By Maralee Sautter, IDL SIG Manager

Q1 in the rearview mirror

The IDL SIG team accomplished a lot in the first quarter of 2022. Here is a list of some of the accomplishments you may have noted through our various media and communication channels.

DSSA & DSAS recipients announced: Marcia Shannon & Anita Matechuk
Student article writing winners announced: Ruth Anne Klassen & Edel Pace
New newsletter editors announced: Caroline Brooks, James Martin & Mellissa Ruryk
Updated volunteer positions
Student-run First Fridays @ 5
- January: Edel Pace presented on How to become an instructional designer
- February: Marcia Shannon presented on Freeform Project Management for Technical Communicators
- March: Networking session

Springing ahead into Q2

It’s amazing how time flies. The calendar says we are ready to spring into the next quarter, and it barely seems like the winter chill has abated. No matter. The SIG team has many great activities and opportunities coming your way to keep you looking forward to a new quarter of possibilities.

Communication and Media survey

We are doing some spring cleaning and want to know what to keep and what to purge. Can we enlist you to fill out the Media Survey coming to your inbox the beginning of April?

You can help by telling us what social media channels and communication channels you most use, how you learn about SIG activities, and your newsletter preferences.

If you fill out the survey, you can enter a draw for one of two $25 Amazon gift certificates. Let us know what media communications to keep and what to discard.

Hurry! Register for April’s First Fridays @5

The Workplace Classroom: Effective Training Methods for Employees presented by Ruth-Anne Klassen

Date: and time: Friday, April 1, 2022 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM EDT

We love our volunteers

Did you know that there’s more than meets the eye with the IDL SIG? Since we are a virtual group, there’s plenty of work going on behind the scenes; something most of you don’t see. Trust me, it takes a village of dedicated and knowledgeable folks to deliver virtual programs, news, social media, promotions, workshops, and information to you.

The IDL SIG team meets monthly, but we get a lot done by committee and through internal communication during the course of the month.

AND, we are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers who are willing to learn what we do. If you are interested in joining our team as a committee member or volunteer, please send an email to Anita at volunteer coordinator.

If you’re willing to bring your leadership skills to the table, we have two leadership opportunities open: assistant manager and student outreach. Please email Maralee at manager@stcidlsig.org if you’re interested.

Website makeover

The IDL SIG is in the preliminary planning stage of a website makeover, because we know the site is a little outdated. We intend to give our site a bubbly scrub, a fresh coat of paint, and a new look. The first phase, analytics, is happening now; stay tuned, there’s more to come. Got ideas? Send them to webmaster@stcidlsig.org.

Summit planning underway

Are you going to the 2022 Summit in Rosemont, Illinois, 15-18 May? If you’re attending, we’d like to meet you face-to-face. Here’s a quick list of events that SIG leaders intend to attend:

15 May—Opening night at the IDL SIG table (we are giving out swag, so drop by and introduce yourself)
16 May—Community Leadership Information Exchange
17 May—STC Communities Social and Networking Event (CAC)
15-17 May—We have tentative plans for an after-hours social get together. Let us know if you are interested or have ideas for places to meet. Contact Mellissa at newsletter@stcidlsig.org.

Please be sure to visit the IDL website to receive updates on Summit events. We’ll post updates a few weeks in advance.