM c/o 2012
VBMA Chapter President
Reply to Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
Planning the Mini-VLE is definitely a long and arduous process! I won't lie and say it is easy! We formed a committee of VBMA members who volunteered to help plan the event (about 10 people.) Each person is "assigned" to one or more pharmaceutical/pet food companies to contact the local rep and request sponsorship for the event. In return, the companies get advertising at the actual event.
SCAVMA is one of the "companies" we ask for sponsorship from. Each semester, our SCAVMA holds funding application reviews. First thing in the spring, I will apply for a few thousand from them (no guarantee I will get it!) for helping fund the event. So basically we fund the entire event through funds from SCAVMA, corporate sponsorship, and possible the National VBMA.
As far as generating interest, there is no final number of attendees until we get closer to the event. We advertise amongst the students, and word of mouth helps spread the info. We make announcements in each class and try to convey how unique and special this opportunity is, and it's free for students! As far as local practitioners go, our committee members will go around to local clinics to drop off invitations for the events. We DO work with our CE office to offer CE credits to practitioners, and faculty! Last year it ended up being 12 hours CE.
This is just a brief overview, but we can chat more about it if you would like. Will you be at the National Conference in January? I will, so maybe I can talk with you or one of your officers!
Sincerely,
Shannon
Shannon VanDyke
NCSU-CVM VBMA Chapter President
c/o 2011