Affiliate Support

STRIVE holds two annual conferences for representatives from each affiliate for the purpose of reinforcing and aligning the network.

The Executive Summit, for Executive Directors and Board Members, is an opportunity to brainstorm, with colleagues from other locations, on the future direction of STRIVE. Discussions center around funding strategies and best practices, with the rare advantage of exploring results and possibilities from myriad viewpoints. A refocused and renewed vision for the global STRIVE network emerges from the Summit, accompanied by a blueprint for leadership.

The Annual Staff Training Conference gives affiliate staff members insight into the multiple levels of STRIVE's client services. Expert-led presentations address such topics as innovations in job development and economic trends, exposing participants to information that affects the organization at large. Attendees also have an opportunity to network, and to share best practices at the local level with their counterparts from geographically distant, yet intrinsically related, agencies.

The STRIVE Academy is a unique opportunity for staff and board members to personally engage in the Core program's exercises and processes. Held in New York, the comprehensive 4-day program is designed to deepen each participant's relationship with the STRIVE philosophy and methodology by placing them "in the client's shoes."

The Academy curriculum focuses on:

• Refining understanding of the program's procedures and practices
• Developing sensitivity into working with clients and gaining their trust
• Witnessing the barriers and obstacles that emerge in client work
• Exploring opportunities for expanding the reach of the STRIVE Model

Participants are challenged to observe the impact their personal Academy experience will have on their approach to client service. Many have shared that they return home with a renewed commitment to the organization, and to their personal role within the STRIVE community.

To learn more about the affiliation process, contact affiliates@striveinternational.org