If you have attended a WIN event, you know a common bond among members is their curiosity about issues affecting Nebraska.
So what happens when a group that likes to gather for new experiences and information cannot physically gather?
We find a way. This year, we are showing that it takes more than social distancing to keep WIN’s members apart, whether they are in Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney or Scottsbluff, or perhaps California, Arizona or New York.
First, we are working to provide WIN members with the committee- and grant-related information and experiences that define WIN. Zoom meetings are always the connector for our committees, and the grants process expanded that usage to allow WIN members and grant seekers to communicate directly, if not face to face.
Be sure to register for the 2019-2020 WIN Grant Awards Celebration coming up on Oct. 20. It will be a special gathering with the announcement of our grants, a great opportunity to hear from Judi gaiashkibos, executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs, and converse with other WIN members, all via Zoom.
Second, pick out some of the lectures and programs the Education Committee is compiling and connect online to hear featured speakers. Be mindful that some of these programs require advance registration — even virtual space can be limited.
Then register for the WIN Chats that will be scheduled in the days right after some of these dates for an opportunity to talk with other WIN members directly, if not in person, about these programs.
The first of these to be offered will be a discussion the day after noted presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin’s presentation in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues/Humanities Nebraska’s 25th Annual Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities. Her program on “Leadership in Turbulent Times” will be thought provoking.
And third, let us know about other programs that may be of interest to WIN members or if there are programs for which you would like to have a chat scheduled.
It’s not the same as getting together in person. But technology allows us to stay informed, active and engaged in the world and with each other. That’s a great thing about WIN.
Put some dates on your calendar now. I look forward to seeing you on a Zoom screen soon!
