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Navapalooza 2008

Thanks for Attending!

Photo of Attendees

"Navapalooza" is an event giving Disability Program Navigators the opportunity to exchange information about products, services, events that have proven successful among their peers. This year, presentations about the State of the DPN and Employment Network National Perspective under Ticket to work, were included along with interactive activities and "brag & steal" sessions – actual exchange of a products among Navigators.

Check out some of the event resources, attendee contact information, and other event highlights. If you attended this event, please send us your feedback by filling out our short online survey.

If you attended this event and would like to share a resource, please email Theresa Kulow (kulow@eri-wi.org).

2008 featured a Blues Brothers theme. Following is a copy of the pre-event handouts:

Navapalooza Coordinators:


Special thanks to the event coordinators... Patty and Mary Lynn!

Mary Lynn ReVoir, Iowa State Lead Disability Navigator
1111 Paine St., Decorah, IA 52101
563.382-0457 x114 or 866.520-8986 x114
Cell: 563.380-0273 | Fax: 563.387.0905
Email: mary.revoir@iwd.iowa.gov

Patty Branton, Wiscosin DPN Project Coordinator
4126 Lien Rd, Suite 104, Madison, WI 53704
608-246-3444 x 238
Cell: 715-347-3537
Email: branton@eri-wi.org

Brag and Steal Resources

The following resources were shared by attendees:

Highlights


Ripley's Retirement Party

Photo of Navigator Steve Johnson with Ripley, Black Labrador Leader Dog guide dog.On Tuesday evening, the Navigators attended a very special retirement party for Ripley, Steve Johnson's Leader Dog. Steve thanked the attendees for donations received for Ripley's retirement which are being sent to the Crawford County Humane Society – a check in the amount of $120.00. Those of you who are not aware, Crawford County is the County where the Navapalooza has been hosted 4 out of 5 years, and the County in which both Steve's first Leader Dog Thor, and Ripley's veterinarian will be relocating to at the end of this month. Great team work DPN's!

Steve's Comments About Ripley

With over 9 years of dedicated service, 5 of which were with the Disability Navigator project administered through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Wisconsin’s top Navigator will retire on June 27.  Although this amount of time does not seem to be eye-brow raising, he is now in his mid-70’s; well, kind of. 

You see, Wisconsin’s top Navigator, who received the distinguished title during a 3-day training in Wisconsin Dells in 2005, really showed everyone his navigational skills that far-surpassed a room full of Navigators, Job Service professionals, Vocational Rehabilitation professionals, and key One-Stop Partner professionals who were attending an intense training on Cultivating True Livelihoods.  The complex was daunting to all in attendance as the maze seemed to catch everyone at the dead-end points, all except one Navigator. 

Our Navigator friend and colleague will be dearly missed as will his moaning and groaning during presentations by high profile officials at local, State, and even Federal levels.  His extreme quiet approach to his professional work was made even more interesting by his off-work socialization and his extreme suaveness and handsomeness that seemed to catch everyone’s eye.  The Wisconsin Disability Program Navigators, friends and colleagues at both his offices at the One-Stop Job Center and the Independent Living Center in Western Wisconsin would like to wish him a relaxing and enjoyable retirement. 

Thank you Ripley, the Black Labrador Leader Dog guide dog for all of the support, service, dedication, and commitment to change that you have given us over the years.  You will be missed, but not forgotten our friend!

Doug & Glenn's Opening Ditty

Photo of Doug KeistGlenn OlsenTo start this event off and get everyone into the spirit of things, Doug Keist and Glenn Olsen, in keeping with this year's Blues Brothers theme donned hats, coats, and sunglasses, and Glenn and Doug transformed themselves into "Jake" and "Elwood" to perform a skit and song. Following is a sampling of their creativity at work!

Opening Skit:

Elwood: we'd like to thank all you lovely people for joining us here today at the Prairie Du Chien City Hall and seat of local government. We'd like to especially welcome the representatives from the national DPN Program Office. Now, as you sit back, I'd like to ask each of you to think of that special workforce role that makes it all come together. Signify your commitment with that caress in your thoughts – and squeeze it, please it, eat cheezits, and think of a better world that will happen when the navigators are saved.

Jake: Every body – needs some body – Every body, needs a navigator – I mean you, you, you

Both: I mean you, you , you

Jake: okay, you get the idea, but do you know what this is about? What is it about, Elwood?

Elwood: We're on a mission from God!

Jake: that's right – and we're here to keep the band together!

Elwood: for the penguin

Jake: for the little girls

Elwood: and for every guitar picker and every trumpet player who has yet to have his music heard

Jake: so, while you're here, never forget that you are part of the band

Elwood: and we're getting a new gig

Jake: so can you keep on playing while we skip? (to Elwood) What have we got?

Elwood: a full pack of tickets to work, a seamless memorandum of understanding, and we both have our sunglasses on

Jake: hit it! (chest thump – music – run out)

Song Lyrics: Nav Man
(To the tune of Soul Man)

Coming to you, on an accessible road
Tickets to Work, I got a truck load
And when you get the job, you got something
So don't u worry, 'The Nav's are coming

I'm a Nav man, I'm a Nav man
I'm a Nav man, I'm a Nav man

I'll get you there sooner than later
Cuz I am one…good Navigator
So jobseeker, hey, don't you fret
'cause you ain't seen nothing yet

I'm a Nav man, I'm a Nav man
I'm a Nav man, I'm a Nav man

My I-R-T can't be beat
All of our partners love to meet
Hey, share my skills with the One Stop
Now their services are on the top

I'm a Nav man, I'm a Nav man
I'm a Nav man, I'm a Nav man

Grab the rope, and become an EN
Give you hope, and new funds coming in
Ya, ya ya ya!
I'm a Nav man, I'm a Nav man

Note from Laura Gleneck

Laura Gleneck, University of Iowa College of Law, thanks Glenn and Doug for showing us all how cool it truly is to be a "Nav Man!!!" Representatives from LHPDC were planning to attend this year's event, but because of unforeseen circumstances had to change our plans. Below is a little ditty that I had put together to share on the national perspective as I love the opening format that Glenn and Doug follow for this exchange. It is "suppose" to be to the tune of the theme from the Beverly Hillbillies but doesn't "quite" follow it. What I especially would like DPNs to note is the final bullets. These came directly from draft marketing materials about the DPN Initiative and the impact of the work of Navigators.

Ode to the DPN Initiative
(kind of to the tune of the theme from the Beverly Hillbillies)

Come and listen to a little ditty about the DPN.
I'm gonna tell you a story about how it all began.

Way back in the year 2000, Department of Labor's ETA
Published a Solicitation, in DOL language, that's called an SGA.

And soon grants were funded under a WIG.
Well, that's a Work Incentive Grant, ya dig.
To provide access and support to job seekers with disabilities.
To improve employment outcomes by building One-Stop system capabilities.

Well, the first thing you know ol' DOL said, we don't need a WIG program,
we need a Navigator instead.
Disability Program Navigator, that is.

DOL-folk said we need a systems change agent, resource and problem solvee.
A relationship builder, facilitator and an IRT.
Integrated Resource Team, that is.

So they loaded up another SGA
And for five years, and through three rounds, Navigators have come our way.

Now it's time for me to end this Ode and to Glenn, Doug and all of the DPNs.
I'd like to thank you folks for kindly letting me drop in.

I couldn't end this story; though, without first sharing some DPN glory.

Because of your work and efforts here are some changes in the Workforce System attributed to the Navigator:

Event Attendees

Event participants included individuals from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and for the first time, Michigan.

Iowa

Michigan - Michigan Works or Capital Area Michigan Works

Minnesota

Wisconsin

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