The Ashland Center for Nonviolence 2010 Spring Symposium got underway Tuesday night at Ashland University's Myer's Convocation Center.

First Lady of Ohio Frances Strickland was the keynote speaker for the symposium "Creating a caring community in these hard times." Strickland's presentation "Our shared community: Hopes and choices" focused on the need for local and state government and communities to work together to coordinate systems and services that empower families.

The symposium will continue Thursday, Feb. 4 with a member of the Holmes Amish community presenting "The Amish Model of a Caring Community," followed by programs on Monday Feb. 8 at the Salvation Army Kroc Center with a panel presenting "Bridges Out of Poverty: A National Model Working Locally" and Thursday Feb. 11 at the Salvation Army Kroc Center with a presentation "Financial Literacy and Shared Resources: A Non-Profit Model."

All the programs begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Ashland Center for NonViolence at 419-289-5313.