Building Full Capacity Locals
Grants help locals increase their capacity
The Novi EA and the Shoreline
Educational Coordinating Council were
among locals around the state that received
funding available from MEA’s
Building Full Capacity Locals program to
increase local capacity this year.
Novi is using its funding to increase member participation in the local with a focus on getting newer members actively involved, said Karen Capanyola, co-chair of the Novi EA Public Relations Committee.
“We want all of our members to become more knowledgeable about our local and what it does for them and why they should be active,” Capanyola said. “We’re trying to increase attendance at both our general membership meetings and building meetings.”
Novi offers prize incentives to boost attendance and has begun to host social gatherings for members and their families— a spring picnic, for example—to build camaraderie and build support for each other.
“We want to show we serve everyone and that we’re here for one another,” Capanyola said. “Already, we’ve seen older members reaching out to our newer members.”
With its BFCL grant, the Shoreline CC is conducting Presidents Roundtable meetings, giving presidents from the coordinating council the opportunity to interact and learn from each other.
“We think with an exchange of ideas we can build the capacity of each local and, in turn, bolster our coordinating council’s effectiveness and resolve in working together to achieve better contracts,” council chair Bev Hulbert of Reeths-Puffer said.
Representatives from 22 of the 37 locals in the Shoreline CC attended the first forum in April. Discussion touched on a variety of topics, from new member orientations to the importance of MEA’s representative assemblies. In the future, four forums will be held each school year.
“We can really learn a lot from each,” Hulbert said. “In the end, that will only make us stronger.”
BFCL coordinator Teri Battaglieri encourages locals to apply for grants to support new ideas designed to strengthen local associations. For information, contact Battaglieri at tbattaglieri@mea.org or 800/292-1934.