I am looking forward to being in Chicago for the NASBHC conference next week. This is my third NASBHC convention and I always leave with new ideas and connections to strengthen our work in California. (Exploring Chicago won’t be too bad either! Be sure to check out Kyle’s blog post on what to see while in the city if you haven’t done so already.) As the Associate Director of the California School Health Centers Association (CSHC) I am especially looking forward to connecting with the other State Affiliates to hear about their latest challenges and initiatives. I oversee fund development, communications, board engagement and operations for CSHC – and I am always interested in hearing how other organizations are tackling these critical areas.
I loved the social media coverage during last year’s conference in D.C. Seeing workshop highlights being tweeted directly from the sessions, knowing that colleagues were watching key speakers via the internet live streaming and being tagged in Facebook photos taken minutes earlier on the exhibit floor added energy to the event and broadened its reach beyond the hotel walls. I look forward to being a part of the social media team at this year’s conference. I am especially interested in sharing conference highlights with those who are unable to attend and reporting back to California school-health stakeholders about things of special interest to my fellow west-coasters. Watch for my tweets and Facebook posts throughout the event. Better yet, add your own comments to my entries to share your perspectives and highlights. (Visit the social media booth if you want to learn more about how to join in the fun.)
My dream is that someday school-based health centers will be a household concept. Parents will clamor for them right along with other critical school programs and services and students will get the much-needed services they too often have to do without. I have no doubt that expanding our presence through social media will move us closer to this goal. So, watch for my posts – and join in the dialogue. Together we can work toward a future where all children and youth are healthy and achieving at their full potential!
See you in Chicago.
Kristin Andersen
Associate Director
California School Health Centers Association
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