Daily Archives: February 5, 2022

Innovation is the name of the game this month, with artists working to expand viewer expectations while emphasizing vital issues of the moment. GLEANs Artist-In-Residence Exhibition demonstrates just how much can be achieved with materials gathered from the Metro dump, and at PCCs Paragon Arts Gallery, animations from a VR experience aim to increase awareness of tech addiction. High Desert Museum focuses on the history of ideal communities this month while spotlighting Native artists contemplating Indigenous futurisms.

Increased LGBTQ+ representation is also a theme within this months exhibitions. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU has To Survive on This Shore focuses on the histories and portraits of older transgender people, while Eugene Contemporary Art presents a group show of works by Tropical Contemporarys Transformation Residency participants. Read on for more information on these compelling, boundary-pushing events.

Modern FolkJanuary 22 February 19, 2022Stephanie Chefas Projects305 SE 3rd Avenue, Ste 202, Portland (Thurs-Sat 1 PM 6 PM)

This group exhibition centers the works of five West Coast artists who voice their cultural identities through folk art practices. Briana Spencer, Deedee Cheriel, Gina M. Contreras, Kellen Chasuk, and Lisa Congdon draw on a range of influences for Modern FolkCalifornia street art, punk rock, 90s DIY culture, Chicana culture, modern lowbrow, and humorto create an exhibition that feels graphic and vibrant.

Winter FormalJanuary 14 February 12, 2022Holding Contemporary916 NW Flanders Street, Portland (Fri-Sat 12 PM 5 PM)

Winter Formal gathers works by Emily Bixler, Jovencio de la Paz, Kassandra Howk, Kellie Romany, Stacy Jo Scott, and Sarah Wertzberger to accentuate the formal elements of each artists practice. Materiality, shape, color, and mark-making are brought to the forefront here, shown through the diverse mediums of each featured artist. Sculptural works, prints, paintings, and hung textiles demonstrate the ways in which distinct aesthetics can convey deeper intent.

Olivia Faith Harwood: Possessions, PossessionsJanuary 29 March 13, 2022Fuller Rosen Gallery1928 NW Lovejoy Street, Portland (Thurs-Sun 12 PM 5 PM)

Portland-based Harwoods solo exhibition at Fuller Rosen delves into the complex constructions of identity in adolescence. Harwoods painting series constructs a paranormal world through imagery pulled from the occult and feminist horror, plus plenty of creepy-crawly creatures. Dreamlike yet still anchored in reality (many of the objects seen in Harwoods paintings are from her own collections), Possessions, Possessions considers the inner and outer realms of selfhood during a perilous time.

Yang Fudong: from Yejiang/The Nightman Cometh to Dawn BreakingOctober 23, 2021 February 26, 2022Hallock-McMillan Building, curated by Zena Zezza237 SW Naito Parkway, Portland (by appointment Thurs-Fri, 2 PM 5 PM; Saturday screenings at 3 PM and 5 PM)

Zena Zezzas latest Artist Project Season, showcasing the works of Shanghai-based artist and filmmaker Yang Fudong, ends late this month. This programming, comprised of an installation alongside three short films, marks the first presentation of Fudongs works in the US. Additional Saturday screenings throughout the season have included other film works by Fudong, who references his formal education in Chinese landscape painting to engage with complexities of Chinese history, identity, and modernity.

To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older AdultsFebruary 8 April 30, 2022Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU1855 SW Broadway, Portland (Tues-Sat 11 AM 5 PM)

Photographer Jess T. Dugan and social worker Vanessa Fabbre collaborated on this exhibition to highlight representations of older transgender people, a demographic often hidden or obscured in modern culture. Dugan and Fabbre documented the stories of their photographed subjects, gathering diverse accounts spanning the last 90 years of trans experience and activism in the United States. This collection of portraits and stories aims to illustrate the nuanced, complex journey of aging while trans.

Imagine a WorldJanuary 29 September 25, 2022High Desert Museum59800 US-97, Bend (open daily 10 AM 4 PM)

High Desert Museums new exhibition explores the history of ideal societies in the American West and encourages interactivity by inviting viewers to contribute their own concepts of utopia. The exhibition considers specific ecological, spiritual, and communal philosophies around intentional communities, including Oregons infamous Rajneeshpuram. Imagine a World also highlights Native artists working through the lens of Indigenous futurism to intertwine science fiction, cosmologies, oral traditions, and more.

Mariam Ghani: Partial ReconstructionsFebruary 1 March 19, 2022Schneider Museum of Art555 Indiana St, Ashland (Tues-Thurs 10 AM 4 PM)

Filmmaker, writer, and artist Mariam Ghani creates work that examines the places in which sociopolitical and cultural structures take visible shape. She often engages in long-term collaborations, including ongoing critical, curatorial, conservation, and creative work with national film archive Afghan Films. Her first feature-length film, the critically-acclaimed documentaryWhat We Left Unfinished, premiered at the 2019 Berlinale.To learn more about Ghanis work and Partial Reconstructions, tune in for her Creative Industries Zoom Discussion on February 3.

Month of SundaysJanuary 15 February 27, 2022Eugene Contemporary Art245 W 8th Ave, Eugene (Sat-Sun 12 PM 4 PM)

Tropical Contemporarys innovative Transformation Residency Program has helped enhance resources and opportunities for transgender and gender-diverse artists since 2020. While the program was planned pre-COVID, the residency and its participants were bound to challenging pandemic constraints. Now, the ten artists who participated in the programCarina Borealis, Princess Bouton, Francis Dot, Irene June, Remy Malik, Oliver Myhre, Julia O., Eel Probably, Pace Taylor, and Ty Warrenassemble to present works together for the first time. Themes include meditations on rural gay identity, intimacy, and queer touch, explored through varying mediums like assemblage and installation.

Jeremy Rotsztain: Walking a TurtleJanuary 19 February 28, 2022Paragon Arts Gallery, Portland Community College Cascade Campus815 N. Killingsworth St. Portland (window exhibition)

Artist and software programmer Jeremy Rotsztains Walking a Turtle explores awareness, attentiveness, and digital distraction via a window exhibition at Paragon Arts Gallery. The exhibition consists of animated screen recordings taken from RotsztainsWalking a TurtleVR experience, which transports participants to 19th century Paris, where they go on a walk with a turtle in a nod to flneur practices of the time period. In the full VR experience, the participant must increasingly avoid distraction while on the walk with the turtle. In this way, Rotsztain emphasizes the dark UX patterns of pervasive technologies that encourage addictive, reward-seeking behavior. The full Walking a Turtle VR experience will be available on commercial VR platforms in Spring 2022.

GLEAN Artist-In-Residence ExhibitionJanuary 21 February 25, 2022Maddox Building1231 NW Hoyt St. Suite 102, Portland (Fri-Sun 12 PM 5 PM)

Each year, juried art program GLEAN invites five artists to spend five months contemplating consumption habits, waste, and discarded resources by making artworks with materials collected from the Metro Central Transfer Station (the dump). GLEANs current Artist-In-Residence Exhibition highlights works created by the programs 2021 cohort, including Caryn Aasness, Colin Kippen, Jessica (Tyner) Mehta, Malia Jensen, and Willie Little, and demonstrates how each artist made the most of dump materials provided through mediums like video and ceramics.

Lindsay Costello is an experimental artist and writer in Portland, Oregon, with an academic background in textile research at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. Her critical writing can also be read at Hyperallergic, Art Papers, Art Practical, 60 Inch Center, this is tomorrow, andTextile: Cloth and Culture, among other places. She is the founder of plant poetics, an herbalism project, andsoft surface, a digital poetry journal/residency. She is the co-founder ofCritical Viewing,an aggregate of art community happenings in the Pacific Northwest.Herartistic practice centers magic, ecology, and folkways in social practice, writing, sculpture, and installation.

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VizArts Monthly: Innovation and Representation - Oregon ArtsWatch

Grant is Intended to Develop a National Network of Organizations Focused on Mobilizing Large-Scale Change for Underrepresented Communities

Improving the access and impact of STEM education and experiential work-based opportunities is one of the key pillars of the Arizona Technology Councils mission, said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Council. This is especially critical in underserved communities, where the opportunity for a STEM education expands career possibilities immensely. The Council is proud to join the ALRISE network and will work directly with our members to help create more opportunities for Latinx students to take part in internships, hands-on training and more.

ASUs ALRISE Alliance is funded by NSF Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES), a comprehensive national initiative to enhance U.S. leadership in discoveries and innovations by focusing on diversity, inclusion and broadening participation in STEM at scale. The grant represents a nationwide effort to address the overarching broadening participation challenge to accelerate Latinx representation in STEM education with institutional intentionality and capacity building for experiential learning.

ASUs vision for the Alliance is to drastically improve Latinx student retention and completion in STEM at two- and four-year Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and emerging HSIs (eHSIs). The Alliance aims to complete this goal by taking the following actions to deliberately change long-standing systems:

Our goal in bringing industry and educational leaders into the Alliance is to form a densely connected network of peers, a shared community and intentional coordination of the disparate efforts across individuals and organizations to drastically improve diversity and opportunity in STEM education and careers, said Caroline VanIngen-Dunn, director, Center for Broadening Participation in STEM at ASU and principal investigator of the ALRISE Alliance. The Council will play a critical role in connecting Latinx students with industry partners to facilitate more opportunities for work-based experiences in STEM fields while also enabling organizations to diversify their employment base.

As outlined in its 2022 Public Policy Guide, the Council is heavily focused on creating opportunities to cultivate a diverse, equitable and statewide STEM ecosystem. Through STEM advocacy at the state and federal level, the work of the SciTech Institute and events and partnerships with member organizations, the Council is working towards long-term, shared, sustainable and flexible STEM missions that bridge, integrate and strengthen the learning opportunities offered by organizations across sectors instead of isolated, independent entities. This will result in the expansion of STEM business and education opportunities throughout rural and urban Arizona communities, fueling a strong, diverse talent pipeline prepared to meet the states anticipated growth.

To learn more about the ALRISE Alliance grant #2120021 and the National Science Foundation, please visit the NSF website at http://www.nsf.gov/.

About the Arizona Technology Council

The Arizona Technology Council is Arizonas premier trade association for science and technology companies. Recognized as having a diverse professional business community, Council members work towards furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. The Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, visionaries and community members to make an impact on the technology industry. These interactions contribute to the Councils culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.

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AZTC Selected by ASU as a Key Partner in a $10 Million NSF ALRISE Alliance Grant Aimed at Accelerating Latinx Representation in STEM - Digital Journal

We found out about the logging by accident. We'd gone to The Forest Service Ranger District in Waldport and were looking at a big map of our valley, Tenmile, which hung on the wall.

"What are the little flags?" I asked one of the Forest Service staff. The map was covered with flags, like what you see in old war movies when armies are being tracked. Chuck says they weren't flags, but stickers. He always wants me to get the facts exactly right, but I remember them as flags. The Forest Service worker that day said the flags, or stickers or whatever they were, indicated sale units. When I wasn't sure what that meant, he added that they were "units in process of being negotiated as part of the Forest Service's management process."

We looked more closely. Flags were everywhere: along the road lined with giant spruce, hemlock, cedar and Doug fir; above the sauna; above our houses; near the campground; near the beautiful Five Mile Meadow.

"Forest management," said the man.

RELATED:How much forest did we lose in 2020? Like, a Netherlands' worth

We'd only lived in Oregon for a few years and didn't know about logging yet. Of course, it was happening all around us. Throughout the day, we'd hear the sound of chainsaws, the yarder whistle, and the crash of trees as they fell, and every day on Highway 101 or on the narrow, winding gravel road to our place, we passed trucks full of huge logs.We'd seen whole landscapes that had been clear cut and then sprayed with toxic chemicals. We saw areas that had once been pristine forest, now stripped of every living plant and animal, like a bomb had gone off, but we didn't understand the forces at play. Later we'd see how Big Timber had worked its way into and corrupted Oregon's legislature, its agencies, communities and schools, but back then, we were innocent.

My midwife had told us about the Tenmile property: 25 acres for sale in a semi-intentional community located in Oregon's Coast Range. Theland is between two wilderness areas and surrounded by the Siuslaw National Forest. It's off Highway 101 and up a narrow gravel county road that twists and climbs. The first few times you drive the road it's harrowing, with blind curves and steep, deadly drops. Huge trees line the road: spruce with its thick, sharp needles; the graceful hemlock with its drooping branches; thick-barked Douglas Fir and my favorite the most iconic, dramatic of them all cedar.

Everything is layered and textured. The forest, first of all. The trees and their understory. Tall and short, thick and thin, sharp and soft. The colors are muted grays and browns and every shade of green. Most of it's in shadow, but every now and then a shaft of light makes its way through the thick branches and illuminates some little section of forest. The landscape is layered with trees and bushes, ferns and flowers, and it's layered with scent. The smell of the cedar and the other trees, too, and the damp, vegetative smell of growing things. To drive up Tenmile is to be enclosed in color, texture and scent.

RELATED:Is it possible to live off-grid?

We quickly learned to differentiate sections of that road. The kids named one part Columbine Hill for the orange flowers that grow there every spring. In early summer, they made a game of counting the wild irises or trillium we passed on the way home or to town.

When we moved there, the Tenmile community was nine years old and made up of six households: eleven adults and eight kids. They came from different backgrounds, from WASPs and Irish Catholics, from wealthy families and the working class.All of them were people who could do things. They built houses and put in driveways and fences. They roofed and sided and did masonry work. They ran water lines, repaired engines and built a hydro-system. They caught their own fish. They went clamming and crabbing. They were master gardeners. They canned, baked and pickled. They read Tarot cards and milled lumber. They wove, painted, played the mandolin and made pottery.

What I liked best about my neighbors was their love for the place.The way they stopped to listen when the first rains came. Their excitement at the sight of an otter in the creek, a lynx crossing the road, a marten in the woods or evidence of a bear. And I like that when the valley was eventually threatened by seemingly insurmountable forces, the neighbors turned into bad asses and fought like hell.

Each of us had our own separate piece of land, but we shared a garden and an orchard. The orchard grew plums, pears and apples, all varieties. There was a weekly sauna and potluck.We helped build each other's houses and take care of each other's children. Kingfishers and swallows flew over us. The kids caught snakes in the grass, and the men caught salmon in the creek. In the morning, the meadow outside our window might be full of elk or deer. Black bear and cougar lived in the woods, and at night we could hear owls.

At the beginning, Chuck and Ilived in a 12 x 24-foot cabin with our two kids. The first summer, we had no outhouse and dug holes in the ground instead, which is acceptable for only a short time, if you ask me. Then Chuck built an outhouse with a composting toilet, which just meant a large plastic barrel that, when full, would be capped and left to biodegrade. We heated our house with a woodstove. Hot water came from a tank which sat above the woodstove and was connected to it by a copper tube. At first, there was no phone service, although soon Pioneer Telephone, a co-op, put a line to the house.Electric power only went up the valley for a mile and a half, so, everyone was off grid. Our refrigerators and stoves ran off propane. We used generators to run machinery and ran lines off our car batteries to watch movies. In the beginning, at night we read by kerosene lamps, but eventually Chuck and I were able to connect with our neighbor's hydro system, and then, except in late summer when it got too dry, we had enough electricity for lights and the radio. Our drinking water came from a spring up the hill, and it was the sweetest water you ever tasted.

RELATED:"Off the Grid": The growing appeal of going off the grid

For the first two years, our house was too small for a bathtub, so the tub sat on the deck outside. I loved sitting in the hot bath beneath the stars, working in the garden surrounded by trees and mountains, lying in bed with the sound of the creek, waking in the morning to find a herd of elk in the meadow.

We had thought by going to a remote, hidden place, we could drop out, be part of a community, make our own rules and live quiet lives with our kids, but everything changed that day in the ranger district, looking at the map. All the little flags, the timber sales, clear cuts.

We soon realized that instead of paradise, we'd landed in the middle of the Northwest Timber wars.

Before, when we got together, we had talked about the kids or the garden, an unusual animal someone had spotted, or building projects. We told funny stories. Now our conversations were about the forest and what we might do to protect it. They were all about strategy. The first thing we had to do was figure how the Forest Service worked. As a federal agency, it was full of rules and procedures for everything. We needed to know who was accountable and where to put pressure.

We read books and talked to people. We learned from activists all over the country. Regional forest defenders came to Tenmile and we'd take them into the forest and to the sauna. We'd feed them salmon because this was back when you could still catch Coho in the creek, back before the salmon and trout numbers plummeted and even catch and release was outlawed. We'd give them pies made from berries we grew in the garden, salads and soups and fruit, whatever was in season. Brock Evans, president of the Endangered Species Coalition, visited from D.C. He encouraged us by saying that a small focused group is often more effective than a large unfocused one. And one night in the sauna, Brock told us what was necessary: endless pressure, he said, endlessly applied. This never stopped being true.

Now driving home, I'd find Chuck's truck parked along the road where he'd pulled over to go into the forest. I loved watching him in our meadow, bending over to look at a plant. We took walks in the woods and. he pointed out the canopy, the way the hemlock grows in the shade of the Doug fir, for instance, and the understory below. We noticed the shape of the oldest trees. Most of them have had their tops blown off in fierce winter storms, so they're the same height as the trees around them, but their tops are flat. We learned about the birds that nested in those high, flat treetops. We learned the names of the plants, theelderberry, huckleberry, and sword fern, that grow on the forest floor.Fallen trees became nurse logs for hemlock or spruce seedlings, helping build the biomass that makes up that soft forest floor, growing in a row up its trunk. We learned about the insects that live in the downed logs. We shared information and we strategized.

RELATED:Ecological, but unaware: You care about the environment more than you think

Our little community was starting to have conflicts, but when it came to protecting the valley, we pulled together. We were a team. We went to public meetings, lectures, workshops and trainings. We learned everything we could. Eventually, we were the experts. One day I called one of our go-to environmental groups with a question and was given my own home phone number to call for an answer.

Meanwhile, The Forest Service was surveying the trees along the road. Timber sale boundaries were being marked.The tall cedar that was my favorite tree in all the world. Yellow tape. They were getting ready.

But then, the Northern Spotted Owl, one of those species that liked to nest in the high, flat tops of the tallest trees, was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA,) and, just like that, all bets were off. Under the ESA, a listing meant its recovery fell on federal land, so anywhere an owl was found, an area had to be set aside for protection. Pretty soon you'd see bumper stickers saying "I like my spotted owls fried," (so witty) and in some places, owls were found shot and nailed to trees. When we found Spotted Owls at Tenmile, it seemed like our problem was solved.

Although our little valley was the center of the universe to us, the political wheels of the timber wars turned regionally and nationally. The Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, now called Earthjustice, led the legal battle over old growth habitat for the Spotted owl. An injunction was issued by a federal judge shutting down all timber sales in Northwest National Forests. Then in 1989, Congress passed a one-year rider setting aside the injunction.

The following year, Congress failed to pass another rider but gave the go-ahead for clearcutting on already sold timber sales, if they didn't contain owl habitat forest structure. Each national forest was to have a Citizen Review Committee appointed to pass judgement on the size of each timber sale's trees were they large enough to be owl habitat or not?

First, we were told by the Forest Service that our trees weren't big enough to meet this criterion. We had a meeting then, and people came from town and from other nearby valleys, and we walked the drainages, measuring trees. DBH, diameter at breast height. We presented the data to the Forest Service, and they finally agreed to include the Tenmile sale units in the Citizen Review Committee process.

I think most people, at least in the northwest, realize the issue with the owl wasn't simply the survival of one species but that the owl is anindicator species,which means it's a gauge for the health of an ecosystem. It means that if the owl can't survive, a number of other plants and animals won't be able to either. You should also know that loggers were already struggling. Almost all of the old growth on private lands was gone by now, and many of their jobs had been automated. Also, as Chuck once pointed out to an audience of angry loggers who'd come to disrupt a talk he was giving: we're not your enemy. Your enemy is flying overhead at 35,000 ft in their corporate jets. It's those folks who overcut the forests, destroyed your unions and are sending our logs to mills in Japan.

RELATED:Reimagining humanity's obligation to wild animals

The Citizens Advisory Boards were made up of local leaders, including a sprinkling of those sympathetic to environmentalists, but generally weighted towards the timber industry. Everyone quickly realized that, regardless of the law, regardless of extinction or anything else, getting the cut out was primary. That wasn't going to change.

The meetings for our area were held at the headquarters of the Siuslaw National Forest in Corvallis.We'd go every week and sit in the back of the room. We weren't allowed to speak, but I still have the notes I took from those meetings.

Kent wants the cut out by Sept 30thCarl says there's no long-term plan for the owlGary says there is!Carl says that's an opinionGary says it's an expert opinion

Liz wants a votePat wants to talkDon wants a different definition of Old GrowthBruce says the process is proving itself.Pat says it's a timber-driven process.Liz says the volume is determining the processDon wants better stand descriptionLiz has a problem with analysis and mappingBruce has problem with definition of emerging Old Growth

Sometimes, we'd bring our kids. None of us had time for this and nobody could afford it, but we went to every meeting and made sure our tree size data was in the hands of each Committee member. Back in the valley, a neighbor was dying and someone else was getting a divorce. There was a fight over property. We were struggling to maintain our little community. And we had jobs and the normal hardship of living in the woods. Our water lines were always breaking. Roofs leaked. Driveways got washed out. Trees fell across the road. Car and trucks rusted and broke. It seemed like Chuck and I got flat tires about once a week. And you couldn't turn your back on the vegetation. It was always creeping over the driveway, over the paths, into the walls, over the gardens. You had to work hard just to keep from going backwards. It rained twenty-three days straight that December.

Even so, week after we went. It mattered that we showed up. It made a difference that someone was watching. When information about a particularly important stand at Tenmile was suppressed, our neighbor Paul got an accurate map to a sympathetic board member, and she was able to block its sale. Don't believe it when people say we have no power. In the end,nearly allthe Tenmile sales were taken off the board, which was a great victory, although slightly hollow. Our valley was preserved, but the cut still went out. Away from Tenmile, sale after sale went through. Where were the people to speak up for those places? We sat in the meeting room, silent, as the names of sales were called out.

Blue Bird, Angel, Beaver Pond, Black Snow, Tidewater, Skywalker, Stillwell, Sugar Cube, Sugarloaf, Mariah Skyline, Gordy Bluff, Picnic, Signal Point, Wapiti, Rocky Cedar, Sweet Thin, Crazy 25, Little Green Horn, Green Apple, Grass Skirt, Raspberry, Hot Elma. A place someone named Lower Sweet. A place someone called Starlight.

The following year, 1991, logging on the National Forest was shut down.

Oscar Wilde once said every story can be a happy one, depending on where you end it. This story didn't end here but, still, at least in terms of our valley, the ending is a hopeful one.

While it'struethat logging on national forest land was shut down, what really happened was complicated. The shutdown was in effect only until Congress or someone could work out the next deal. And nobody was talking about private property because private property was untouchable, even if most private forestlands were increasingly owned by big corporate timber firms who destroy the land, pay almost no taxes, take the profit and run. The public relations people want to convince us that those forest owners are all mom and pop, but it's not true.

First, we were able to protect Tenmile because the Tenmile forest is Spotted Owl habitat, and when that wasn't enough, Marbled Murrelets, another threatened species, were discovered there. Our efforts were further helped when a group called Conservation International identified the ecological importance of the Tenmile as part of one of the largest intact temperate rainforests left in the continental US. When a place we call The Five Mile Meadow, one of the most beautiful spots in the valley, was about to be bought by a timber company, Paul arranged for Audubon to buy it and create a sanctuary. He also facilitated the sale of another parcel to an Oregon State University conservation group known as The Spring Creek Project. Chuck and I, along with other landowners, put our trees in a conservation trust, to be protected. A few years ago, the philanthropic arm of Worthy Brewing from Bend, Oregon (their motto is earth first, beer second) bought 64 mostly logged-over acres and are planting trees in hopes of returning that property "to the natural world." Their plans include a solar-powered nature retreat and working organic, regenerative farm.

Years ago, I wrote an essay about our failed attempt at living on the land, which was published inThe Sunmagazine and reprinted inHigh Country News. The essay was titled "On Being Wrong" and was about my personal failures and about how little self-knowledge Chuck and I exhibited when we decided to live in the woods.We had worked for years, saving money to buy our land, but it turned out we weren't equipped for that life. Unlike our neighbors, we (especially I) didn't have the skills or wherewithal. And the community itself, despite its history and shared values, didn't hold together. For a long time, it seemed to me that the whole endeavor had been a failure, but that's not true.

We were still living at Tenmile when my husband, frustrated by the destruction of forests outside our own valley, started a regional conservation group, The Coast Range Association, to advocate for the entire Coast Range Forest, from the Columbia River, in the north, to the Siskiyou region, in the south. The organization is now over 25 years old, and Chuck is slowly handing over its management to the next generation of forest activists. The group's current focus is the climate crisis and the importance of leaving big trees in the ground for carbon, while creating good jobs. My husband's 25-year long criticism of the role of Wall Street ownership of private forests is no longer considered radical. Recently, his analysis of forestland ownership by Real Estate Investment Trusts was taken up by ProPublica and published in a series of exposs.

Chuck isn't the only Tenmile resident to dedicate himself to the environment. Nearly every household there has someone who ended up working in conservation. In addition to ensuring the preservation of Tenmile, Paul has worked in various capacities as a conservationist. Among other things, he's participated in watershed councils and helped development and management of wetland conservancy and ocean reserves. Paul's son earned a PhD with research focused on the cumulative effects of pesticide use in forest management in the Coast Range. His current job is addressing ocean acidification.. Two of our neighbors served on the board of Chuck's organization. Both our son and one of the neighbor's daughters worked on stream surveys, counting salmon, for Oregon's Fish and Wildlife agency. Our daughter and her husband own 150 acres of land, much of it damaged by misuse, on which they're practicing regenerative agriculture. Our son-in-law works in wetland restoration.

When Chuck and I looked at the map of Tenmile on the wall of the ranger district in Waldport all those years ago, we were planning to make a trail through the woods to connect all our properties, so the kids could reach each other's houses without walking on the road. We had no idea what those little markers foreshadowed, and how it would change everything. It wasn't what we'd dreamed of. We didn't plan it. We just wanted to have gardens and hang out in a beautiful place. We wanted dancing and storytelling, potlucks with pies and salmon, and on Sunday nights, sauna, and even though we ended up losing all that, what happened instead was beyond anything we could have ever imagined.

More stories about forest life:

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We moved to an off-the-grid paradise and ended up fighting a war to save the forest - Salon

As every job increasingly touches technology and other STEM areas, business and education leaders say 2022 will be all about continuing the mission to create more access and opportunity to education in STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and math. There is work to be done to continue integrating the broad set of STEM skills both in and outside of the classroom, they say.

Pat Barnes, senior global program officer of STEM education and equity at Deere & Co., said it is difficult to find workers with the required deep technical knowledge due to both a limited supply of graduates and increased competition for workers.

At MidAmerican Energy Co., Kathryn Kunert, vice president of economic connections and integration, said the utility company faces similar workforce issues, citing the top challenge of finding workers who want to both live and work in rural areas.

You really have to provide them with opportunities, potentially in addition to their jobs, Kunert said. Theyre much more interested in having the value-added proposition provided to them as well.

She said recruiting efforts in rural Iowa are established, but there are some instances where its still in its infancy. For MidAmerican, those measures are doing outreach to schools and families to share available career opportunities in STEM fields, regardless of whether a student plans to obtain a four-year degree.

When you partner and you marry up the education and the STEM aspects to the business and let them know that there are opportunities right there in their own backyard and what that means and what they can do for a career thats what I think we have to continue to work on [is connecting] those opportunities with students and the educators.

Barnes said ensuring equal access to Iowas STEM education resources for all students is Iowas biggest opportunity for improvement in the near future. The Iowa Governors STEM Advisory Council, of which Barnes and Kunert are members, released recommendations from its diversity, equity and inclusion work group in April 2021. He said the group is working to implement the recommendations within the councils programming and they presented at the councils annual meeting in January.

Compared with 10 years ago, awareness and support of STEM education in Iowa has increased significantly, with help from the collaborations between industry, nonprofits and government, Barnes said. But he said if were really serious about moving the needle on supporting and increasing the [talent] pipeline, companies need to consider both short- and long-term investments in STEM efforts.

Pi515 Founder and Executive Director Nancy Mwirotsi is focusing on long-term plans this year, because she said to be ready to meet the job demands of the 2030s, preparation must start in 2022. The Pi515 program offers underserved youths mentorship and teaching in computer science and related fields.

At the end of 2020, there were 1.4 million open computer science jobs nationwide and only 400,000 graduates available to fill them, according to an analysis from Daxx, a software development and technology consulting service provider.

Projections from Korn Ferry, a global organizational consulting firm, estimate that by 2030 there will be 4.3 million global job openings in the technology, media and telecommunication fields and 7.9 million open jobs in the manufacturing sector. Daxx also reports that a sustained shortage of software developers could result in an annual loss of $162 billion for the U.S. in unrealized output.

Mwirotsi said Iowa needs to look at this kind of data for the state because it will really shape the direction of what were going to do. Even though the workforce is adaptable, she said STEM curricula and strategies have to be devised and planned in advance with support from sustained, intentional efforts.

[STEM education] is a process. It is a really long process, Mwirotsi said.

As the new year gets started, the Business Record asked Mwirotsi and other STEM education leaders about their priorities for 2022.

STEM BEST H.D.

Iowa Governors STEM Advisory Council

With a $700,000 special appropriation from the Legislature granted last year, the Iowa Governors STEM Advisory Council created the STEM BEST H.D. (High Demand) program. It is an expansion of STEM BEST, which provides up to $25,000 grants for schools and businesses to partner and create curricula or projects that integrate STEM workforce skills. The new H.D. program has the same goal of the original program but will target the following industries identified as experiencing an increased demand for workers: computer science, information technology, health professions and advanced manufacturing.

STEM BEST Program Director Tanya Hunt said that the H.D. program also differs in several other ways.

It lowers the cost-sharing requirement for applicants and offers a potentially higher award amount applicants can receive grants of up to $40,000. School districts will also have a year and a half to use funds awarded through STEM BEST H.D., whereas STEM BEST grant recipients have about 10 months to use their funding.

We award in February 2022, and then [applicants are] able to utilize those awards through August 2023, which to me is even better than the money, Hunt said. Having that time is going to afford really great opportunities for those that are awarded.

With every state agency, including the STEM council, working to address workforce shortages, Jeff Weld, executive director of the Iowa Governors STEM Advisory Council, said STEM BEST is an arrow in the quiver, but teachers are at the center of the effort as they take on the additional role as workforce developers.

This is a new hat for teachers to try and wear, and STEM BEST is an answer to them when they say, How am I supposed to help promote career awareness? Weld said.

Long-term, Weld said the hope is that one day STEM BEST grants arent needed because every teacher, in every school, in every community in the state is already by nature incorporating career advancement, career awareness and collaboration with local community employers into the school day.

Since STEM BEST started in 2014, 80 programs have been launched across the state. More than 40 proposals were submitted for the 2022 H.D. program, and awards will be announced in mid-February. Applications for 2022 STEM BEST grants open on March 14.

K-12 computer science course requirements

Iowa Governors STEM Advisory Council and Iowa Department of Education

Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2020 proposed a path to require computer science curricula in Iowas 327 school districts and 116 accredited private schools. The Legislature passed the bill, and the initiative will hit its first checkpoint on July 1 when high schools must have a plan to start offering at least a half-unit computer science course in the 2022-23 school year.

The law requires that the instruction be high quality, meaning it aligns with Iowas computer science standards. Heather Doe, communications director for the Iowa Department of Education, wrote in an email that Iowas computer science standards come from the Computer Science Teacher Association and were adopted by Iowas education department in June 2018.

Doe wrote that a high-quality computer science course in Iowa may cover computing systems, management information systems, programming, information support and services and courses in advanced placement computer science. Introductory-level courses do not qualify.

Some high schools already meet the July requirement. According to the 2021 Condition of Education Report, 10.1% of Iowa public high school students graduating in 2021 took a high-quality computer science course.

Despite the definitions of high-quality computer science courses, Weld said those in the education community, from parents to teachers, are still unclear on what it means to have a high-quality course.

I dont think its well known what everybody means by high-quality computer science and what it means to say high-quality computer science teacher preparation, Weld said. Theres a lot of variance across whats being taught, and how its being taught and by whom its being taught because that high-quality [definition] is so nebulous.

Weld said this is one reason why the governors Computer Science Work Group, which was active from December 2020 to June 2021, recommended forming an ongoing work group in its report to the Legislature.

Weld, who co-chaired the work group, said the main theme across its recommendations was aggregating good things we know are happening in pockets of the state and [making] sure everybody has access to them. The following are the top three recommendations from the work groups report, Building on Iowas Vision for Computer Science Education:

Create an ongoing Computer Science Work Group. This group would oversee the delivery of quality professional development for computer science teachers and curate resources for educators as they create computer science curricula. Making a computer science endorsement a critical and affordable credential for secondary teachers was also recommended.

Bridge any computer science gaps in schools and communities. The work group recommended expanding computer science education to underserved students by training all kindergarten through eighth grade teachers to integrate the subject in their classrooms and by preparing technology teachers and specialists working in schools to teach computer science courses.

Put a work-based learning coordinator in each school district. The addition of this role would expand access to work-based learning options and include how computer science is redefining virtually all occupations, according to the report. Other recommendations are creating a playbook that facilitates collaboration between schools and businesses and providing additional financial incentives for employers to participate in work-based learning.

The work groups recommendations are currently under review by the Iowa Department of Education, which will submit a computer science plan to the Legislature by July 1.

Preparing youth for the future of work

Pi515

The theme for Pi515 in 2022 is 2030: Preparing youth for the future of work because Mwirotsi said Generation Z is going to shape the digital economy, and the work to prepare them needs to start now.

Mwirotsi plans to put on several roundtables in 2022 to elevate the conversation about the needs for 2030 in both the technology and business communities.

With an eye on the long term, Mwirotsi said Pi515 is also shifting its focus to create more intentional partnerships with new businesses and communities.

Instead of local IT professionals coming to lead the Pi515 course at schools, Mwirotsi has reversed the model so students are being taught in the companys offices.

I want companies to let these kids go into their spaces, she said.

Pi515 has tested this new model with American Equity, and Principal Financial is the business partner for the current course, which runs through March.

Mwirotsi said meeting the goal of adding five to 10 more business partners this year would allow Pi515 to offer the course to more students and in more areas of the state like Waterloo and Cedar Rapids. At the time of publication, one new company had agreed to partner with Pi515.

She said the new model has received tremendous response from students and has helped with their engagement in the course. A new high school cohort is expected to start in September.

Pi515 is also hosting its second Girls Entrepreneurial Summit on April 28, where high school students will present the business ideas theyve developed in the weeks before. They also participate in a pitch competition where the winner receives a cash prize courtesy of John Pappajohn.

Priority: DeltaV Code School

Cybersecurity Program

NewBoCo

The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative, or NewBoCo, in Cedar Rapids launched its DeltaV Code School in 2017 with a focus on lowering the barrier of entry to software development by providing boot camp-style courses for adults looking to change careers. In 20 weeks, NewBoCo Executive Director Aaron Horn said DeltaV could take someone from knowing potentially nothing to being a junior-level full-stack developer.

Since then, DeltaV has introduced other course tracks: digital marketing in 2019 and help desk and administration in 2020. A cybersecurity program is the most recent addition, announced in fall 2021.

As with the other courses, the motivation was to make an industry facing a high demand for workers accessible to anyone. Horn and others from NewBoCo spoke with local companies about the roles and skills they need, and he said they have built the DeltaV curriculum based on that feedback.

The first cohort of the 10-week cybersecurity program starts Feb. 7, and instructor Dan Tuuri said after graduation, students could take on jobs like a junior cybersecurity analyst or a help desk or policy review role.

Its going to be 10 weeks of education that really simulates what somebody at an entry-level security role would do, Tuuri said. In order to stay on top of the ever-evolving challenges in cybersecurity, the curriculum will cover topics like artificial intelligence and cryptography and end with students responding to a 72-hour simulated cyberattack.

The way cyber risks touch every IT position makes awareness and literacy of cybersecurity risks a top need in STEM education, Tuuri said. He said the need for graduates to have fundamental cybersecurity knowledge is becoming as important as them having financial literacy.

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What is ahead for STEM education in 2022? - Business Record

(Each Saturday, a faith leader offers a personal perspective in this space. To become part of this series, email religion@recorder.com)

Tomorrow, the Sunderland Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, will conduct its Annual Congregational Meeting following its morning worship. This combination is intentional. The church at worship inspires the church at work. Spiritually nourished by Word and Communion, the members are prepared for the sacred responsibility of church governance, which entails everything from mundane financial matters to how best to preach and live the gospel in the church and in the world.

Every member of the congregation contributes to the leadership of the church. Each members opinions and expectations, and the consensus that emerges from them in dialogue, are judged to be the most trustworthy expression of the Spirits intent.

This Congregational Church Model is and has been thoroughly democratic since it arrived on these shores with the Pilgrims. Each members conscience is respected. Each congregations autonomy is protected. What holds this together is a respect for covenant, a solemn and sacred agreement to value the opinions of others and to expect the same in return. Covenant requires mutual trust and a humble willingness to compromise.

Gathering as a community is valued and entered into freely. I have heard it said, only somewhat jokingly, that Congregationalism at its most forceful will strongly encourage. This recognizes the value of teaching and informed discussion. Congregationalism employs a collaborative leadership and is an outright rejection of the power of the privileged few. This heritage of democracy influenced the political formation of our nation and has long been respected as its fundamental tenet. In a nation not defined by a common faith, origin, race or ethnicity, it is democracy that is our keystone.

The birthdays of Lincoln and Washington fall later this month. When I was in school and waiting for winter vacation, it was the birthdays of these two American icons that were celebrated on Presidents Day. Washington surprised the world when he relinquished command of the Continental Army at the end of the Revolutionary War. Abigail Adams wrote that if Washington were not one of the best-intentioned men in the world, then he might be one of the most dangerous. Washington respected the nascent American democracy. His example of walking away from the autocratic power that was almost expected of him at the end of the war and of his second term set an example for future Presidents.

Lincoln was called upon to reassemble the nation Washington had helped form, and to begin in earnest to advance a more complete understanding of the ideal: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal He was the President whom fate would have confront Americas peculiar institution of slavery. The enlightenment of Americas words could no longer tolerate the barbarity of its actions. Lincoln is quoted as saying, No man is good enough to govern another man without the others consent. He led us through the cataclysm of Civil War to advance the scope and thus the legitimacy of our democracy.

Lincolns February birthday, along with that of Frederick Douglas, is also the reason why February is African American History Month. Some three weeks ago, we celebrated the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He stood on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his famous I have a dream speech. He called out America for not fulfilling its promise to continue advancing democracy among all its people. That struggle remains ours still today.

Democracys continuing work is a noble endeavor and one that depends on our higher selves. It battles the baser instincts of pride, power and greed. It challenges us to respect each other as equals and also the covenants that hold us together as one people, one people who are actually stronger because of our differences. In our church tomorrow, we will treat democracy as a sacred gift. I hope we as a nation can do the same.

The First Congregational Church of Sunderland, United Church of Christ, has ministered to the people of the local communities since 1717. Worship services on Sundays begin at 11 a.m. The churchs website and Facebook page are found under First Congregational Church of Sunderland. The churchs phone number is 413-665-7987. If you would like to reach Rev. Randy Calvo, please email him at randyc1897@gmail.com. We offer religious education for the youth and Bible study for adults. We have a wonderful music program under the direction of Anthony Tracia, and a bell choir. All are welcome and we mean it.

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Faith Matters: The sacred gift of democracy - The Recorder

My paternal grandparents were the textbook definition of Cajun French.

While I built my byline on the name Monique Batson, I was born LaTesha Monique Quibodeaux. My name was as French as could be, down to having all five vowels and an x in my last name alone.I was in second grade before I learned how to spell it.

But, as the first in my family to be born in Texas, the culture and history were fascinating to me.

They believed no meal was complete without rice and gravy.

Gumbo contained nothing but roux, chicken, sausage, and whole boiled eggs. There were no vegetables added for flavor, nothing green floating around. It wasnt needed.But no one was about to eat it until they added a hefty amount of Tabasco sauce to their bowl.

When we gathered together for holidays, my grandfather would load his record player with Zydeco music on vinyl hed kept for decades.

And more than not, they spoke to each other in Cajun French.

Married for 60 years before my grandmother died, they almost didnt need to speak at all. But when they used English, it was always with the heavy Cajun accent every Southeast Texan recognizes instantly.

But for the most part, they spoke in a language we couldnt understand. Whether it was intentional or habit, Ill never know.

They had moved to Texas when my biological father was young, and he never learned the language. Therefore, I didnt either.

It was quite obvious when my grandparents were talking about me as Monique translates exactly the same in both languages. Yet they would never tell us what they were saying, as their conversations were as sacred as dangerous.

A former co-worker of mine once wrote a story centered in Port Arthur that talked about how the Vietnamese language was locally on the brink of death.

While intentional, it was never supposed to be malicious.

Immigrants struggled so hard with their lack of knowing the English language that they focused on ensuring their kids knew English first. To many of them, speaking their native language was what held them back or led to a deep struggle. So they worked to ensure their children had a different experience.

Yet in the process, foreign languages began to die within their own communities. Rituals and culture began to fade, with few left to help teach those who now want to embrace their heritage.

And thats why, this week, I was fascinated to see the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement from Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church perform the traditional Lunar New Year lion dance for the students of Houston Elementary School. Had you seen me clapping and smiling, you might have mistaken me for one of the faculty members.

It was the first time the school held a Lunar New Year assembly, Principal Marcia Sharp said. But it was done in an effort to ensure students were exposed to all of the cultures in Southeast Texas.

In addition to the lion dancers, teachers gave a presentation on the Lunar New Year traditions, explained the meaning, and joined students in a fashion show.

And as someone who missed out on learning about my own culture, seeing the children light up and dance along to something some had never experienced was heartwarming.

Gone are the days of being afraid of where we came from. We need to teach our children all of the traditions our ancestors celebrated. And if youre like me learn together what you dont know.

My Cajun grandmother was also Catholic. And while I wasnt raised that way, watching her make rosaries and anoint doorways with Holy oil fascinated me. She had a room in her home dedicated to Catholicism there was a folding prayer pew that my grandfather built her under shelves of statues of saints, candles, and other affiliated items.

Her foundation was everything to her.

I only wish I had spent more time learning everything it was built on before she passed.

Monique Batson is the Port Arthur Newsmedia editor and can be reached at monique.batson@panews.com.

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MONIQUE BATSON It's up to us to teach our children about their history - Port Arthur News - The Port Arthur News

A UC San Francisco-developed tool to detect early signs of literacy weaknesses that could lead to dyslexia got a boost in the California governors recent budget proposal, and could be in widespread use in the states public schools by 2023.

Dyslexia is a brain-based learning challenge that affects about 15 percent of the population and is unrelated to intelligence, according to the International Dyslexia Association. Children with dyslexia have trouble learning to read and write, and can fall behind if the condition is unaddressed.

UCSFs free digital assessment, which has been piloted with 2,000 students at dozens of California schools to date, is meant to spot pre-reading challenges in kindergarten or first grade, so educators can intervene before dyslexia is typically diagnosed, said Marilu Gorno Tempini, M.D., Ph.D., Charles Schwab Distinguished Professor in Dyslexia and Neurodevelopment, and co-director of theUCSF Dyslexia Centerand theUCSF-UCB Schwab Dyslexia and Cognitive Diversity Center.

We dont usually diagnose dyslexia in kindergarten kids are not expected to read fluently yet, Gorno Tempini said. But we know there are risk factors and the hope is that if we address those factors earlier on, the kids will not develop the difficulties with written language associated with dyslexia.

By the time dyslexia is recognized in third or fourth grade, kids have suffered through feeling incapable or being bullied for years she added. In a worst-case scenario, these kids fall further behind and eventually drop out. So we are really creating a prevention tool here.

Governor Gavin Newsom, who struggled with dyslexia as a child, allocated $10 million to UCSF for dyslexia research in his January budget proposal. Lawmakers will debate the 2022-23 budget over the next few months, with a final budget plan due in June.

The UCSF Dyslexia Center received $15.2 million in the current years state budget, and $3.5 million from the 2019-20 state budget. Last year, a budget trailer bill allocated $4 million for dyslexia early intervention in the school system last year, as well.

UCSFs assessment tool, calledMultitudes, is unique because it is based in the latest neuroscience research and designed to be paired with interventions, said Gorno Tempini, who is affiliated with theUCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences.

Dyslexia has been addressed mainly as an academic issue and not a neurological/health one, and research usually goes through schools of education or psychology without a comprehensive brain health approach to the issue, Gorno Tempini said. Here, we are combining the brain and education sciences, the imaging, the biology and the technology to really understand the strengths and weaknesses of dyslexia and bring it back to empower families and schools and children.

Though administered by proctors on iPad currently, Multitudes will ultimately be web-based, administered by educators and take about 20 minutes. Some elements of the assessment are adapted from partner universities in other states, and UCSF is validating them for the California school population essentially validating and revising the assessment in real time, saidPhaedra Bell, Ph.D., a UCSF program manager and director of school partnerships of the Multitudes project.

This isnt a tool that is done, said Bell. It will continue to be perfected and the data we collect will continue to inform it.

The Multitudes project team is prioritizing equity in the creation and use of its tool, noted Michelle Porche, Ed.D., associate director of community outreach for the UCSF-UC Berkeley Schwab Dyslexia and Cognitive Diversity Center.

The 30-plus schools across California that are piloting Multitudes were chosen to reflect the states demographics, and the scientists, clinicians, teachers, designers and software engineers who are working on the tool are from diverse communities.

The study of dyslexia has been limited by a lack of racial, ethnic, and linguistic representation, but we are increasingly intentional about addressing structural racism that creates barriers to success for students of color in California.Michelle Porche, Ed.D.

We are building inclusive partnerships with schools and communities, so that we can recruit participants for our studies that reflect the racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity of the state, said Porche. The study of dyslexia has been limited by a lack of racial, ethnic, and linguistic representation, but we are increasingly intentional about addressing structural racism that creates barriers to success for students of color in California.

Initial research for the UCSF assessment was conducted at specialty schools for dyslexia, such as the Charles Armstrong and Chartwell Schools, and funded by Charles Schwab and other philanthropists, notedChrista Watson Pereira, Psy.D., UCSF assistant professor of neurology and advisor to the Multitudes project.

These independent schools, and the families and students who go there, gave us the opportunity to have a cohort of 400 children with dyslexia and other learning challenges who volunteered hours of their time to be tested and scanned with MRIs, and donated their DNA, said Watson Pereira. From these children we gathered the evidence to make the tool that we are now scaling to public schools.

The English version of Multitudes was piloted in fall 2021; the Spanish version will be piloted in spring 2022 and the Mandarin version in fall 2022. The goal is to reach 10,000 kids by the end of 2022, and to have the free tool in widespread use for California schoolchildren in 2023, Bell said.

At the same time Multitudes is being validated and refined, UCSF researchers are working with the schools of education at University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Los Angeles to curate best-practice materials, curriculum and interventions for educators to use when reading challenges are detected. The Sacramento County Office of Education also is working closely with UCSF on the best way to train teachers across the state in early reading instruction.

Currently, schools often use a single approach for reading issues that may not work for all students, Gorno Tempini said. For example, a school may use specific dyslexia fonts that are presumed to make reading easier for students who struggle, yet these fonts may not help children whose language issues stem from auditory problems.

The idea is to have multiple interventions available at every school that can be tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of each student, rather than each school having a different approach, Gorno Tempini said. Different brains learn differently, and from a neurological point of view, precision education makes the same sense as precision medicine.

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UCSF dyslexia researchers develop tool to flag early reading challenges - University of California

The global COVID-19 pandemic has upended every aspect of work life around the globe, including the burgeoning world of diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. While theres never an ideal time for a global pandemic to emerge and hinder progress toward any goal, the timing of the pandemic could hardly have been worse for DEI initiatives.

DEI was already often treated as an afterthought relative to more concrete and traditional goals like revenue, costs, and profits at most organizations prior to the pandemic. The need to focus on massive logistical challenges in the face of COVID-19 only served to draw more attention away from the relatively nascent DEI world.

Moreover, with millions of workers shifting to remote work, the collaboration and socialization that are often essential to building a sense of inclusiveness were further handicapped.

We reached out to DEI experts to see how the COVID-19 pandemic specifically impacted their DEI efforts and how they plan to stay the course in response.

One of the most fundamental benefits of a focus on diversity and inclusion is that it drives frank and open discussions among diverse individuals that help promote greater understanding of and appreciation for diverse experiences and backgrounds. With the shift to remote work, there are fewer informal opportunities for these kinds of interactions. Companies that dont proactively create these opportunities in some other formats risk losing their benefits altogether.

In the wake of the social unrest after the murder of George Floyd, we sensed in our daily stand up meeting, that our colleagues were missing opportunities to connect over breakfast and lunch as we did when we were mostly in one physical location prior to the pandemic, says Cydney Koukol, EVP of Communities with Talent Plus, Inc. That realization led to the creation of virtual conversations at Talent Plus, called Perspective.

Perspective conversations began on the Friday following George Floyds death. The first one was scheduled for an hour and lasted nearly two hours, Koukol says. Since then, she says, sessions have included Black Lives Matter, the Supreme Court decision around workplace bias and homosexuality in the midst of Gay Pride Month, the reopening of schools after the advent of COVID-19, interracial marriage, the life of Martin Luther King, AAPI and the Asian Community, and the emerging local celebrations of Indigenous People.

Need Help Navigating the Right Path for Your DEI Efforts? Click Here to Learn More with the 2021 DEI Employer Considerations Guide

In the wake of the shift to remote work, Koukol says these sessions have necessarily become virtual. These sessions have been well-received, she says. Currently we are in the midst of adding three new individuals to our DEI Think Tank Team that oversees this initiative. They have asked to have a facilitator work with them in a workshop environment as the previous group had the opportunity to do. They felt that having that type of orientation together helped to create a stronger group that was able to lean in and listen.

Its no surprise that a global pandemic infecting hundreds of millions of people and taking the lives of over five million peoplenot to mention the disruption to everyday lifehas caused significant mental and emotional stress for countless workers around the globe.

Remote work was not new to Avanade at the start of COVID-19our workforce was already completely enabled to work remotely, says Hallam Sargeant, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer atAvanade. But theres a difference between being enabled to work remotely and doing it, day-in, day-out for almost two years during a pandemic, Sargeant says. Weve seen the need for flexible working arrangements as new demands were placed on caregivers.

Sargeant says Avanade has seen a loss of connection without in-person time between colleagues. Companies that embrace and prioritize DEI often find that those efforts help employees more effectively deal with mental and emotional stress, in part because they have a sense of community and belonging at work.

Weve seen an increased need for mental health resources and support during this challenging, isolating time, Sargeant says. Those problems are not specific to DEI, but I think weve seen how an increased focus and investment into DEI initiatives help companies tackle these challenges. One of the pillars of our I&D framework is belonging, or ensuring that everyone can be their authentic selves at work and that they feel welcomed and valued.

Rather than seeing COVID-19 as an obstacle to DEI, Kristie King, Senior Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Doma, argues that the pandemic has actually made her organization stronger with respect to DEI.

At Doma, we pride ourselves in the fact that we are breaking through the barriers that have held back the title insurance industry for centuries, King says. This same resolve applies to how we engage with our workforce, especially in these unprecedented times. We understand our obligation to foster an inclusive environment and the benefit that brings, which is why we are being very intentional about our focus on inclusivity, understanding that this pandemic has upended the way we experience work and live our lives. It is for this reason that we are even more committed to ensuring our employees feel heard, valued, respected and are fully supported.

As noted above, the widespread shift to remote work has meant that its more difficult to bring colleagues together for the kind of close collaboration that supports creating a sense of community and inclusiveness. But remote work isnt all bad for DEI. The employment model also presents opportunities for organizations that might not have a great deal of access to diversity in their own backyards.

DE&I has certainly been augmented by the rise of remote work, says Nate Tsang, founder and CEO of Wall Street Zen. The ability to hire outside of state and national boundaries more than ever means new opportunities, and new considerations. You can gain a wider range of diverse backgrounds, opinions, and education thanks to the wider availability of candidates. At the same time, we as a global society have to make sure the best candidates actually have the chance to apply and be hired for these new remote jobs.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts were really starting to gain ground in the final years of the 2010s when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and upended virtually every aspect of corporate life around the world. While COVID-19 certainly hasnt killed DEI, it has created new obstacles and realigned priorities, often away from DEI efforts. Companies that wisely continue to place great value on DEI are nevertheless finding new and innovative ways to continue to embrace and support DEI efforts.

Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.

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The Impact of COVID-19 and Remote Work on DEI - HR Daily Advisor - HR Daily Advisor

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ST. LOUIS - Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE) is proud to announce that it has once again received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index, the nation's foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

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"At Ameren, we're fostering a culture of diverse co-workers who bring a variety of perspectives that help us serve our customers better and we work hard to provide the support that employees need to be successful in their careers," said Sharon Harvey Davis, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer for Ameren. "That's why we've been intentional about providing meaningful benefits and services that give all our employees, including those who identify as LGBTQ+, the opportunity to grow at Ameren and provide for their families."

Ameren's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Employees & Allies Network (GLEAN) employee resource group has been instrumental in ensuring that co-workers who identify as LGBTQ+ have a safe place to connect with one another and help other co-workers learn how to be allies. The company also provides equitable health benefits for transgender employees and same-sex partners.

"Being able to be who you are wherever you are is not to be taken for granted," stated Harvey Davis. "We appreciate the recognition for the work Ameren has done and our commitment to continue to build a culture that allows our co-workers to bring their whole selves to work."

The Corporate Equality Index rates workplaces on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer equality based on four criteria: nondiscrimination policies, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, supporting an inclusive culture, and corporate social responsibility. More than 1,200 of the nation's largest businesses participated in the survey.

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"When the Human Rights Campaign Foundation created the Corporate Equality Index 20 years ago, we dreamed that LGBTQ+ workers from the factory floor to corporate headquarters, in big cities and small towns could have access to the policies and benefits needed to thrive and live life authentically," said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign senior vice president of programs, research and training. "We are proud that the Corporate Equality Index paved the way to that reality for countless LGBTQ+ workers in America and abroad. But there is still more to do, which is why we are raising the bar yet again to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere."

The full Corporate Equality Index report is available online at http://www.hrc.org/cei. Learn more about Ameren's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts online at Ameren.com/diversity.

Opportunities at AmerenAmeren is an industry-leading and innovative Fortune 500 company that is a vital part of the communities it serves, building a sustainable energy future for generations to come. Ameren currently has more than 600 open positions in Missouri and Illinois, including opportunities in IT, supply chain, skilled craft and engineering. Learn more about Ameren's job openings and comprehensive total rewards package at Ameren.com/careers.

About Ameren CorporationSt. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois operates a rate-regulated electric transmission business in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more information, visit Ameren.com or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.

About the Human Rights Campaign FoundationThe Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public's understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.

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Ameren Receives Top Recognition As An LGBTQ+ Equality Workplace - RiverBender.com

Last year NPQ published an article by Dax-Devlon Ross titled Generational Differences in Racial Equity Work that really resonated with our readers. Increasingly, these differences are a dividing line in the work, especially in communities of color. We recently hosted a conversation with a few leaders of color working with this challenge, including Ross, to learn more about it and what we could be doing.

The context for these generational differences in racial justice work is a period of social justice movements, some say a transition between a dying worldview and an emerging one. It is a time when power is being challenged across the board in society. Political philosophers Hardt and Negris observe in Assembly that the main challenge to social change leaders now is organization, or more specifically, leadership and decision making. They write,

We need to take up the problem of leadership under current conditions and investigate two primary tasks: how to construct organization without hierarchy; and how to create institutions without centralization. (14)

They call this nonsovereign leadership and argue that it marks a profound break from the political logics of modernity, or from representative democracy to participatory democracy (14). Sovereignty, in contrast, is exclusive in the right to decision making. They propose that for a multitude to take power a first requirement is this: to invent new, nonsovereign institutions (39).

In particular, the Black Lives Matter movement moved many organizations to make promises to change practices that harm people of color, especially Black people. Nonprofit organizations, many with decades-long records of predominantly white leadership, who had resisted systemic change, are finally hiring leaders of color as a way to address long-term (often inaugural) organizational racial justice issues.

Now, leaders of color are being tasked with shifting dominant culture organizationbut to what? A term used, one that I propose in my book The Power Manual, is liberatory. Leaders at the edge are exploring how to build liberatory organizations. But, many have not ever experienced it. And this is actually a field-level issue, as Hard and Negri point out, not simply a leadership issue.

Kad Smith, a millenial nonprofit consultant at CompassPoint says,

This is exactly what Ive been experiencingas a leader in an organization, experiencing it as an intermediary partnering with organizations that are doing power building, everything from power building organizations to kind of more traditional big wig, white-led nonprofits, some elements of what Dax was speaking about was a direct reflection of my day to day.

Angela Romans, a Gen Xer and Founding Executive Director of Innovation for Equity, says,

Five years ago, I was co-leading an organizations internal DEI work with a Latina millennial woman. Our working group actually had three generations: Baby Boomers, Gen Xs, and Millennials. And these conversations started showing up. Our leadership team was majority people of color. And we felt a lot of challenge from our younger folks who are in less positional authority saying, why arent you doing better? And we were an organization that led racial equity work outside. Our external work was on point! But internally, our folks were like, Yall are not walking the talk.Now I work with leaders of color, mostly Black leaders. And Im seeing these nuances continue to happen.What can we do about it? Whats my role in helping to be more liberatory in my behavior?

Sean Thomas-Breitfeld, a Gen Xer and Co-Executive Director of Building Movement Project, whose work explores generational and racial differences in leadership, says,

I teach a class on race and inclusion in nonprofit organizations, and its interesting and sometimes challenging talking about organizational change.It happensin the workplacethese differing perspectives about what it takes to make change and what the standard should be around equity inside of organizations and as an instructor.

Ross, a Gen Xer, and an author and equity consultant, says,

We need to talk about these things, because if this is showing up here, here, and here, then theres something going on. And so that was what inspired me to write, and I think why Im in this conversation right now is because as I continue to talk to folks who feel like they can reveal themselvesespecially the folks in sort of the elder side of the spectrum, and when I say that, I mean folks who are older Gen X, and even younger Baby BoomerI find just a lot of internal conflict, a lot of it linked to the choices they made in order to become who they became in the world, and under the belief that that was the way to do it. And to have that be upended and questioned, I think it creates a lot of strong emotion. And theres not a place for that to be articulated without it being perceived as if youre just salty. And I think its more complicated than that. And I think it needs to be made more nuanced.

Mistinguette Smith, a baby boomer and nonprofit consultant, says,

I am someone who turns 60 this year. I am someone who started doing work helping organizations do their work around racial equity 30 years ago. And I am preparing to leave this space. And I am trying to discern what I need to ensure that I leave behind and not just take with me.

Thomas-Breitfeld observes that there are differences in what it means for an organizational workplace to be equitable. This is exacerbated by the fact that positional power often overlaps with age, so older people with more experience tend to be in leadership. And, he highlights, this is further complicated when the leader is a person of color.

For so many leaders of color, their path to having positional power was very fraught, and often extended, in comparison to what theyve seen of their white peers. And theres this sense, which was put perfectly in a focus group that I did in Memphis a few years ago, where someone said, Look, I have all these young people who are trying to get me to give up my positional power without recognizing that I just got here.

Were seeing a lot of transitions, and a lot of people of color moving into those executive leader positions newly. And it happens to coincide with a time when were also contesting what executive leadership means, and what kind of power people should wield, and its hard, I think, for those of us as leaders of color to not somehow feel like our leadership is being contested in part because of our race.

Ross adds that people expect more from leaders of color and there is often lack of agreement about whos vision leads the organization.

That contestation could also be from a place of, But I do also expect more from you. I think that that in and of itself could be a problem. Its not just that I see you as someone I can challenge, but I see you as actually someone who I expect to hold accountable. I implicate boards in this as well, because I think what a lot of boards have done is used it as a cover: Lets go get a person of color in here, and lets have that be the thing that were going to do to address our challenges around diversity, equity, and inclusion, and not really have a deeper conversation about what our politics are.

Thomas-Breitfeld agrees. He has seen this trend of boards hiring leaders of color to address organizational equity and justice issues without appropriate support and resources.

We did a set of interviews with organizations here in New York, where we talked to the outgoing white leader, the incoming leader of color, and someone who was on the board. And what Dax is describing absolutely was true of that small sample, that a lot of boards were trying to solve for DEI challenges that had been leveled against the white predecessor by replacing that person with a person of color.

And so then what happens is: that person of color comes in and still has to lead the organization, grow the organization, and we know that funders are not always as supportive of people of color as they claim theyre going to be. So theyre going to do that and also have to do all the cleanup from the DEI mess of their predecessor.

Oftentimes people complain about the executive director job not being sustainable anyway, but I think these are the sorts of situations that make it particularly burdensome and unsustainable for executive leaders of color.

Mistinguette Smith also agrees and adds that often leaders of color do not have the power to make the changes asked of them.

And what is implicit and often not safe for a person in that position to say is, I just got here, and I dont yet have the power to do the things you want. In fact, Im not sure I have the power to protect you. Power is not positional, power is accrued over time, and I just got here. That is never explicitly on the table, but I take a lot of phone calls from people who want to talk about that privately.

And she adds a crucial element, Black people are often working outside their cultural values, especially in how they deal with conflict.

And theres another piece thats connected to that, for me, that is specific to Black people. We know that we often finally get hired for the thing that we were qualified for 15 years ago because they now need a brown person to come do the HazMat cleanup. And were doing that, and the hazardous material were trying to clean up is distrust. And all of us do trust-based work based in the cultures we come from. And one of the things that is hardest for me, having seen what is now the third wave of work toward racial justice happening in the nonprofit/social sector, is that this is the first time Im seeing African American people trying to do that work based not in African American cultural values, but in nonprofit cultural values.

In traditional African American culture, what challenge looks like and how challenge is responded to looks way different than what Im seeing in meeting rooms where people say things to an elder whos been holding it up for 20 years with no dollars and no public support such as, Well, if you had done a better job, we wouldnt have to be here at all. Like that is not a thing that would have happened inside of African American culture but is actually vaunted in nonprofit culture.

This resonates with Kad Smith, who shares that being raised by his grandmother informs what he perceives as acceptable challenges and unacceptable ones. And, he adds that there is a polarity between younger people feeling theres not enough time and older leaders feeling they just got here.

It can be particularly tough for folks to show up in those conversations with humility and with an open ear towards, Well, what am I missing about your experience that would help me bridge the gap between what it is that we both think is getting in the waybut are coming to conclusions around why its getting in the way and how its getting in the way from very different places?

Perhaps this and the next exchange captures the heart of the challenge.

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Ross sees a conflation of organizing work and nonprofit work.

Such that people think that theyre working for social justice organizations when actually theyre working for sometimes really mainstream organizations that do some social service work. Thats not actually what they were set up to do. And you want it to now be social justice work, but thats not actually what it is. So you need to find some place to do your movement work.

Kad Smith asks how these apparent polarities become more integrated.

Im working with organizations that are using radical approaches to pedagogy, radical frameworks, in environments that I wouldnt from first glance say are conducive to it.So if were going to be really trying to be bold and imaginative and radical in our approach, where does it also get paired with some pragmatism and some practicality of what thatll look like when we get into the work?

To summarize, the generational conflicts these leaders are seeing are:

I recall one very powerful moment, a few years ago, at the Race Forward conference in Detroit. There was a panel of Native leaders on climate justice comprised of an elder and two young leaders. There was a point at which the elder stopped one of the younger people who was speaking, to correct him. And she did so so lovingly, and so gracefully. And the younger person stopped and thanked her, was very grateful for her correction. I remember being captivated by that interaction and thinking, Well, thats really different.

Romans takes this up, calls it the gentle correction, and asks,

Culturally, wheres the space for gentle correction? And how is that taken on the side of folks who are managing up, saying, you know, I really need you to do this differently. And also the older folks who are in positions of authority who are trying to gently correct folks who are younger, and theyre not having it. Its triggering on both sides.

How do we touch and connect with those cultural spaces, the cultural traditions that we have of correction, on both sides? Sort of up and down and across and all around? Thats not how, traditionally, nonprofits have operated. And how do we do this in the political social climate that were in right now where nothing is gentle?

Romans is also seeing more entrepreneurship at a younger age.

Im seeing more folks at younger ages get in positions of leading an organization, being the highest leader of an organization. Its the I dont want to stay in an organization for 20 years and not be recognized and not see progress. Therefore, Im going to start my own.

Also, Im seeing some of those leaders advance through organizations more quickly now, because there is that push from boards, from other external places to put a leader into that position, put a person of color in a position of power to clean up the mess, all the things that folks have said, to do that damage control.

And that is, I think, raising a lot of questions for me. Will they do it better than we did, than the folks who toiled? How could they do it better? What could we learn from them? And how can we share some lessons learned with them in the spirit of being intentional about, as Dax was saying in his article, telling the story.

Kad Smith sympathizes with both sides, but notes there is a need for humility, empathy, and synchronicity.

I cant imagine what it would feel like to be in an organization for 20 years, and only on my 18th and 19th year feel like were starting to make the progress that I thought was possible two decades ago. Comparably, can you imagine what it feels like to be someone whos excited to come into a career and to be completely disillusioned to a sector that says it wants to do one thing with these very particular vehicles and seemingly is doing something entirely different. So I think its about the perspective piece and about the humility of willing to be empathetic. I mean really, truly be empathetic to where people are coming from and the totality of lived experiences that keep them in the work. How does that make us stronger as people who choose to be a part of organizations? So it is different than a family, it is different than the community. Were choosing to be here. And that choice grants us access to the membership that then means that theres a certain level of accountability we have to one another when we start to talk about how differences are not actually helping us move in a synchronized way.

For him, having mentors who share and are adaptable is important.

The organizations I partner with dont seem to have that practice really developed, especially when were talking about BIPOC leadership. But when you have access to mentors who can give you the game, who can tell you what its been like, and can also show that they can adapt and care for you, that is an invaluable resource for new leaders.

When we see folks modeling what it looks like to adapt as a leader, and that can take shape in many different ways and forms, paired with creating and prioritizing the space to connect and really be able to share what is it that makes us want to be a part of this organization. I think that goes a long way.

Finally, hes committing to addressing ageism as well as racism.

Ageism is one of those things that I used to always think about it towards one end of the spectrum, for myself, being a young person told that grown folks are talking. It wasnt until I got into adulthood that I realized that ageism is a very real phenomenon that our elders experience, and I can now see that so much more clearly. Conflict cannot be pathologized to the point where ageism continues to play out in ways that actually makes our efforts significantly weaker. Every organization thats doing racial equity work should be thinking about how ageism intersects in their specific context.

Romans agrees that mentorship is important, and connects it to succession that builds liberatory organizations.

Doing that in a way that is intentional and thoughtful is important. We talked about the I just got here, but some of them really didnt just get there. And so what does it mean for folks to be able to rest? Does that mean you need to trust me more? Does that mean I need to show some mastery that youre not seeing from me? Does that mean theres a retirement plan for you? What do you need?

She also wants to see more spaces for intergenerational conversations,

Some of that is desperation, out of pain, of not having their voices heard and not knowing where there are spaces for that to happen. So I think building on Mistinguettes point about more intentional intergenerational spaces for conversation, for storytelling, for trust-building, and funding that. Because theres a need for that.

Mistinguette Smith notes that community care goes both ways. For example, older leaders of color should be cared for financially as they leave the work.

Whereas, particularly for Black people, and also for other people of color, moving out of organizational leadership doesnt mean moving out of community, doesnt mean moving out of the movement. What it often means, though, is falling off of a financial cliff. And so the holding on is not about holding on to community and meaning the way it is for white leaders; it is literally holding on to the ability to pay the gas bill.

She shares an experience she had when she ran into Black feminist leader Barbara Smith at a conference.

She talked about how one of the things that was really meaningful, was having younger people who are discovering her lifes work anew also discovering that she is currently living in poverty and doing something about that. So, thinking about community care as not just a thing for younger people but as an intergenerational obligation.

I help people experience what that looks like in small bits of practices. A small example of which is facilitating a conversation that was a Black Native dialogue about land, holding a ritual where we were helping young people learn that you dont eat until your elders are all holding a plate, and having that cultural, spiritual ritual be really meaningful for those who serve, even though their noses were out of joint at first, and also those who were served, because they have been hungering for that literal and cultural food.

For Thomas-Breitfeld, its unpacking individualism.

I think some of that boils down to real deep conflict around individualism versus what is the kind of community that people are having in mind? It would be interesting to unpack that, because I do think that theres a level of hyperindividualism that lets the critique of elders and critique of leaders of color run wild in ways that can potentially be undermining of the institutions that everyone is actually a part of.

Ross hopes that we can make space for Black leadership to express itself in multiple ways.

There is room for a variety of different kinds of Black leaders and Black leadership, and they dont all have to only live in this specific orthodoxy. Lets not expect them to show up in the particular kind of ways we say they must. Or we fall into the binary trap once again. And that binary trap which we recognize has always created problems.

So what can we do to begin to address intergenerational differences in racial justice work?

The nonprofit sector faces a challenge: creating social change organizations that support multiple and synchronous types of leadership. Leaders of color are at the forefront of this challenge. But the sector is not supporting them. Its time to take on the challenge, especially those who care about organizational development, leadership, and infrastructure. Lets move beyond foundation-sponsored affinity groups for leaders of color. These are not simply leader-level issues. We need experimentation with higher-level organization that incorporates what exists into something bigger. The nature of growth and transformation is integration and complexification. This is an evolution in how we organize ourselves for social justice.

Read more:

Leaders of Color at the Forefront of the Nonprofit Sector's Challenges - Non Profit News - Nonprofit Quarterly