Annual Calendar

From IslandVision

The IslandVision annual calendar cycles through the seasons in four integrated configurations; Sustainable Community Project Forums, Working Groups, Signature Projects and Board Meetings.

Sustainable Community Project Forums

Community Forums meet twice each season or a total of six times throughout the year. The Forums are general gatherings intended to open up new ideas, invite new leadership and practice learning together as a community. We use the following group processes to practice our learning together:

1. 20-minute inspirational keynote presentation utilizing our own citizen expertise whenever possible

2. Open Space self-organizing agenda to practice shared leadership and generate new connections

3. Conversation café principles for small group work

4. Wiki-website (islandvision.org) to self-report and post proceedings

Working Groups

Working groups are independent teams of inspired citizens working on specific sustainability projects that they want to achieve for the good of the whole. These groups are self-organizing and self-reporting. Projects are conceived, implemented, managed and assessed by project champions and like-minded citizens drawn together to achieve a specific outcome. Examples might include: a network of community gardens, a new process for recycling electronic-waste, or integrating sustainable practices in the preschools.

Signature Projects

Signature projects are systemic efforts adopted as part of the annual rhythm and responsibility of the IslandVision learning community. Examples include the annual Mercer Island Farmers Market and Leap for Green Sustainability Fair.

IslandVision Board Meetings

Board meetings are held twice each season or six times throughout the year. Board members are volunteers who agree to serve in an organizational capacity to help steward the health and productively of the organization based on the following:

1. Organizational learning systems and strategic planning

2. Leadership development

3. Project coaching and facilitation for community learning

4. Communication protocols; media relations, updates, new flashes, website

5. Fund development

WINTER “season of reflection”

1. December Board Meeting, Thursday, potluck at Peter’s 5:30-8:30. Focus on retreat planning

2. Annual Board Retreat, January. Focus on team building, leadership skills, and strategic planning

3. January Community Forum and Project Update, Thursday, 6:00-8:30, Focus on group visioning mapping several decades into the future then back-casting to refine current projects.

4. Annual IslandVision Speaker Series on key topics in sustainability. Speakers and topics are suggested via the online network of IslandVision and then topics of most interest are scheduled over a 4-6 week period.

5. February Board Meeting, Thursday, potluck at Peter’s 5:30-8:30

SPRING “season for planting seeds”

1. March Community Forum and Project Update, Thursday, 6:00-8:30, Focus on

2. Earth Hour awareness campaign

3. April Board Meeting, Thursday, potluck at Peter’s 5:30-8:30

4. Leap for Green Sustainability Fair

5. May Community Forum and Project Update, Thursday, 6:00-8:30, Focus on the top ten senior culminating projects that directly support community sustainability goals.

SUMMER “season of celebration”

1. June Board Meeting, Thursday, potluck at Peter’s 5:30-8:30

2. Summer Celebration booth and citizen sign up, surveys & idea generation

3. Farmer’s Market opening day

4. July Community Forum and Project Update, Monday, July 20, 7:00-9:00, Emmanuel Church. Focus on celebrating best practices from the faith community and from sustainable sister communities in action, panel presentation of diverse experts on good news from the region and the world.

5. August Board Meeting, Thursday, potluck at Peter’s 5:30-8:30

FALL “harvest time”'''

1. September Community Forum and Project Update, Thursday, 6:00-8:30

2. October Board Meeting, Thursday, potluck at Peter’s 5:30-8:30. Focus on board recruitment and election of officers

3. Farmer’s Market closing day

4. November Community Forum and Project Update, Thursday, 6:00-8:30, Harvest dinner community potluck with produce from the Farmers Market.

5. Annual Community Sustainability Report; a joint City Council / School Board study session meeting hosted by IslandVision and partners during the day at Mercer Island High School auditorium. The session is facilitated by and for students and is timed to support the design and development of senior culminating projects.