City showcases opportunities

Members of the local community gathered Tuesday in the Bloomington Convention Center for the Get Involved Bloomington Expo, which aimed to bring the diverse opportunities available in Bloomington together within one event for the first time.

Seven students from the IU Continuing Studies program class, Leadership Bloomington Monroe County, organized this event for the benefit of the community.

“This was a group project we designed and put on,” said Amy Kopp, a group member. “Our idea was to get newcomers and other people in Bloomington the opportunity to get involved and find ways to connect with the community.”

IU Continuing Studies offers this program in partnership with the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.

Matt Harvey, a member of the group that organized the event, said the class was a networking opportunity for diverse community members and leaders.

When the group chose to organize the event, the members were looking for something that would help the community in a way that hadn’t been done before.
“It’s a different type of project, but definitely needed,” said Kyla Cox, director of communication and outreach for IU Continuing Studies.

Groups from this program have a variety of options for their final projects, such as the new youth and family center in Ellettsville.

Harvey said the group looked at several ideas for the project, including flyers and Web sites.

In the end, the group decided to organize an event to show the opportunities Bloomington has to offer and present it with “a party-type atmosphere and have people enjoy local food, have some wine or drinks and listen to some good music.”

Those young and old attended the event to check out the 52 vendors, which ranged from recreational, volunteer, arts and faith-based organizations, as well as local restaurants.

“Everyone was pretty supportive and wanted to be a part of it,” Kopp said.

Travers Mark represented his local restaurant, Max’s Place, at the event as a way to increase public visibility and help promote the community environment.

“It’s a good community event, and we like to help represent Bloomington,” Mark said. “I really came for the music,” he added with a laugh. “Just kidding.”

Aside from the booths, the event included other aspects to help achieve the goal of a “party-type atmosphere,” including a raffle all participants entered as they walked into the event.

Once inside the event, attendees listened to music from the Bloomington Brass Band, and the Monroe County Historical Society displayed random historical notes about the county throughout the room.

Although the group will not be in the same position to put on the event in the future, organizations have expressed interest in continuing the expo.

“Because we’re a community program, where we extend the resources of IU to the community, this is a great way for us to get the word out and a great example of what Leadership Bloomington Monroe County can put together,” Cox said.