"VOLUNTEERISM and CITIZEN SERVICE must lead Louisiana's recovery effort." -Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu The Louisiana Serve Commission is pleased to announce Volunteer Louisiana, a website and call center that matches volunteers with service opportunities throughout the state. Visit www.volunteerlouisiana.gov or call 866-286-3835 or 225-342-3070 to find out how you can begin a summer of service.

Louisiana State Parks Visitation Over two million people visited a Louisiana State Park last year. Learn More >>

Thursday, February 19, 2009

CONTACT:
Denise Quezaire
(225) 342-0958
dquezaire@crt.state.la.us

Baton Rouge, La. - The Office of the Lieutenant Governor and Office of Social Entrepreneurship will host Louisiana's first forum on social innovation in government. The Public Innovators Forum is a partnership with Root Cause, a leading social innovation consultancy firm. The two-day forum will take place March 3-4, 2009 in Baton Rouge, and will provide tailored instruction to social innovators in the public sector who want to maximize their program's social impact.

"There is growing recognition, in these difficult economic times, when budgets are strained and social challenges are growing every day, that social innovation and entrepreneurship need to be a significant part of the solution. We have to spend smarter, spend on what works, and solve problems," said Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, who created the Office of Social Entrepreneurship in 2006.

National expert Andrew Wolk of Root Cause will facilitate the forum. Through research, practice, and policy development, Root Cause's Public Innovators Initiative works with governments to scale transformative and financially sustainable solutions to society's most pressing social problems.

"The public sector plays a vital role in providing services for citizens and a safety net for the most vulnerable communities. Louisiana is the first state in the nation to offer a dynamic workshop to public innovators on how to design and grow high-performing social programs." said Andrew Wolk, founder and CEO of Root Cause.

Interested participants must have a strong interest in social innovation and manage a program that provides a social service to Louisiana's citizens. Forum participants will receive guidance to create a customized road map for their agency's innovative social program.

"At its core, social entrepreneurship is a concept that combines a passion for social innovation with business principles in order to create lasting social solutions. We will work with innovators in government to help them improve their programs and deliver more effective services to the people of Louisiana," said Nadiyah Morris Coleman, Manager of the Office of Social Entrepreneurship.

For more information, please contact Nadiyah Morris Coleman, Manager of the Louisiana Office of Social Entrepreneurship by email namorris@crt.state.la.us or by phone (504) 568-2123. Space for the Public Innovators Forum is limited and registration is required and available online at http://www.crt.state.la.us/ltgovernor/socialentrepreneurship

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
In 2006, Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu founded the Louisiana Office of Social Entrepreneurship, the first of its kind in the nation, positioning Louisiana as one of the most welcoming places in the country for social innovation. The mission of the Office of Social Entrepreneurship is to advance social innovation by supporting the creation and growth of the most innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions to the social problems affecting Louisiana's citizens.