Plan Ahead to Develop Leaders
By Jessica Harkins, North Dakota H&V
It seems as if we just finished the EHDI Conference, but NOW is already the time to start planning for attending next year (March 13-15, 2022 in Cincinnati, OH)! I have attended the EHDI Conference twice as a parent of a child with hearing loss, both in 2018 and 2021. When I attended the EHDI Conference a few years ago, of course it was fun and fulfilling to connect in person with professionals and families, so I definitely missed that this year. The 2021 EHDI Conference was still amazing in its own way. So much information was available at my fingertips because it was virtual. Usually, we can only choose one breakout session per time block out of many choices, and then just don’t have the option to hear from other presenters. With the virtual platform, I could go back to watch any session that caught my eye. The presenters interacted with us in the live chat when I attended a recorded session in real time, so we could ask questions and give feedback. Overall, EHDI did a great job of creating a virtual version of the conference.
I am very grateful to North Dakota Hands & Voices and the ND EHDI program; through their encouragement and financial support, I have been able to attend EHDI Conferences. I was so nervous to attend the first time, and I really didn’t know much about Hands & Voices yet. I was warmly welcomed by attendees and really appreciated the times set aside for parents to connect with one another during the conference.
The state stakeholders meeting was the first time I saw myself as a stakeholder. The experience helped me realize how important it is to support parents in the journey with their child. In the months following that conference, I felt more confident as a parent and I applied to become a North Dakota H&V Chapter Board member, and was granted a seat at the table. I also happened upon a job listing for an Audiology Assistant at our local audiology office and went for it! I have the privilege of helping contact families of infants for hearing health follow up, and that I had already met some of the EHDI team that I would be in contact with for that portion of my job. I also attended the H&V Leadership Conference that Fall, and was so encouraged as a parent and as a leader. What awesome and fulfilling experiences! I think I can honestly point back to that first EHDI Conference as a catalyst for the confidence to open myself up to those amazing experiences. Though I have had some life changes and stepped back from both roles, I know that I am not finished yet and that I will likely find myself participating again in some way, and want the same opportunities for other parents.
Do you have the sense that you could do more to impact your EHDI system? As a Chapter, have you begun to consider how you might broaden your reach when looking for new families to support in attending the 2022 EHDI Conference? Are there funds already available to you via grants, or will you need to consider raising funds? Are there other support organizations in the state that may be able to help with funds, or with broadening your reach? The more parents who are encouraged in their role as stakeholders in their state’s EHDI programs the better! When you send a parent or family, be sure to check in with them and make it a point to gather for a meal or other meet up. It made a huge difference for me to spend time with other parents and H&V leaders while at my first conference.
I was simply a parent who just happened upon a Facebook post by my local H&V Chapter and submitted a paragraph as to why I would be interested in attending the EHDI Conference. I had no idea what I was getting into! If you are interested in attending, check in with your local H&V and find out how you might apply for funding or raise funds to attend. Even if you aren’t in need of financial support, let your local H&V know that you are registering to go so that they can keep you connected with other members from your state who are attending! Having a home base of connections is important at such a large conference, where we learn not only in sessions but in the hallway discussions with each other. Whether you know it or not, you are an important stakeholder! Hope to see you there! ~
H&V Communicator – Fall 2021