McMaster students Georgina Krilis, kinesiology, and Kara O'Brien, arts & science, will facilitate and provide first-hand resources on adult youth involvement in non-profit boards of directors at Volunteer Hamilton's Board to Board Cafi on Thursday, March 10.

Event co-ordinator Sue Inglis, associate kinesiology professor at McMaster, has lined up 15 facilitators in the community who understand the non-profit sector and will ensure the participants of the Cafi will have engaging discussion on a variety of issues facing community boards.

Cafi table topics include youth involvement, diversity and community boards, board issues facing cultural boards, policy, attracting effective board members, re-designing board agendas, board staff relations, power and change processes and others.

“To have Georgina and Kara participate at the Cafi is fantastic,” says Inglis. “They epitomize the ideal of what good inquiring minds can bring to any community issue. Their presence at the Cafi will convey a very positive message of youth involvement while helping board members think through how young adults can be attracted to boards and how in turn boards can benefit from new perspectives and energies. It is incredibly rewarding to see students extend themselves into the community, to gain meaningful experiences and insights that in turn relates and adds to the theory and issues presented in the classroom.”

Krilis is currently a board member of Volunteer Hamilton. In addition to her board responsibilities she also works on other Volunteer Hamilton initiatives including the Community Builder's Breakfast, and Dare You to Move Youth Event. Krilis' extensive work experience with Volunteer Resources at the Trillium Health Centre, Mississauga, combined with her management course work and experiential education in the Kinesiology Department is a tremendous asset to the needs of Volunteer Hamilton's Board.

O'Brien brings a practical and research perspective to her interests in Boards of Directors. O'Brien is currently involved in a research project looking at the role of youth in policy, decision-making and evaluative processes. She has been involved in numerous national and international initiatives addressing youth. Some of these include work with CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) as a youth speaker, and delegate on the National Youth Committee, as well as work in Canada and Kenya with Girl Guides of Canada.

The cafi event is designed to bring board members together, to acknowledge the important role they play as board leaders, to share ideas, to learn from each other and to celebrate the richness of what well-developed boards can bring to community life, Inglis says. “Good boards can make a difference; we know that from the research completed on non-profit board. We also know there are many issues that need to be addressed by boards in terms of their structures and ways of governance.”

Also facilitating sessions is Pat Bradshaw from York University's Shulich School of Business. Bradshaw and Inglis are currently working on a SSHRC-funded Board Diversity project. Bradshaw and Inglis see the Cafi as one way of engaging Board members in important conversations.

The Cafi is hosted by Volunteer Hamilton, in partnership with The Hamilton Spectator, Strengthening Hamilton Community Initiative, United Way of Hamilton & Burlington, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, SSHRC, York University and McMaster University. The event is Thursday, March 10, from 3-5 p.m. or 7-9 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce. For registration call Volunteer Hamilton 905 523-4444 or Sue Inglis at 905-525-9140 ext. 23590