WSLD XXIII

WSLD XXIII was held in Fresno, California, on the weekend of October 23, 24 & 25, 2009.

WSLD XXVI

Interested in bidding for WSLD XXVI in 2012 for your region or area service committee? Check the WSLD Guidelines before downloading our flyer invitation.

Bid meetings are held at each WSLD two years in advance of that event.

WSLD Purpose and History

Western Service Learning Days (WSLD) is an annual conference that focuses on Narcotics Anonymous services in Public Information (PI)/Public Relations (PR), Phonelines, Web Pages, Outreach, and Hospitals and Institutions (H&I). Thus giving NA members an opportunity to learn and share about issues and solutions. The event is hosted each year by a different Area or Region within thirteen western United States, two western Provinces of Canada, and Mexico.

Western Service Learning Days (WSLD), formerly Western States Public Information Learning Days (WSPILD) Convention started in Fife Washington in 1987 and has continued on an annual basis since then. The event was originally conceived to help inform interested addicts about Public Information, to improve their skills and knowledge base for implementing PI projects in their areas and regions.

As Phonelines was included with PI on a world level, in 1991 the event evolved to include Phonelines workshops. In 1997 Northern California hosted the first (and last) Western States Hospitals and Institutions Learning Days (WSH&ILD) planned as a coordinated event with WSPILD 11. In 1996 a motion was made and unanimously passed to expand the scope to include H&I beginning in 1999. Beginning with WSLD 12 in 1998, British Columbia began fulfilling the spirit of that motion a year earlier than required.

In 2004 WSLD 18 hosted an all day, pre-event, joint presentation with NAWS, Northern California Region, California Drug Courts and Providers, and California Department of Corrections titled “Challenges, Communication, and Cooperation”. Subsequent events have made use of the Friday day time for similar purposes. NAWS also collected and presented information about the Public Relations Handbook in an interactive workshop. The interactive workshop is now part of WSLD.

Past & Future WSPILD/WSLD

1987 Fife, Washington (Washington/N. Idaho Region)
1988 San Francisco, California (Northern California Region)
1989 Denver, Colorado (Colorado Region)
1990 Salt Lake City, Utah (Utah Region)
1991 San Diego, California (San Diego Imperial Region)
1992 Santa Monica, California (Southern California Region)
1993 Salt Lake City, Utah (Utah Region)
1994 Portland, Oregon (Pacific Cascade Region)
1995 Las Vegas, Nevada (Southern Nevada Region)
1996 Honolulu, Hawaii (Hawaii Region)
1997 Burlingame, California (Northern California Region)
1998 Vancouver, British Columbia (British Columbia Region)
1999 Burbank, California (Southern California Region)
2000 Salt Lake City, Utah ( Wasatch Area)
2001 Fresno, California (California Midstate Region)
2002 Portland, Oregon (Pacific Cascade Region)
2003 Phoenix, Arizona (Arizona Region)
2004 Burlingame, California (Northern California Region)
2005 Las Vegas, Nevada (Southern Las Vegas Area)
2006 Seattle, Washington (Washington/N. Idaho Region)
2007 Ogden, Utah (Northern Utah Area)
2008 Honolulu, Hawaii (Oahu Area/Hawaii Region)
2009 Fresno, California (Central California & Kern County Area Service Committees)

We originally included the 11 Western States and expanded in 1991 to include Alaska and Hawaii, in 1992 to include British Columbia, Canada and in 1995 to include Mexico. In 1996 a motion was made and unanimously passed to change the name, effective in 1998, to Western Service Learning Days to reflect the expanded scope and geography.