Community Collaborations: Making Them Work for Youth-Serving Organizations

VIRTUAL SESSION

 

DATES:06/18/2024
TIME: 10AM – 12PM

TRAINER: Ayoka Mota Samuels

TRAINER BIO: Ayoka Mota Samuels

Ayoka Noelle Mota Samuels has been a civic and community leader committed to the improved quality of life for underestimated communities throughout metropolitan Chicago and the country.   As Vice President of Bitwise Chicago, Ayoka worked to ensure that the residents of Southside Chicago and beyond had access to the support, services, and opportunities related to technology upskilling/career development and quality job placement in the tech workforce ecosystem.  Before her time with Bitwise, Samuels was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve as the Executive Director for the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service.  In this role, she was responsible for the stewardship of AmeriCorps funding for the State of Illinois while leading statewide volunteer efforts, including COVID-19 mitigation efforts, for Illinoisans.  Prior to her tenure as a public servant, for 15 years she served as the Director of the Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago’s Grand Crossing community providing programs and services for over 4,000 youth and their families annually since 2006. A native Chicagoan, Mrs. Mota Samuels studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Agricultural Communications and  Education then later received a Master of Nonprofit Management degree from Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. 

 

In addition to her academic accomplishments, Ayoka has served in the nonprofit sector professionally since 1993. The organizations where she has served include Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, BR&R Communications, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, and New Concept Development Center.  Additionally, Ayoka has been an advisor,  trainer, contributor, or consultant to several organizations, initiatives and coalitions over the years including After School Matters, UCAN, the Chicago Park District, Chicago Department of Support Services,  the Illinois Afterschool Network, The Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, LISC, Habitat for Humanity, and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. She has been a member of the Chicago Community Chorus, The Chicago Peace Hub and founding member of Antonio’s Response for Victims of Gun Violence. Additionally, she is a fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago, The Allstate Greater Good Nonprofit Leadership Program and the UBS Nonprofit Leadership Program at Northwestern University. Ayoka also serves as a board member of the Leadership Fellows Association of Leadership Greater Chicago, The Seminary Co-Op Bookstore, former advisory board member for the Trauma Center at University of Chicago Medicine and chair of the Wright Connection (a family unity organization).  Ayoka enjoys her love of community with her husband Miguel Mota and son Eriks Mota Vasquez.

 

 Training Description

This workshop is designed for coordinators, managers, or leaders responsible for community collaboratives or partnerships. “What do we do to keep things going with the little resources we have?” There is so much expected of the team or person responsible for this work. During this workshop, we will address these challenges. Participants will receive best practices related to establishing or maintaining successful collaboratives at the community level. Attendees will also get “pro tips” on how to manage it all. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a toolkit full of resources to make their collaboration a success – truly with less stress.

Training Objectives

Participants will learn how to identify, maintain, or develop relationships with key community stakeholders related to youth support. Participants will learn how to create a strategy to successfully create and maintain a community collaborative body. Participants will learn how to use the tools (electronic and otherwise) available to them needed to achieve their goals.

 

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