Independent Group Home Living Program, Inc. [IGHL]’s Post

This week is the #iwill Power of Youth Festival. In honour of celebrating todays theme of ‘embracing your journey’, I wrote a blog for Brook about our participation journey over the last three years. https://lnkd.in/eE-4P_bF I could have written so much more, but my key take aways from the last three years are: 🌟 You can’t build a strong service without a brilliant team around you. I’ve been lucky to have wonderful Brook colleagues supporting our work, but a special shout out to Sarah Simons and Julie-Anne Hamlet for their dedication and commitment. 🌟 Young people are phenomenal. I asked our Forum Members to “come on a journey” with Brook to help shape a new service. The time and effort they have put in is astounding. We haven’t always got it right, but we are always willing to listen to young people to come up with practical solutions to move forward. 🌟 Meaningful participation takes time and hard work. Doing things for a ‘quick win’ or to ‘tick a box’ isn’t meaningful and doesn’t create real impact. You have to take the time to build relationships, understand communities and ensure you aren’t putting your own needs above young people’s. 🌟 Inclusion and accessibility are vital. Again, we haven’t always got this right. We have definitely tried and led with positive intentions, and through learning, we are getting better. It’s important to listen, own mistakes, be open to new ideas, and identify barriers and how to take them away. 🌟 Love what you do. In the tougher or busier moments, the joy you find from the work makes those moments worth it. We are still on our journey, but I couldn’t be prouder of what we have achieved in three short years! Here’s to the next three years - I can’t wait to see what else we achieve on our journey!

Check out the new programming from SolidairtyIs Building Movement Project! Lots of ways to engage in both public and in depth ways. More in the post below from UyenThi T.!

ATD NYC Volunteer Spotlight of the Month This month, we are thrilled to recognize and spotlight David Husted, AVP of Programs! DJ’s contribution to the talent development community shines through his contributions to the many in person and virtual programs organized by the Program team at ATD NYC. Learn more about DJ below: Area of expertise: - Training & Development How do you contribute to the ATD NYC chapter as a volunteer? - I assist the Co-VPs of Programs with the planning and execution of the Programming ATD provides for members and non-members. How would you describe the ATD NYC community in 1-2 sentences? - ATD members in NYC are positive and present. In any event I've attended and in communications outside of events, I'm always wowed by the level of interest and support I feel with my colleagues. What are three words that best describe you? - Upbeat, thoughtful, kind What's your favorite NYC spot? - I'm always gravitating to the Hudson River Parks. I love the whole strip from Battery Park up through Washington Heights, and I love to run along the river. Some stretches could use better pedestrian paths but I've never seen a green space that stretches so long and holds such varied urban character. Please hit the like button or leave a comment to help us celebrate DJ’s contributions to ATD NYC! If you are interested in learning more about how to get involved with ATD NYC, please check out our website: https://atdnyc.org #talentdevelopment #talentmanagement #volunteerrecognition

🚨 NEW CAMPAIGN ALERT 🚨 Did you know that a third of young people aren’t registered to vote? We are a YOUTH movement from across the country, LED by young people FOR young people. And, we are on a mission to get every single young person REGISTERED TO VOTE. Founded by My Life My Say, Shape History and the #iwill Movement, we’re working with leading brands, universities and youth organisations, as well as local, national and social media outlets to make sure that you know when to register to vote, how to register to vote, and of course, when to vote. We give an X, do you? Join our movement by visiting this link 🔗 www.giveanx.org

This article about the ed tech company 2U is a reminder to nonprofits as well as private companies: No matter how laudable your mission, or how needed your services are, organizations must be cost-conscious, clear-eyed, and business-savvy

Good point Kristin Lord NGOs also can get caught in unsustainable growth trends when they ignore the underlying trends, and/or are not aligning value, funding, and real market/community needs. For an NGO, being over-leveraged may be less about debt, and more about over reliance on one funder or funding mechanism. As a reference point, I was leading eCornell (Cornell's online education company) when 2U launched. I remember talking at the time that one of two things might happen: (1) 2U would struggle to get leading universities to partner with them and flame out quickly, or (2) if they did get them on board, the Universities would eventually realize they were giving up too large of a share of the revenue for services it could provide themselves; and would take it all back. In the end, I was impressed on what 2U was able to accomplish in their growth, but the collapse is hard to watch.

1 in 4 people in Sweden are foreign-born, That is the fifth biggest number worldwide! Yet in many suburban neighbourhoods around the country, communication gaps create challenges, especially for the younger generation. In a recent project at the MSc Design program at Link��ping University, me, Alexandra Granqvist, Arad Jafari, Cornelia Holmlund, Ebba Kramer, Junyu He and WANLIN LI had the opportunity to witness this firsthand. Partnering with Linköpings Kommun, we realised that in many of these diverse neighbourhoods in Linköping (Skäggetorp, Ryd, Berga) newcomers felt disconnected, with information about integration activities and events not reaching them. Our team’s solution was a hybrid physical + digital platform called “Birding”. Ensuring: → access for everyone (regardless of tech savviness or language skills) → user-friendliness (every element aimed to foster a sense of belonging) For more on the project, check out the detailed case study on my portfolio: https://lnkd.in/dCDHi6HA Have you encountered similar communication challenges in your community? What solutions have you seen? #socialimpact #servicedesign #inclusivedesign #communityengagement

Have you read our recent blog post yet? A Bandwango pass is the perfect addition to your DEI initiatives. Learn more about how a pass will compliment your DEI initiative and connect your community!

Just had the extraordinary privilege of delivering the keynote speech at the 2024 Dreamweek Awards Luncheon, an event that celebrated a remarkable group of changemakers and the power of compassion. We had a truth telling conversation about the need to challenge the systems that perpetuate injustice. We must be in the compassion business, and not the complacency business. Compassion, as I said, is not just a sentiment—it's a form of activism, and it's needed now more than ever. With the 2024 elections now in full swing, it's crucial that we maintain clarity about the choices before us. This is the moment to reaffirm our commitment to justice and envision a world where compassion isn't just a concept, but a guiding principle that shapes our interactions, decisions, and policies. I urged the audience to become "compassion architects," visionaries who are committed to designing structures rooted in empathy, understanding, and kindness. Big thanks to Shokare Nakpodia for making Dreamweek possible, and for creating a space where compassion is contagious.

Join us April 25 to learn more about this important rethinking 94 project - the Rondo neighborhood in St. Paul. This program will not be recorded - live attendance only. Open to members and non-members. Program details: Project staff will provide an update on where Rethinking I-94 is within the NEPA process, share the alternatives that were released in July 2023, and give an overview of the efforts that are taking place to inform and engage community members and stakeholders. Attendees will learn: 1) where Rethinking I-94 is within the NEPA process 2) about the 10 alternatives that are being evaluated and 3) how MnDOT is approaching the engagement and outreach efforts to ensure community voices are central to this process. To learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/gnvtmHSt