Why attend Leadership Summit?
Attending UNA-USA’s Leadership summit will connect you with other members, ideas, processes, and best practices to make the most of your UNA-USA membership…whether you are part of a chapter or a Member-at-Large. During this year’s summit, you will have the chance to choose between two programming tracks. This means you get to tailor your conference journey based on what matters most to you within the UNA-USA Movement.
Scholarships
There are limited, application-based scholarships available to attend the UNA-USA Leadership Summit. To be considered, please complete this form. Please note that if you are selected to receive a scholarship, they will not cover all expenses to participate in the Summit (i.e. accommodation, travel, food, etc.).
Speakers
If you’d like to facilitate one of our sessions, please consider applying using the form here. We are looking for chapter leaders and UNA-USA champions alike who can share best practices in a variety of topics like “Growing and Engaging Membership,” “Taking Projects from Idea to Implementation,” “Planning Your Chapter’s Engagement Calendar,” and “How to Make the Most of Your UNA-USA Journey.”
Summit Agenda (In-Person)
THIS IS THE AGENDA FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDEES ONLY:
Location: The Hamilton Hotel
1001 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005
We are thrilled to announce that we have secured a discounted rate ($269/night plus taxes) at the Hamilton Hotel for your stay during Leadership Summit 2023.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT THE HAMILTON HOTEL HERE!
Sunday, June 4: Skill-building for members and chapter leaders
- 8:30 am-9:30 am: Breakfast Bingo
- 9:30 am-10:15 am: Opening Plenary: We will kick off the 2023 UNA-USA Leadership Summit featuring its most important aspect—our members! Join the Opening Plenary to hear from six members of UNA-USA who will share–in four minutes–the very different and meaningful ways that they contribute to UNA-USA’s mission. The Member Showcase is sure to inspire and to help give you some ideas that you can implement in your community.
- 10:30 am-3:55 pm: Workshop Breakout Sessions
- 10:30 am-11:30 am:
- UN 101: This session is a terrific primer for any member who is interested in learning a bit more about the United Nations. Whether you are an amazing UN trivia fiend, or just starting to dig into the various UN agencies and areas of work, you will take away tidbits or additional ideas for how to share your story about why you support the UN.
- Chapter Management Matters: Attention chapter leaders, this one’s for you! Come to learn more about anything and everything related to successfully managing a UNA-USA chapter (community or campus). This can include—but is absolutely not an exhaustive list—starting a new chapter from scratch, how to promote chapter events, implementing national programs at the local level, event insurance, conflict resolution resources, and much more. Please bring your questions, best practices, and willingness to try new things.
- Advocacy Leads Workshop: Bringing Action to Your Community:
- 11:40 am-12:40 pm:
- Shaping the Youth Declaration of Human Rights: Calling all youth members who want to help shape the document that will become known as the American Youth Declaration of Human Rights. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNA-USA launched an initiative, spearheaded by Himaja Nagireddy, the 11th UNA-USA Youth Observer to the UN, to crowdsource ideas, feedback, reflections, and suggestions that will help to draft this document meant to fully focus on human rights from a youth perspective.
- UDHR and Your: Human Rights in Your Community: Human rights are a relevant discussion in every community, regardless of geography. Come to this session to learn more about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the processes that member states undertake to conduct Universal Periodic Reviews. You will certainly take away ideas and meaningful ways to celebrate its 75th anniversary in your community.
- Growing & Engaging Your Chapter’s Membership: Chapter Leaders, you know that members are the most meaningful part of a UNA-USA chapter. So, whether you are recruiting members or trying to engage seasoned members, this session is for you! We will hear from chapters who have unlocked new ways of connecting with prospective members and learn tips and tricks to bolster the connection between longstanding members with their chapter.
- 12:40 pm-1:40 pm: Lunch and Awards Ceremony
- 1:45 pm- 2:45 pm:
- Advocating with an Impact: Leading Teams, Initiatives and Executing Programs Throughout the Lens of DEAI: This session will provide a foundational understanding of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) and its applicability to successfully advocating, leading, and building teams across various spaces. We will equip participants with the understanding and tools to operate to achieve equitable results and goals.
- Teach the UN: MyDiplomat & Other Resources: As the world’s largest international organization, the United Nations is a complex system. Participating in this session will help you to not only learn more about the UN’s programs, policies, and processes, but will also help you to teach others about the UN. Using MyDiplomat, UNA-USA’s proprietary Model UN simulation platform, and activities from the Teach the UN program curated by the UN’s Visitor Centre Services, participants will learn interventions that will surely deepen the understanding of, and appreciation for, the United Nations.
- Chapter Legacy Planning & Transition: This session is an absolute must for chapter leaders—both those who are current leaders and those who aspire to take on leadership roles at either UNA-USA campus or community chapters! Attendees will hear best practices and tips to ensure a seamless transition and to help successfully prepare volunteers and will have a chance to swap ideas and templates.
-
- 2:55 pm- 3:55 pm:
- Campus<> Community Chapter Connection: Calling all chapter leaders who want to connect with other UNA-USA chapters, including both campus and community chapters. During this session, participants will explore the many ways that members of these chapters can collaborate on programs, events, service activities, and more.
- Impactful Initiatives: From Idea to Implementation: During this session, we will hear from UNA-USA members who have turned an interesting idea into an initiative with amazing impact! We will discuss the specific steps needed to implement successful programs, events, and activities that meet the needs of your community in the name of advancing a strong US-UN relationship.
- Planning Your Chapter’s Programmatic Calendar: Chapter leaders, join this session to be guided through the process of creating a programmatic calendar for your chapter. After hearing from panelists, UNA-USA staff, and other session participants, you will be able to identify and prioritize key events, campaigns, and activities that align with your chapter’s objectives and support a stronger US-UN relationship in your community.
- 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm: Business Meeting and Day 1 Close
Monday, June 5: Learning about UN’s Impact and Grassroots Advocacy
- 8:30 am-9:15 am: Breakfast
- 9:00 am-9:50 am: Opening Plenary: The U.S and the UN Partnership
- 10:00 am-12:10 pm: Breakout Sessions
- 10:00 am-11:00 am: UN Session 1A: UNAIDS, UNOPS, UNEP, UN Session 1B: FAO, WFP, OCHA
- 11:10 am-12:10 pm: UN Session 2A: UNFPA, OHCHR, UNRWA, UN Session 2B: UNHCR, IOM, UNDP
- 12:10 pm-12:25 pm: Lunch by Region
- 12:25 pm-1:15 pm: The Case for Supporting the UN: Washington Insider Panel & A Peek into the Field
- 1:20 pm-2:05 pm: Advocacy Session II: From Passion to Policy, A Case study in Storytelling and Advocacy: UNICEF & Shot@Life, Understanding the U.S Fiscal Connection to the UN
- 2:10 pm-3:55 pm: State Group Practice: Preparing for Effectiveness
- 3:55 pm- 4:00 pm: Closing Remarks
- 5:30 pm-8:00 pm: Congressional Reception Sponsored by the UNFCU and Day 2 Close
Tuesday, June 6: Lobby Day on Capitol Hill
- 7:30 am- 8:40 am: Breakfast & Meeting Advocacy Leads
- 9:00 am- 4:30 pm: Meetings with Members of Congress & Lunch
- 4:30 pm- 6:00 pm: Summit Celebration
Summit Agenda (Virtual)
THIS IS THE AGENDA FOR VIRTUAL ATTENDEES ONLY:
Sunday, June 4: Skill-building for members and chapter leaders
- Approximately 9:00 am ET to 5:00 pm ET
Monday, June 5: Learning about UN’s Impact and Grassroots Advocacy
- Approximately 9:00 am ET to 5:00 pm ET
Tuesday, June 6: Virtual Day of Action
