Educational webinars aim to extend “Web 2.0 in federal government” conversations beyond traditional hotel conference venues; increase interest in social networking by federal agencies
[ Monday, January 25, 2010 ] Falls Church, Virginia — The Bethesda Chapter’s Young AFCEA Council — an organization for DC Metro area young professionals who work in or with civilian government agencies in the areas of communications, IT, and security — is featuring an ongoing educational webinar series focusing on Web 2.0 technologies. The Virtual Podium series aims at illustrating successful examples how Web 2.0 can benefit the federal government. The next of these insightful webinars, entitled The Library of Congress and Digital Technology, will be held on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. EST.
“The Bethesda YAFCEA Federal Web 2.0 webinar series makes keeping up with the best and brightest in Web 2.0 adoption and implementation a bit easier. Our free monthly webinars feature speakers across the federal government who are making a difference while serving their mission and the digital citizen.” Beth Maloney, Young AFCEA Council (YAC) Program Chair, Palladian Partners.
This webinar series originated from the success of last summer’s Web 2.0 in the Federal Government executive breakfast panel event which YAC had co-sponsored. Steve Krauss, chapter President-Elect, had expressed an interest in using Web 2.0 tools to the chapter’s advantage. Maloney and Tchad Moore, YAC Secretary, responded by creating a Web 2.0 strategy for the chapter. These Virtual Podium webinars are part of the Maloney and Moore strategy. “As we gathered speakers for last summer’s panel, we realized there are great stories to tell and speakers to feature. We didn’t want the conversation on Web 2.0 to stop with the breakfast event,” Maloney shares.
The YAC has since launched The Virtual Podium webinars, the first of which took place on January 28, 2009. The chapter promoted the event through Facebook where the YAC has its own page, and on its Twitter feed, FedWeb. The YAC also has a page on highly popular social network for federal “govies” known as GovLoop.
“We are proud to be sponsoring any educational outreach effort that not only extends the conversations regarding federal use of Web 2.0 technologies beyond a single event but also helps to highlight the many benefits of engagement and participation with digital citizens through the use of social utility tools,” says Kathleen Smith, Chief Marketing Officer for ClearedJobs.Net and a longtime advocate for social media usage in the federal space. “There are way too many opportunities made possible through the use of social media for any federal agency to ignore. Our hope is that educational webinars such as YAC’s The Virtual Podium will underscore the value of social networking and web 2.0 tools by federal agencies as well as spotlight the potential for improved communications with digital citizens from all levels of government.”
Jeffrey Levy, director of Web communications at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was the first webinar’s keynote speaker. Approximately 80 people attended this first webinar during which Levy discussed how the EPA combined Web 1.0 and 2.0 capabilities to help promote Earth Month in April 2008.
Future Virtual Podium webinar topics and contributing agencies include:
• U.S. General Services Administration to discuss USA.gov and best practices;
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which will share their experiences using Web 2.0 to promote public health;
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and its recent entry into Second Life to assist returning veterans
The series also is becoming a platform for agencies to debut their Web 2.0 offerings. “NASA is planning to launch their internal Spacebook in late March, and they’d like to present in our webinar series soon after that,” Maloney says.
“Knowing that our sponsorship helps to facilitate YAC’s Virtual Podium series and reach many diverse government agencies is thrilling,” says Smith. “As an active participant in multiple social media and federal 2.0 communities, the YAC webinar initiative is one ClearedJobs.Net can easily support.”
About AFCEA Bethesda Chapter
Founded in 1998, the AFCEA Bethesda Chapter is an educationally based, non-profit organization which encourages greater government/industry partnerships and information exchange. The Chapter fosters networking among peers in government and industry and focuses on US Civilian Agencies. The Chapter holds monthly breakfast meetings, provides annual scholarships and holds an annual Charity Ball to benefit The Children’s Inn at NIH. Please visit http://www.bethesda-afcea.org for more information.
About Federal Web 2.0 Virtual Podium Series
Throughout the year, Young AFCEA Bethesda offers webinars from the best and brightest in government to talk about their projects, successes, and lessons learned in the areas of Web 2.0 and social media. Webinars are free, through the generosity of corporate sponsors, and open to all who are interested. To register for the January 27, 2010 webinar, The Library of Congress and Digital Technology, please visit http://www.bethesda-afcea.org/yafcea/webinar.asp.
About ClearedJobs.Net
ClearedJobs.Net located in Falls Church, Virginia provides services and products to the security cleared community. Founded in 2001, the company supports security cleared professionals in their career searches by producing Cleared Job Fairs, posting on-line security cleared jobs and industry information to assist security cleared job seekers in their career transitions. To learn more about ClearedJobs.Net, please follow on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ClearedJobsNet or visit the web site at http://www.ClearedJobs.Net.
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