"During our recent 20th anniversary conference ( www.opc.on.ca) the Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse (OPC) convened 250 people to participate in roundtable discussions and plenary sessions to mobilize awareness, thinking and strategy about the promotion of population health. The interplay of issues, ideas and strategies were complex and the diversity of participants brought a range of worldviews(eg. research, community health, community development, planning, government.

A noted strength during the gathering was provided through the work of Sara Heppner-Waldston as she provided graphic recording during a full day of presentations and a workshop. Sara's ability to portray a range of concepts and ideas through colour, symbols and words helped to reveal the core of some complex ideas. Her graphic recording helped to tap into the various styles of learning and attention that participants bring to social change issues.

Comments to conference organizers both during and after the conference indicated that the graphic recording provided a 'grounding'. Some participants noted that they were able to stay focussed on the topic of presentation by paying attention to the visual representation. Some felt they were able to consider ideas more 'openly' as another avenue of 'seeing' the concept was available. And, it was important to francophone participants that Sara could work in both official languages.

In particular, we are continuing to use Sara's work to keep a kind of 'collective memory' of the sessions and to share this with others (eventually through our website, mounting the originals on our walls, etc). This visible thinking process can assist as we build on the momentum of the conference and can revisit more than the transcripts of words.

Clearly, during the fast pace of our current workworld, graphic recording in the style of Sara's is going to be in more and more demand so that people can be engaged with complicated issues and find creative ways to make good decisions."

Peggy Schultz, consultant on behalf of OPC.