Category Archives: Intentional Communities

Feature Story June 23, 2021

The Kaiser Family Foundation found that rates of anxiety and depression have quadrupled during the pandemic, with about 40% of adults in the U.S. reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression. Thats up from 10% in the first half of 2019. The impact of the coronavirus on adults showed up in measures of adult mental health and well-being such as difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%), increases in alcohol consumption or substance use (12%), and worsening chronic conditions (12%), due to worry and stress over the coronavirus.

This comes as no news to anyone who struggled with isolation, job uncertainty, food insecurity, or the generalized social instability the entire nation experienced due to both the pandemic, the national response to the murder of George Floyd and other Black Americans, and the insurrection of January 6.

A study by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence defines the toll of the past year on K-12 educators in terms just as stark, especially in comparison to other government employees: a decline in job satisfaction; significantly higher rates of stress, burnout, fatigue, and anxiety; concerns about health and safety related to contracting or spreading coronavirus to their families; and increased number of work hours.

The second volume of the U.S. Department of Educations Covid-19 HandbookRoadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students Needs says, As schools reopen, it is important to consider that educators and staff will also be returning to school changed. Some will be coping with grief, elevated levels of anxiety, and loss. Many [educators] may be struggling as they watch the students they serve and care deeply about going through challenging experiences. Last summer, the American School Counselor Association and the National Association of School Counselors recommended psychological triage for staff as well as students to address the trauma and intense stress of the pandemic.

Dr. Donna Christy, a Prince Georges County school psychologist and president-elect of the Prince Georges County Educators Association, says this isnt surprising. When you think about causes of trauma as those events which put you in a position in which you are unable to control your own well-being, I would say the most damaging aspect was that of having to wait and watch news conferences to learn your fate as a public employee, knowing that the people in those positions of power were not only controlling your professional life, but your life itself.

Throughout the pandemic, MSEA stepped up as Governor Hogan and Superintendent Salmon stumbled to provide the clear guidance and ample support that students, educators, and employees needed in an unprecedented crisis. Everyone was using student mental health as a talking point to reopen school buildings without any regard for the mental health of our educators who were forced to put themselves, and their families, in grave danger, Christy adds.

Stacey Cornelius is a behavior analyst in St. Marys County. At her school, staff wellness is a priority and the Wellness Wednesdays she facilitates provide an outlet for staff to be seen, heard, valued, respected, and vulnerable. Our schools need dedicated intentional spaces for staff to talk and not just about school and work, Cornelius says. They need to experience that being restorative is building community to strengthen relationships. This process humanizes everyone.

Through my healing circles and coaching of educators, says Robin McNair, a restorative practices coordinator in Prince Georges County, I learned that educators feel there was no intentional time given to them to unpack their own trauma of coronavirus, the dramatic shift to virtual learning, and the social and political crises. Resilience was expected instead of nurtured when confronted with these unprecedented threats. Find many free restorative practices resources from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law here.

In Garrett County, Principal Jamie Friend found something humanizing in the way rote professional developments on learning management systems evolved into something even more valuable early in the pandemic. Its the best, most collaborative working atmosphere that Ive ever been involved in. Our need to get lessons to our students brought us closer together as we learned how to do it together. Our students are the better for the relationship-building of the past year. Across the state, administrators like Friend and specialists like Christy, Cornelius, and McNair are bringing new programs, insights, and opportunities to staff to come together, share, and support one another.

The past year has been filled with questions about our safety, our health, the national political climate, and, critically, about the historic and systemic racism it is taking our country hundreds of years to confront and meaningfully repair. The racially-motivated murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many, many others are changing the way many of us see ourselves and each other.

Im passionate about promoting equity-centered capacity building, modeling a restorative philosophy, and nurturing a culture that integrates an inclusive approach to lifelong learning, says Cornelius. As a white mother of a Black son, I have an increased responsibility to speak up and out against racism and social injustices. I believe educators have a unique role in leading the charge in ending white supremacy and dismantling systemic racism.

I know that our voices are powerful and what we say matters. To make progress in the pursuit of racial equity and justice, I must show up in support of our Black colleagues, students, neighbors, and communities, adds Cornelius. Indeed, as educators, one of our core beliefs is a commitment to lifelong learning. Who better to be at the forefront in dismantling racism?

In the NEA and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) joint project Learning Beyond Covid-19: A Vision for Thriving in Public Education, the countrys two national educators unions call for an education system that centers equity and excellence. Rather than simply returning to normal, we are committed to building the public schools our students deserve.

Like the Blueprint for Marylands Future, NEA and AFT leaders call for creating new systems where students and educators can thrive. They call for reinvigorating the teaching professions by reimagining instruction, curricula, assessments, and professional development that is grounded in the science of learning and building a teaching corps that is diverse with new pathways and supports that get people in the profession.

Programs like MSEAs Aspiring Educators, Early Career Educators, and Praxis Core Prep are part of a new pipeline for diversifying and strengthening the educator force in Maryland, says Bost. The Blueprint brings new and different opportunities for career growth for educators, too, including for paraeducators who excel in supporting the smaller-group and targeted instruction post pandemic-classrooms need. Students must see themselves represented in the curriculum and also by who is in front of the whiteboard.

The health of a school is assessed by the well-being and success of its students and educators. Rebounding from the trauma of the past yearwhen educators were both lauded and vilifiedrequires educator self-care and school-based resources to ensure school community resilience. Educators were left feeling powerless over the past year, watching social media go from as parents we now realize how much you deal with at the beginning of quarantine to, these selfish teachers are blocking reopening, Donna Christy says. They seem to have forgotten that everything from mental health to the economy depends on our public education system.

For Stacey Cornelius, an anonymous climate and culture survey at her school proved invaluable. After analyzing the survey results, it was obvious that staff were craving true collegial connection and more meaningful administrator interactions, she says. I knew that this was the time to focus on our educators because they are carrying a lot, the cycle of trauma is real, and our staff have limited outlets. It is my belief that the faculty and staff in a school building are who set the tone, climate, and culture. If the adults dont feel calm, healed, safe, and secure then how are they going to show up for kids?

Im proud of how well we filled the void, says MSEA President Cheryl Bost. We did that by providing the information and advocacy that members neededwhether at the state or local level, whether through social media, car rallies, or public campaigns for safety and transparency. We knew we needed to supply the critical information and guidance that our members were desperately seeking. Through the worst of the pandemic to the legislative session and school building reopenings, we used our power and influence carefully and wisely to keep educators and students safe. I believe we helped educators feel safer, more secure, and more respected while we were all grappling with the stresses surrounding us from the public health, race, and political crises in our country.

Our challenge nowindividually and collectivelyis to take the summer to reflect on what worked, and what we need as educators to bounce back and help our students recover from the trauma, disruption, and challenges of this school year. We cant bottle up what happened and simply move on, Bost continues. We must address the trauma; we must take care of ourselves, our students, and our families. We must keep doing the necessary work of fighting for racial and social justice. And we must continue to have each others backs as we did throughout the pandemicbecause our union and our profession will only become stronger if we do so.

MSEA holds its first of several teletown halls during the spring to share updates and answer questions related to coronavirus and its impact on our schools. MSEA publishes its first of more than 20 Coronavirus FAQs, guiding educators through technology skills to ESP-specific issues to taking sick and personal leaveduring coronavirus-related closures.

MSEA launches the first Learn More at 4 on Facebook Live, featuring MSEA President Cheryl Bost and General Counsel Kristy Anderson. The weekly live series later morphed to the bi-weekly Educate at 8, included MSEA and NEA experts, state and federal legislators, higher ed leaders, and many others.

George Floyd is murdered in Minneapolis. My heart and soul are heavy as we grieve yet another Black person killed senselessly by a white police officer, said MSEA President Cheryl Bost. MSEA and NEA and allied organizations provide resources on racism, hate, trauma, talking about race, and teaching tolerance and acceptance.

As schools close for the school year, MSEA starts the conversation for next school year urging reopening planning committees to ask: Are racial and economic disparities/impacts being considered? Whose conditions are being improved? Whose voices are included?

MSEA launches its How to Be an Anti-Racist Educator series to talk about bias, hidden curriculum, and applying an equity lens to our work. MSEA, the Baltimore Teachers Union, and the Maryland PTA call for a virtual start to the school year to protect student and educator safety. In a letter to Gov. Hogan and Supt. Salmon they wrote: We must rise above politics and focus on the reality and complexities of safely reopening schools. MSEA issues, along with the Baltimore Teacher Union and Maryland PTA, a Health and Safety Checklist for Buildings and Workspaces around the most critical health and safety concerns.

President Cheryl Bost formally launches the Presidents Council on Safe, Healthy, and Supportive Teaching and Learning Environments.

MSEA launches its Becoming a Trauma-Informed Educator series. MSEA legal and research teams support local coronavirus-related memoranda of understanding to create formal agreements on reopening plans and expectations.

As coronavirus numbers spike, President Cheryl Bost writes a letter to Supt. Salmon stating MSEAs position that schools remain virtual through the end of the semester: Lets work to destress an already stressful situation and, at the state level, declare that schools will remain virtual through, at a minimum, the end of the semester.

MSEAs second Racial Social Justice Summit, Meeting the Moment: Becoming a Racial Social Justice Warrior featuring Dr. Cornel West, who told attendees: Justice is what love looks like in public.

MSEA virtually celebrates the passage of the Blueprint for Marylands Future and the four-year campaign to bring equity and fairness to all Maryland students. The Blueprint addresses many of the inequities exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic andthe struggle for racial justice.

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We're Turning the Lights Back On! - Maryland State Education Association

For over 130 years, Sentara Healthcare has cared for some of the most diverse communities in Virginia and North Carolina. We believe our differences are our strengths, and as a result have always prided ourselves on our equally diverse teams and the work we do within our communities.

In mid-2019, we decided to formalize our commitment by intentionally fostering a culture of inclusion, creating a diversity and inclusion program led by our first chief diversity officer, Dana Beckton. We also set our strategy to impact anyone who interacts with Sentara.

Some examples of our early work include:

The goal was to get complete buy-in. When executives view diversity and inclusion as a facet of the organizations overall strategy and goals rather than one persons or one teams responsibility, they create accountability and model a culture that allows that organization to thrive.

Its also important to understand our workforce, workplace and organizational culture to create a solid foundation from which to build. That understanding helped identify where we could have the most impact.

These and other efforts produced immediate, tangible results.

In 2020, all 12 Sentara hospitals earned a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality designation from the Human Rights Campaigns Healthcare Equality Index. Forbes named Sentara a 2020 Best Employer for Women.

The pandemic highlighted significant inequities within our diverse communities and created an opportunity to address these issues further. Our partnerships with key community organizations allowed us to administer over 15,000 free COVID-19 tests over six months and more than 69,000 COVID-19 vaccines to patients and community members between Jan. 20 and April 12, 2021.

Those partnerships also provided 100,000 boxes of food and a pilot educational program for underemployed individuals. We hope the pilot program will remove barriers and create pathways into healthcare and other skilled career opportunities for a more diverse workforce.

Our Safe Space conversations have emerged as a trusted channel for employees to engage in difficult discussions. The first sessions were about George Floyd and police violence. We also hosted sessions centered on myths and sources of distrust about the COVID-19 vaccines. Hundreds of employees attend these sessions, during which they can listen to trusted voices discuss the topic, ask questions in a chat and get honest answers in real time. We are currently preparing sessions about continued social unrest and acts of violence.

More important than celebrating our early successes, however, is our commitment to sustaining and expanding on them. Diversity and inclusion is not a goal. It is a continuous striving for better and for more, for everyone, whether they work for Sentara, are receiving care from Sentara, or live in the neighborhoods we serve. As we look ahead, it is clear that our successes will continue to derive from intentional and culturally ingrained strategies that amplify diverse voices both inside and outside our walls.

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Growing an intentional and embedded diversity and inclusion program - Modern Healthcare

This June marks more than 50 years of LGBTQ+ Pride marches and celebrations in the U.S., putting an extra spotlight on sexuality and gender in Lane County.

Increased visibility around Pride washes companies, social media and communities with rainbows and opportunity to show up for the LGBTQ+ Community, but it can be difficult to know just how to do that.

"What does it mean to show up for Pride?" Oblio Stroyman asked. Stroyman's pronouns are they/them/theirs and they arethe interim executive director of Transponder, a local nonprofit which serves the transgender community.

"Pride was really about alotof trans women of color standing up and saying enough is enough (against)police harassment," they explained.

What Stroyman specifically refers to is the resistance of the queer community-led largely by trans and gender-nonconforming people of color like Marsha P. Johnson, Silvia Rivera,Miss Major Griffin-Gracy andStorm DeLarverie all of whom were present at one of the most notable stands forLGBTQ+ liberation, the 1969 Stonewall Riots.

Early in the morning on June 28, plainclothes police officers raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular Greenwich Village gay bar in New York City. The intrusion was, at the time,justified by suspicion of illegal alcohol sales, but was really just another raid among many meant toharass LGBTQ+ people,according to the Library of Congress. It led to six days of protest around the city.

Thirteenpeople, a mix of employees and patrons,were arrested over operating without a liquor license, but also for gender-related "crimes". Homosexuality was still considered a criminal offense in 1969and there were laws against not wearing gender appropriate clothing.

Lesser known,Stonewall was proceeded by otherLGBTQ+resistance led by Black and people of coloraround the US,including protests atGene's Compton Cafeteria, Cooper's Do-nuts,The Black Cat, Dewey's Restaurant, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

In short, Pride began as protest;a stand against police brutality and a fight for basic civilrights.

"Ifwe look at Pride as not only a celebration, but also a very reallink to the struggles of LGBTQ+people, especially trans folks, then look at how you can supportorganizations so that make lifea little bit easier for them," Stroyman said about being an ally.

LGBTQelders fought for many of the same rights 50 years ago that are fought for today: equal access to employment, housing, healthcare and legal protection.

Presently, the Equality Act is on unsure footing in front of Congress. It would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 byprohibiting "discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, creditand the jury system."

If allies are looking to support the LGBTQcommunity, Stroyman encourages them to dig deeper into being intentional.

This could look like showingsolidarity at Pride events, holding institutions accountable and asking questions of companies who might be seeking to profit off of "rainbow gear" without any of the profits going toward LGBTQpeople or organizations, they explained.

A current social media trend has exposed large companies for "rainbow washing" or "pink washing," terms which mean usingPride for marketing purposes to gain money from LGBTQconsumers and their allies.

AT&T, General Motors, The Coca-Cola Company,Anheuser-Busch, American Airlines, Walmart and others were found to have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to representativesworking on anti-LGBTQ legislation, according to Rolling Stone.

In contrast, philanthropic dollars toward LGBTQissues are still limited. The Funders for LGBTQ Issues found that for every $100 awarded by US foundations, only 28 cents go specifically to supporting the LGBTQ community.

Funding atTransponder, for example, goes toward support groups,assistance findingemployment opportunities and making the community a more welcoming place. Some of Transponder's programs include making gender affirming prosthetics more accessible,syringe and hormone injection supply delivery service and art kits from MECCA.

"Something to know that's important about Transponder is that we're very low capacity, meaning that we don't have a lot of paid staff,and we're doing huge work," Stroyman said.

Supporting queer-runbusinesses and organizations that advocate for the rights and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people beyond Pride Month is a way to be intentional with your dollar as an ally.

"We really have a love of plants and sharing that with other people, but we also really wanted to utilize our business as a source for positive change in the community," said Luna Roebuck, co-owner of Stingray Botanicals.

Roebuck opened Stingray Botanicals with their partner, Adrian Mendoza, in the fall of 2020. The houseplant nursery specializes in uncommon plants and is committed tosocial, economicand environmental justice.

"A big part of that is advocating for our fellowcommunity members within the LGBTQ community.We do try to do advocacy work bringing attention to issues that are facing minority communities, so the LGBTQ community, communities of color, immigrant communities," Roebuck said.

This month a portion of sales atStingray Botanicals is being donated to Point of Pride, a nonprofit in Eugene that works internationally to help trans adult and youth accessgender-affirming programs. That includes access to chest binders, hormones, electrolysis and COVID-19 emergency funds.

According to its website, Point of Pride has donated more than 10,000 chest binders in more than 80 countries and provided a quarter of million dollars in financial aid.

"Asuper important thing for people to think about during Pride month and really all year is where your dollar going and what is the organization or company doing with your dollar,on top of just showing the rainbow," Roebuck said.

But beyond economic intentionality, the visibility of queer and LGBT+ safe spacesis important.

"Having visibility as a queer-owned, queer-runbusinessgives a lot of people hope for what they can do in their own in their own lives, or providing safe spaces for people to go shop, or to browse and enjoy the plants," Roebuck explained.

Spectrum is a LGBTQIA+ bar, restaurant and venue at 150 W. Broadway indowntown Eugene,which is set to reopen after July. Spectrum is home to many drag performances and a key location for mutual aid services in the community.

As You Like It; The Pleasure Shop is asexual wellness store with an emphasis on eco and body safe products. AYLI offers a separate portion of their store that is appropriate for minors, which includes an extensive library and gender-affirming products.

Transponder is a local nonprofit that was foundedand is run by trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people. The groupcoordinates community resources and provides supportto trans adults and youth in metro and rural areas in Lane County. Transponder offers some program descriptions andPride merchonline.

Stingray Botanicalsis a houseplant store that specializes in the unique and uncommon that is queer-owned and -operated by a couple, Adrian Mendoza and Luna Roebuck. Mendoza and Roebuck are dedicated to social justice in the community and providing a caring workplace.

Hey Neighbor! Pizza Houseis a locally owned restaurant in the University District providing hand-tossed Neo-Neapolitian pizza. The pizzeria uses its passion for pies to contribute to the community. During the last weekend of June, Hey Neighbor! will be donating a portion of each pizza sale to Transponder.

HIV Allianceprovides extensive resources for HIV/AIDS education, prevention and care. They also provide care for hepatitis and contribute to harm reduction efforts. This summer they are hosting Camp Alliance, a virtual summer youth program for queer or question high school students.

The Body Shop is aninternational cosmetic brand with a store at Valley River Center. It is donating $1 to Equality Federation for every signatureon their petition telling Congress to supportthe Equality Act untilAug.29. The Equality Federation is an LGBTQ advocacy accelerator.

Contact reporter Dana Sparks atdsparks@registerguard.comor 541-338-2243, and follow her on Twitter@danamsparksand Instagram@danasparksphoto. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.

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Eugene LGBTQ+ businesses and advocates: Show up and be intentional - The Register-Guard

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids will expand its summer day camp offerings thanks to a $189,000 grant from the state.

Officials say the enhanced day camp programs will address the unique academic needs created by the pandemic.

The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids is excited to expand and enhance our existing day camp program, said Nicole Hansen, district executive director of Community Engagement and Youth Development. Through intentional math, science, literacy, and social-emotional curriculum, we will ensure the youth in our community have an engaging summer full of education and connection.

The $189,000 grant award from the Michigan Department of Education is part of a larger $2.3 million given by the department to YMCAs in Michigan.

The Y is prepared to work with schools to overcome the challenges facing students, families and communities, said Fran Talsma, executive director for the Michigan Alliance of YMCAs. To effectively combat COVID learning loss, in- and out-of-school learning needs to be connected and seamless. We have the capacity and expertise to support schools and help achieve positive outcomes for students.

The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids is still accepting registrations for summer programs. People wishing to sign their children up can visit grymca.org/summer-day-camps. People wishing to be a day camp leader can visit grymca.org/careers for more information.

The summer programs are focused on fun and keeping kids safe, active, fed and engaged with other children and adults. Generally, the camps are open to children ages 5 to 12.

While the camps cost money, people can apply for financial assistance.

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YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids enhances summer day camps with $189K grant - MLive.com

By Donna Cope

Alabama News Center

My light bulb busted, but I still manage to shine bright;

Even broken crayons still color

Theres no reason to dim your own light. Hi by Keion Gilmore, 2020

At 17, Keion Gilmore is ready to run his race.

Like many young people, Gilmore relies on the advice of teachers and friends to help guide him. As a freshman atRamsay High School, Gilmore recalled asking his ninth grade English teacher for advice. When he felt down, Gilmore said that Ramsay educatorMontrice Youngbuoyed his spirits while providing a different point of view.

I always got bullied about the way I talk and my weight, and my sexual orientation, said the soft-spoken Wylam resident.

Now, I would tell people, Dont let what they say make you harm yourself, said Gilmore, a rising senior at Ramsay, one of three magnet high schools in Birmingham. Why would they do this? Because they dont love themselves, and they probably dont have the things you have.

Gilmore talks about his experiences being bullied at school in All In, a documentary that explores the relationships between Birmingham City Schools students, teachers, and community and educational leaders. By writing poetry, Gilmore works through his feelings about his deceased father, and discusses everything from Black history to flowers and raindrops.

The making of All In

Created in concert with theBirmingham Education Foundationand 1504, the film spotlights community engagement stories. An immersive exhibit at Ramsay High School June 15-22 works in tandem with the film to showcase students high school experiences during the pandemic. Limited seats are available atEventbrite.

Weve created the stories as told by the students themselves, said 1504 filmmaker and writerTyler Jones, who has led more than 40 projects worldwide. The people weve really highlighted in this documentary are the students, parents and teachers. This is more of a conversation about how we can educate the general community to support education.

The film, directed by Jordan Mahy, serves as a platform for community advocates while championing the work of educators.

The advocates highlighted in the film are relentless in their efforts to improve the Birmingham community, saidMeryem Tunagar, Community Engagement manager at the foundation, whose mission is to put students first and ensure they graduate ready for life, college and careers.

TheSidewalk Cinema Film Centerin Birmingham is previewing the documentary, withfree seatsavailable on Thursday, June 17 at 4 p.m., and on Friday at 2 p.m.

I would hope that anyone who is a supporter of our schools and our students will attend, Jones said.

School advocate shares her story

The way Daphne Ballard sees it, if you have a good village around you, you can thrive.

For years, Ballard has advocated for Birmingham schools. When she heard about the All In project, Ballard saw a wonderful opportunity for stakeholders and was thrilled to take part in the documentary.

Its not just about my children its all the children in our community, she said. What can I do to make the environment better? I truly think if you dont work to make it better, it will come back to bite you.

She is proud that her 21-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, is a senior atYale Universityin Connecticut, majoring in political science and educational studies.Ballard is happy that all her children ages 32 to 10 attended Birmingham City Schools: Brandon, Bryson, Brenna, BreNyah, Brielle, Brenton, BreAnn, Brooklin, Brian, Brailyn, Brandalyn, Brionna, Bradford and Brittani. Two children currently attend Ramsay High School and William J. Christian Elementary School magnet facilities.

Brooklyn would miss lunch and get tutored to get help in subjects she wasnt as strong in, Ballard said. She had resources and opportunities at Ramsay High School she had so much support. Being on the Speaks First debate team helped her in applying to Yale.

Ballard said that her older children received an excellent education atMinor Elementary School.

Minor wasnt a magnet school, but it was one of the best experiences, from the support to the administration to the teachers, she said. My children were there 17 years, consecutively. Just the way the school worked with me, they were like family. It was like a protective place for my children, and they were very supportive. They had amazing teachers.

Though Ballards household is doing well, she cant be content. The crime rate in Birmingham grieves her, as well as the sight of the homeless. In the documentary, she discusses issues that prevent students from progressing.

You have to put aside personal and political agendas for the betterment of our children, Ballard said. When are we going to make the necessary changes to help everyone? If we come together as parents, teachers, leaders, the mayor and all of his people, the church working together for the betterment of our communities, we can get somewhere.

We get so many new school buildings, but when can I know my sons wont be bullied in school? she said. I dont want my kids to face the peer pressure. Dont give up and you can make a difference.

The goal is to improve education

In August 2018, Tunagar helped launch the All In information-gathering campaign to better understand the experience of families and students in Birmingham.

The Birmingham Education Foundation created the All In campaign, with full support fromBirmingham Mayor Randall WoodfinandLisa Herring, who was Birmingham City Schools superintendent from 2017 to 2020.The overall goal of All In is to educate communities about whats going on in Birmingham City Schools, which so often can be viewed with negativity but theres so much incredible work that goes on, Tunagar said. We wanted to show the beauty and talent that exists in Birmingham.

The foundation launched a yearlong phone polling effort, asking residents about what they wanted to see for Birmingham school students. Focus groups discussed teacher quality, engagement with school administration, mental health and parental involvement.

We want to see the needle move for more of our students, Tunagar said. By learning about the experiences of families and students in Birmingham, were ensuring that our work, in programming and for policy and advocacy, aligns with the desires of our community.

She expects the foundations work to evolve along with the needs of families and students. There are plans to launch a community toolkit as a springboard to intentional conversations by neighborhood associations, the Birmingham City Council and the Birmingham School Board.

We want to connect families with the entities they need, Tunagar said. This is to celebrate the journey weve gone on together. Big-picture-wise, the best part is while this documentary may show where we started, its still impacting work with the communities. This striving for connection is very important the work is never done, its endless. We are working for equity and to drive empathy, and its always worth it, in the end.

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'All In' documentary tells stories of community engagement with Birmingham city schools - Birmingham Times

Over the past decade, the concept of tiny homes has grown in popular culture, but a real estate startup aligned with the University of Arizonas Center for Innovation is taking things to the next level. Stackhouse aims to change how people own and finance a home by offering customizable shipping container homes at 320 square feet each.

However, the individual container-homes are only one element of Stackhouse. The startup plans to form these containers into urban residential towers, creating entirely unique communities for residents with a penchant for minimalism.

Weve been very intentional with the design of the community so our residents have everything they need, said Stackhouse CEO Janelle Briggs. There just hasnt been any new innovation in the housing space, and the fact this is new, customizable and mobile has people really excited.

While the Stackhouse model unit is currently located on the UACI campus south of Tucson, the first Stackhouse community is planned for Denver, and will see 62 units placed alongside and on top of each other. While shipping container malls have become more popular over the past few years, Briggs says the countrys extreme housing market is really empowering Stackhouses business model. Briggs says the company already has 1,000 people on the Denver waitlist after only a month of advertising.

It is absolutely an advantage, and an imperative that we fill, Briggs said. People need housing, and I foresee us not being able to build fast enough. And while thats great for our business, I think its a problem for the rest of the country that we are not housing our citizens. And thats why we started this company, because we wanted to help solve that problem.

Briggs currently lives in the Stackhouse model unit on the UACI tech park with her partner and co-founder Ryan Egan. She says a benefit is that the container-homes dont have to include anything specific, and are customizable to meet the living needs of the resident. As Briggs explains, if cooking a full meal at home isnt necessary to the resident, but having a dedicated workspace is, Stackhouse can make it happen.

Briggs and Egan founded Stackhouse in 2017, and were accepted into UACI in Oct. 2020. UACI is a startup incubator that currently supports 54 businesses by providing resources and connections, both from the university system and the Tucson community. UACI looks to support scalable science and technology ventures, helping them through a combination of programming, funding, and forming relationships with fellow startups.

What makes any startup really attractive is of course novel technology, but theres also this mix of the mission, and above all else, the team, said UACI executive director Eric Smith. Janelle and Ryan, and the support group theyve built, are truly inspiring as entrepreneurs. They have unmatched motivation, and thats exactly the team we want to work with With Stackhouse, it was all about implementation of all of these things. Theyd already planned very well, so for us it was all about getting to work.

For Stackhouse, UACI helped form connections to manufacturing, as well as relationships with municipalities for their housing development. But perhaps most importantly, they were able to provide space for their first unit on UACIs 1,300-acre tech park.

Every startup that takes space inside the tech park incubator is unique, and has unique needs, which makes it really exciting, Smith said. Stackhouse is of course unique. Very rarely do we have somebody that asks to drop a house on our land, but we were able to make that happen.

Briggs, who is bi-racial, says her ethnicity has also had an impact on the story of Stackhouse, as well as her focus on inclusion and social change. Both of her parents served in the military, her dad being black and her mom white.

We were always housed, and having a place to live was not something that I had to worry about, and that was in part because of the good jobs my parents had in the military, Briggs said. The world that allowed my parents to meet is very different than the world we find ourselves in now. And who I am in the world is a very different experience than a couple of years ago. Trying to raise money as a first-generation college student is hard. We dont have the network. Egan and I joke that the biggest win for me was falling in love with a white guy, because he has more access than I do.

She says even how her and Egan downsized to live in their container-home, and what they decided to keep, was a question of race, privilege and access.

Were very proud of the diversity of the entrepreneurs that we serve, both in gender and in race, as well as international representation, Smith said. It truly makes the cohort of startups we work with more robust.

Smith says UACI helps minority-owned startups overcome their unique challenges by connecting them to other founders in their network, and leveraging resources in the community that are specifically there to serve diverse populations of entrepreneurs.

While Briggs, who holds a PhD in speech communications, is passionate about accessibility and entrepreneurship, Egan has worked in real estate his entire career. Briggs says his proficiency is in working with cities to get plans approved for construction. An inspiration for Stackhouse stems from Egan being tasked with managing properties from a former employer, one of which involved a condo entitlement in San Francisco.

It was just a standard condo building, but the process of getting the city to approve buildings is really difficult and it took him three years to get a 28-unit condo building approved by the City of San Francisco, Briggs said. And thats where he learned how that process worked and how to host effective neighborhood meetings, thinking Theres got to be a more efficient way to do this entitlement process. So our goal with Stackhouse is to have a standard building design that we can take to any city that follows the local and municipal code so that its easy to approve and we can build quickly across the country.

Briggs says they are constructing their debut community in Denver because the City of Tucson slowed processing of their Government Property Lease Excise Tax applications, and Stackhouse had to keep moving. Despite this, they had such a positive experience with UACI that they plan to remain members even after moving to Colorado.

We thought wed have to wait for a major city to see us building in a place like Tucson first, but we presented the concept blind to the city and had a really great reception, Briggs said.

The container-homes come from the manufacturer built to Housing and Urban Development code, compliant for all 50 states and insulated for all four USA climate zones, meaning they can withstand temperatures of both Tucson and Denver.

In addition, the community will be equipped with solar panels to be able to be off-grid, and the battery bank for each house will be able to store two days of power. Utilizing technology from a fellow UACI startup, the container-homes will also store all necessary water on every floor.

A lot of the work that we do is not pretending we know everything, its really about leveraging the connections the university has to get them to the people that do know those specific areas, Smith said.

Although Stackhouse is leaving the Tucson area, Smith says the majority of startups UACI has served since 2003 have stayed in Arizona. But in the last year and a half, theyve expanded their virtual footprint to serve companies that have never even existed in Southern Arizona.

UACI is a place where if youre a startup in their program and you need something, they will lift heaven and earth to help you be successful, Briggs said. Its so amazing to be standing in the house we envisioned four years ago. Its real and Im so proud of us and thankful for the support Tucson has given us.

See the rest here:

Tucson startup Stackhouse' aims to expand home ownership by reinventing communities - Tucson Local Media

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas, June 22, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --Rio Terra Senior Living has been awarded as a Multi-Year Best Memory Care Facility in New Braunfels, Texas by MemoryCare.com.

MemoryCare.com is a research organization that is focused on supporting caregivers and their loved ones and helping them find healthcare that best fits their needs. To choose the best memory care communities in New Braunfels, their team of researchers start by using their unique methodology to develop a list of contenders. They further refine the list by completing hands-on research for each one of the companies. Finally, they compile online reviews from residents and families and wrote summaries of each community that made it through their selection process.

"We're so proud to receive this honor," said Rio Terra Senior Living Sr. Executive Director, Gina Boggs. "Our community operates by a Resident First philosophy, and we do our best to go above and beyond for our residents by providing chef-prepared meals, intentional programming and exceptional care."

Owned and operated by Sagora Senior Living, Rio Terra offers Cottages, Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care living options for seniors in New Braunfels. With 24/7 concierge service, complimentary transportation, chef-prepared meals, unique Memory Care programming, fitness classes, and so much more, residents don't just live at Rio Terra, they thrive.

Media Contact

Gina Boggs, Rio Terra Senior Living, (830) 221-4800, gboggs@rioterralife.com

SOURCE Rio Terra Senior Living

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Rio Terra Senior Living Awarded as Multi-Year Best Memory Care Facility in New Braunfels - WFMZ Allentown

Special promotional content provided by Madison Public Library.

On Thursday, June 24, Madison Public Library and the All of Us Program at UW-Madison are hosting a virtual event called Take Pride in Your Care. This free event will feature speaker Jacqueline Boyd, founder of The Care Plan, as she shares how members of LGBTQ+ community can create better health and aging experiences.

The presentation will center around the importance of chosen family, some challenges people who identify as LGBTQ+ can face when seeking healthcare, and strategies for finding the right provider for your needs. Attendees will learn about self-advocacy in a medical setting, planning for care, and tips for long term wellness. Local resources such as the OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center and the recently published LGBTQ+ Wellness Guide from Madison Public Library will be highlighted.

Presenter Jacqueline Boyd is a long-time aging specialist and LGBTQ+ advocate. Her passion for health and aging started when she was a Certified Nursing Assistant in college.

Working in nursing homes gave me a deep appreciation for the struggles my LGBTQ+ community has faced throughout the aging process, said Boyd. The swift physical and cognitive changes and the lack of clear resources or advice left too many families in the dark about how to best support their loved ones. Empathy for that pain and uncertainty is what made me want to start The Care Plan and it still guides my actions today. Im excited to share some of the practical knowledge Ive gained of the healthcare system at this event.

This event is sponsored by New Chapters in Community Health, a partnership between Madison Public Library, Wisconsin Book Festival, and the All of Us Research Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With an intentional focus on African American, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and rural audiences, the event series explores topics crucial to the health and wellbeing of many in Wisconsin who have felt like they dont have a voice.

As we continue offering more health and wellness programming at Madison Public Library, it is important to us that we incorporate events that speak to and are informed by marginalized communities, said Community Engagement Coordinator Annie Weatherby-Flowers. The New Chapters in Community Health series has been a way for us to start and continue important discussions that acknowledge and address the disparities faced by these groups. The Take Pride in Your Care event is a great example of that because were able to connect people with local resources and provide tangible strategies for improving your healthcare experience as an LGBTQ+-identified person or ally.

Learn more about the event and sign up at: madpl.org/pride

Discover other events around health and wellness at: madpl.org/live-well

Originally posted here:

Madison Public Library's Take Pride In Your Care Event will Provide Resources for LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness During Pride Month - madison365.com

Jun. 22Area residents have the opportunity to directly participate in the state's redistricting process when the House Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Committee and the Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee hold a joint town hall hearing in Dalton on Wednesday, June 30.

Why is this important?

According to NPR, a "redistricting guru" (Thomas Hofeller) put it this way: "Usually the voters get to pick the politicians. In redistricting, the politicians get to pick the voters!"

That sounds like something you should be extremely interested in.

The Dalton hearing will be from 5 to 7 p.m. in room 144 of the Goodroe Auditorium at Dalton State College, 656 College Drive.

"During each town hall-style hearing, members of the committees will hear and receive input from residents regarding the state's redistricting process," the state House of Representatives said in a media advisory.

The Dalton hearing is just one of several being held around the state. The hearings will be live-streamed on the Georgia General Assembly website (https://www.legis.ga.gov/schedule/all). Written testimony from Georgia residents can be submitted using a form at https://tinyurl.com/y6hsvfda.

The League of Women Voters of the U.S. has an article titled "10 Things You Should Know About Redistricting" on its website (https://www.lwv.org/blog/10-things-you-should-know-about-redistricting).

Some highlights:

"Every 10 years, after the collection of the decennial census data, states redraw their state and congressional district lines. These districts determine how communities are represented at the local, state and federal levels. The redistricting process is fundamental in influencing how our government works for us."

"Redistricting determines who appears on your ballot, where you can vote, and can influence whether your elected officials respond to your needs."

"Redistricting is vulnerable to gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is the intentional manipulation of the redistricting process by the people in political power to keep or change political power. This can happen in a number of ways, such as by consolidating communities into one district, which gives that community only one representative in the legislature. Or by dividing the community across districts and ensuring that the community is always the minority and less likely to be adequately represented by their representatives."

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"Racial gerrymandering is the intentional manipulation of the redistricting process to reduce the political power of a certain racial group."

"Partisan gerrymandering is when districts are drawn in a way to give an unfair advantage to one political party, group or incumbent."

"We can curb gerrymandering through increased public input, accountability and transparent processes."

That's where you come in. It is up to you to demand fair, nonpartisan redistricting practices. With history as our guide, we know that politicians, as the League has pointed out, tend to abuse redistricting for their own partisan purposes.

Don't let them get away with it. They are asking for your participation. Whether that is a sincere request is up for debate.

But take them at their words. If you can, attend this redistricting hearing in Dalton. If you cannot attend, use the form to submit your views and demand accountability. And protect your interests by staying involved as the process moves forward.

This is your government. Take ownership of it and demand that it represent you fairly.

See the article here:

EDITORIAL: If you want redistricting to be done properly you have to get involved - Yahoo News

It was supposed to be priority #1 heading into the Texas legislative session. Now, it's the #1 concern heading into the summer.

The ERCOT power grid. Or better put, just ERCOT. It was supposed to be fixed. But it's not.

On the first semi-warm day of the spring? ERCOT asked asked customers to conserve energy, and raise their thermostats to 78 degrees.

This stunning announcement came after -two- bills were signed into law that Governor Greg Abbott said were "everything needed to be done to fix the power grid in Texas."

Jordan Davidson, who wrote about it in detail for The Federalist told KTRH, "Not a week later, everyone across Texas who has ERCOT as their grid is getting notifications that they have to turn their thermostats up."

Coincidence? Or is it maybe by design? If ERCOT fails again, Washington could come in and save the day, and take over the Texas power grid, further crippling the Lone Star state's independence.

Phil Barnett, an expert on the subject and owner of Barnett Energy, told KTRH it shouldn't be a surprise. "In this federal overreach, that is one thing that they think can do that will really subordinate Texas to the Fed" he said. "It's like the IRS says we're here to help you. Make no mistake, they're not here to help, and we just can't let that happen."

Another thing that happened, some Houston residents had their thermostats raised remotely by Texas power companies.

So now, Davidson says the push is on for Governor Abbott to again try to fix ERCOT during the special legislative session.

"A lot of communities and activist organizations are pulling together and asking the Governor to keep ERCOT and the power grid on the agenda" she said, It simply is not fixed, and it is not done."

As Jason Isaac of the Texas Public Policy Foundation told Davidson for her story, quote "Unfortunately, it's not a matter of 'if' Texans will lose power this summer. It's when."

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ERCOT? Why The Recent Power Grid Issues Could Be Intentional | NewsRadio 740 KTRH - NewsRadio 740 KTRH