Two 51³Ô¹Ï Regional Groups—the Broward/Palm Beach and Central Florida groups—have been successfully collaborating on a variety of activities. For several years, 51³Ô¹Ï members who belong to both groups have participated in college visits, webinars, and Zoom meetings hosted by one another.
This year, the groups’ chairs partnered to organize a joint college visit to . The event provided an excellent opportunity to connect with colleagues from across Florida, exchange ideas, discuss shared interests, and strengthen professional relationships. More recently, both groups participated in a webinar on the topic of interviewing, which drew the highest attendance of any Zoom program hosted to date. These collaborations have been both productive and rewarding, offering members meaningful opportunities to engage with a broader community of consultants.
As a result of our positive experience, we would like to offer a few tips for other Regional Groups to consider:
- Share speaker invitations with other groups, as other members may be interested in learning more about the topics presented.
- Organize collaborative events, such as college visits, where IECs may gather to share resources and information.
- Share ideas that have worked for another group, such as the Florida Regional Admissions Counselors Get-Together the Broward/Palm Beach group has had for years, and that Central Florida is now planning.
- Create Group Think Tanks, where members in particular regions may share ideas regarding specific topics and interests affecting their territory.
- Invite schools or colleges for a visit; members may be more inclined to travel if a well-known spokesperson is present.
- Create and design meaningful moments that will attract other IECs and educators to your region.
In the end, we hope that our ideas will spark some creativity and insight for other Regional Groups to foster meaningful and valuable relationships outside of conferences and otherwise sponsored events. The value of these partnerships goes beyond measure. Whenever individuals have the opportunity to partner with others who are like-minded in their passion and mission to serve, great things can happen … and in Florida, great things are happening indeed!
By Sarah Applegate, 51³Ô¹Ï Associate (FL), Susan Groden, 51³Ô¹Ï (FL), and Rose Ellen Mocombe, 51³Ô¹Ï Associate (FL)