Category Archives: Intentional Communities

Walkable Streets. Inviting Public Spaces. Cars, Bikes and Pedestrians Sharing the Road. Trees and Curbside Plantings. Informational Signage. All help create a sense of placeand of a place that is safe and inviting. What can Berks County learn from other communities, many facing the same challenges that we face?

Leaders from the Urban Land Institute will lead a Community Forum exploring how some other communities have attempted to create a safe, inviting and vibrant urban core. Many Berks County Communities are working to create more walkable main streets, building on the assets throughout the county. How can we be even more intentional in these place making efforts.

The Urban Land Institute is an international organization working to advance leadership around place making and creating thriving communities. They have been instrumental in developing strategies for communities as diverse as Philadelphia , Easton, Harrisburg, West Chester, Columbia and Camp Hill.

The Berks Alliance was formed by a group of anchor institutions who are dedicated to using their resources, individually and collectively, to stimulate community development in our region.

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Building Healthy Places: What can we learn from other communities - bctv.org

Seong Kim. Photo courtesy of APACE.

The census is relevant to civic engagement and political data staffers because it makes our work more accurate. As a data staffer, I help civic engagement organizations and their community organizers build people power in their communities, which often have been historically marginalized by our government. I provide access to and training for tools utilizing the voterfile, which is a database of all registered voters. Different Secretary of State offices across the nation have different voterfiles, but any given voterfile typically contains a great deal of data on every registered voter at the most recent time when they registered to vote.

The voterfile is integral to work in political campaigns as well as civic engagement programs because most campaigns and programs aim to drive their own preferred voter turnout as much as possible by hosting door to door canvass, phonebanks, mailers, emails, and peer to peer texting in order to contact voters, and the voterfile typically includes the necessary information (e.g. addresses, post office boxes, phone numbers, etc.) to make such intentional voter outreach possible.

Despite the importance of the voterfile, there are huge gaps to consider. The voterfile that is publicly available from a states Secretary of State office only includes information on registered voters. This gap might be okay for a political campaign given their short-term nature, but not so for community-based organizations such as the Asian and Pacific Islander Americans for Civic Engagement (APACE). These organizations typically have a longer-term vision than winning a particular election that is a few months away. They aim to make room on the table for historically marginalized communities so that the government works in a way that is more inclusive, accessible, and representative.

If organizations like APACE are limited to only reaching out to registered voters, then their programs would be hampered in working toward that longer term vision. One way to break past this limitation might be to simply knock on every door, call every number, and send mail to every box, but they usually dont have staff that number in the double digits, so such a program would be either impossible or prohibitively expensive. That is where census data comes in to address the gaps of the voterfile.

The census is carried out every 10 years, and it is without a doubt the most comprehensive and inclusive survey done in the United States because it aims to survey every resident in the country. The United States Census Bureau carries out the census, and they are probably the entity closest to having the funding and resources necessary to do such a survey. Information from the census is anonymized, so no one finds information on any one particular person, but demographic information on geographies (etc. states, counties, cities, etc.) gained from the census, is posted on publicly available government sources.

The demographic information is very comprehensive; it includes data on race and ethnicity, which is indispensable to groups like APACE that aim to increase the people power of Asian and Pacific Islander communities. I and other data staffers use this data to inform civic engagement groups decision making, thereby helping their programs be more accurate and equitable than they otherwise would be. Using the race and ethnicity data from the census, groups like APACE can precisely know which areas are best their best fit for outreach. This informed approach to outreach minimizes the number of contact attempts to voters who dont identify with a historically marginalized group, so it also makes equitable, precise outreach physically and financially possible.

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The data from the census is invaluable to civic engagement focused nonprofit organizations working toward long term political change - The...

Gravity is a feeling, says Atlanta-based multimedia artist Julie Nellenback Henry.

Creative people are restless, but gravity comes with maturity, she explains. My feet are now on the ground, and that feels good. The joy feels even better.

Joy and Gravity, an aptly named exhibition featuring Henrys signature collages, accentuates shared sentience by layering paint and found textiles sheets, aprons, pillowcases to create unabashedly imperfect art. I invite the viewer to feel the warmth, see how obviously handmade it is, and fall in love with imperfection, says Henry. The show opens at The Project House Gallery @ Curve Studios on Friday, March 13.

At just 240 square feet, The Project House Gallery is Ashevilles newest, most intimate exhibit space, and curator Marghe Means latest, most radical project. An art consultant in the corporate sphere, Means has spent the last 30 years curating art that works for conglomerates like Coca-Cola and Aflac. Now, she is curating art that works for her.

Ive met so many different artists over the years but havent had the opportunity to showcase their work. I want to bring them to communities where they havent had exposure, says Means.

To that end, The Project House Gallery will rotate regional artists bimonthly. Some are conceptual in style, others representational. Not necessarily every show is for everyone, Means admits. Nor are the shows meant to feel cohesive. Why and how people select artwork is a personal decision, and my personal art collection is eclectic, she says.

Rather, the space itself provides continuity. A little smaller than the average master bedroom, the gallery feels intentional but dramatic in its minimalism. Visitors give their undivided attention to one artist and will be provided with text that describes that artists point of view. Means envisions Henrys collages being especially powerful there the perfect showcase for what Henry calls a pared-down, visual language.

Her pieces are highly textured and dimensional. There are nuances you can only pick up in person, says Means, who rents studio space to Henry at Little Tree Art Studios in Atlanta. Charged with finding a rhythm for the next year at The Project House Gallery, she is reaching deep into her personal database of artists. She imagines Henry will serve as a counterpoint for everything to come.

She will bring an unconventional perspective to the River Arts District, Means says.

Henrys collage paintings of repurposed textiles are a relatively new development in her repertoire. Though she has always been a self-described dumpster diver forever inclined to rehab jettisoned materials the milestone of turning 50 gave her pause. And so, Henry reflected on her roots in the Adirondacks of New York, where her grandparents home was rife with midcentury modern furniture, her mothers renderings from design school at Rochester Institute of Technology and an overall tenor of creativity.

Henry then experienced a crystalline moment of self-awareness: Subconsciously, through observing her grandparents, she had always believed that if you made something with your hands, people would love and respect you. In creating, she was simply seeking love.

That sense of unapologetic humanity infuses her current work, as do the warm and modern sentiments of her grandparents home. The effect is subdued, quiet and poetic. Theres almost some raising of hope there, Henry says. A soulfulness, an honesty. Joy and gravity, if you will.

WHAT: Joy and GravityWHERE: The Project House Gallery @ Curve Studios, No. 3 River Arts Place, curvestudios.org/theprojecthouse and juliehenrystudio.comWHEN: Opening Friday, March 13, 5-8 p.m. with an artist talk on Saturday, March 14, 2 p.m. Exhibition remains on view through May 7

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The Project House Gallery brings 'Joy and Gravity' to the RAD - Mountain Xpress

Editor's note: R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, is the president and CEO of Nemours Children's Health System based in Jacksonville, Florida.

Its the year 2020, and its a beautiful day in the neighborhoodfor some children. Despite our countrys efforts towards improving socioeconomic factors like unemployment, teen pregnancy and high school graduation rates, we can still predict a childs health, their future income, and even their life span, based solely on their zip code. According to the Child Opportunity Index 2.0, a new report from Brandeis University, 10 million American children live in low-opportunity neighborhoods, which puts them at a stark disadvantage to those in high-opportunity areas.

Researchers analyzed 72,000 neighborhoods across America, examining factors such as access to good schools, parks, and healthy food. In all metropolitan areas, they found at least a seven-year difference in life expectancy between residents in low- and high-opportunity neighborhoods.

In a new white paper I recently published, How Children Can Transform the Economy and Healthcare, I note the leverage for strategic investments in the well-being of children to impact not only their own lives, but strengthen the outlook and contributions of the next generation of future U.S. citizens.

Weve known for decades that social, economic, and environmental factors have a major impact on health, yet our healthcare system persists in spending the vast majority of its resources on medical treatmentstests, surgical procedures, medications, and so on. However, a substantial body of evidence suggests that medical care actually accounts for only about 15% of our health.

The remaining 85% is determined by the multiple underlying factors that shape our livesincluding education, food security, employment, freedom from violence, avoidance of childhood trauma, access to transportation, and much more. By transforming healthcare from a system that pays for volume and complexity of medical services to a system that pays for a more holistic view of health, we can deeply impact the health of children today, and the next generation of adults.

According to a recent Harris Poll commissioned by Nemours, nearly two-thirds of American parents of children under 18 report at least one economic, environmental, or lifestyle factor that limits their familys ability to lead a healthy life. Sixty-eight percent of parents encountered at least one of these factors in the past 12 months: Being unable to pay one or more of their bills (32%), skipping a doctor/dentist appointment because they couldnt afford to pay for visits, or find transportation (32%), worrying about running out of food (23%), worrying about their familys personal safety (17%), trouble finding work or affordable child care (17% each), or being unable to find a grocery store with healthy food options (10%).

Our survey shows how shockingly normal it is for families to struggle to meet basic needs that are crucial for childrens health. While we must remain committed to providing the highest quality acute medical care when needed, we must also recognize that families need so much morefrom high-quality education to nutritious food to policies and programs that lift the health of entire communities. To do this, we must work together. Effective partnerships will amplify and extend the reach of our work to maximize the benefits for our children.

Related: Nemours CEO Larry Moss: Let's Invest More in Kids' Health

Were seeing health systems across the country find ways to connect their patients to resources that go far beyond medical treatment. At Nemours, were doing this through intentional collaboration with our community partners in early childhood education, adult care, food pantries, and more. Nemours and other childrens hospitals are doing this because it is a way to get more from the care we provide, and because its also a very smart investment in the future economic health of our country.

For example, a recent study from Opportunity Insights, a research group at Harvard University, examined the return on investment of 133 past and present federal social policies. Not surprisingly, those policies that directly targeted young children had the highest value because they continued to pay dividends long after childhood.

If we, as a society, would collectively address the social factors that influence childrens health, we would permanently improve the health and the economy of our country by reducing the toll from chronic diseases, creating a healthier, more productive workforce.

As trusted authorities with substantial infrastructures, childrens hospitals are well-positioned to lead the way. Through partnerships with social service agencies, government, and commercial payers, we can greatly magnify the effectiveness of the medical care we deliver by also addressing the underlying social determinants of health for all.

Dr. R. Lawrence Mosswas a participant at the HealthLeaders CEO Exchange last fall. The CEO Exchange is one of the healthcare thought leadership and networking events that HealthLeaders holds annually. Our CEO Exchange is an invitation-only event that brings together top leaders from across the country to participate in small discussion groups, share best practices, and network freely. To inquire about attending a HealthLeaders Exchange, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.

Care to share your view?HealthLeaders accepts original thought leadership articles from healthcare industry leaders in active executive roles at provider and payer organizations. These may include case studies, research, and guest editorials. We neither accept payment nor offer compensation for contributed content. Send questions and submissions to Erika Randall, content manager,erandall@healthleadersmedia.com.

Photo credit: Nemours Children's Health System President and CEO R. Lawrence "Larry" Moss, MD, delivers a presentation during a HealthLeaders CEO Exchange gathering in Park City, Utah. (HealthLeaders/David Hartig)

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Millions of Families Are Struggling to Meet Children's Basic Health Needs. Here's What We Can Do. - HealthLeaders Media

Mechanicsville, MD March 11, 2020 - Who knew that getting whiter teeth could brighten the lives of thousands of economically-disadvantaged children in the U.S. and around the world! This year St. Marys Dental is teaming up with the Crown Council for its annual Smiles For Life Campaign. The Crown Council, a prestigious alliance of leading-edge dentists across the globe who are strongly committed to promoting oral health, fighting oral cancer, and serving their communities through charitable work, will run the innovative and impactful effort from March 1 until June 30th this year. The campaign creates an amazing opportunity for a visit to the dentist to help make a difference in the lives of needy youth, locally and across the globe.

To support this deserving cause, one just schedules a teeth-whitening treatment at a participating a Crown Council dentist office nationwide. The member dentist donates his or her time and the service is even provided at a steeply-discounted rate, thanks to 100 percent of the whitening materials being generously donated by longstanding strategic partner Ultradent Products, Inc. All of the money used to pay for the service goes to childrens charities and humanitarian work, both locally and around the world.

Its a unique opportunity to improve the lives of disadvantaged children, while also enhancing your own smile, asserts Greg Anderson, director of the Crown Council. Its just a win-win situation all around. This is only possible thanks to the passion and dedication of our volunteer dentists and the wide range of Opalescence whitening products that Ultradent provides each year. The Ultradent team has worked really hard to earn its reputation as the nations premier tooth whitening company. Donations may also be made directly to the campaign by going to http://www.smilesforlife.org.

Half of the donations raised by St. Marys Dental are given to The Dream Queen Gals Lead Teen Program which helps develop confidence, connection, and career clarity to live your most awesome dream life. Girls gain the clarity and confidence needed to create intentional career paths they love ones that align with their divine passion and purpose.

The rest goes to the Smiles For Life Foundation, which supports national and international oral health and other programs benefiting economically-disadvantaged children across the world, including in the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Nepal and Guatemala. Smiles For Life also maintains a strong longtime partnership with the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation which supports Child Life Zones in Childrens Hospitals across the United States.

For more information on the campaign, please visit: http://smilesforlife.org/.

Contact St. Marys Dental today to get your teeth whitened for charity:

28160 Old Village RoadMechanicsville, MD 20659301-884-3248

About The Crown Council:

The Crown Council (http://crowncouncil.org/) is an alliance of driven, dedicated dentists who are committed to excellence in their practice, improving their patients oral health and bettering the communities around them. Since 1998, the Smiles For Life Foundation has provided opportunities for dentists to donate their time and talent to serve others in need through charitable work.

About The Dream Queen Foundation, Inc The mission of The Dream Queen Foundation (http://yourdreamqueen.com) is to offer a safe space where women and teen girls can come together to support one another and celebrate their dreams. They envision a world where all women and girls have the knowledge and support they need to step into positions of leadership and bring their whole selves to impacting the world, making it a more positive, peaceful, and joyful place to live. The Dream Queen Foundation offers networking, retreats, conferences, club programs, and workshops to help women and teen girls align careers with passion & purpose, embrace authenticity & transparency in positions of power & influence, and replace greed & corruption with heart centered leadership.

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Dentist Dr. Gina McCray and Dr. Kara McCray Demer, Whitening Teeth, Brightening The Lives of Needy Kids - Bay Net

To the Editor:

Re Anxious Times for Visible Jews as Communities Clash (news article, Feb. 17) and I Am a Haredi Jew, Not an Extremist (Op-Ed, Feb. 21):

As a secular Jewish woman, I can dwell on the seemingly vast distance between my conservative Jewish upbringing and that of Haredi Jews. But now is the time for secular Jews to reach across that distance and build connection and solidarity. After all, although anti-Semitism takes different forms, it affects all of us.

Last year, as I dropped my 2-year-old at his small neighborhood Jewish preschool in brownstone Brooklyn, I pulled back a makeshift covering on the door to find a swastika there, discovered (and covered up) by staff members minutes before morning drop-off.

As a deputy commissioner at the New York City Commission on Human Rights, I helped develop a recent public awareness campaign to combat anti-Semitism. It features the names and faces of both Haredi and secular Jews smiling proudly at the camera.

It was intentional, and no small feat, to make sure that New York Citys diverse and beautiful mosaic of Jewish communities were represented side by side. No matter the particulars of what may divide us, our shared heritage and common threat must unite us to say that we belong here and that anti-Semitism does not.

To the Editor:

Re Mayor Pete Flew Sky High (column, nytimes.com, March 1):

I teared up reading Frank Brunis moving reflection on Pete Buttigiegs historic candidacy. Mayor Pete meant so much to me personally.

Right around the time when he announced his exploratory committee, I was told by my rabbinical school that I could not be ordained as a rabbi because of my public identity as a gay man and engagement to another man.

That was a dark time for me personally, and reading Mayor Petes book and getting to know him inspired me and presented me with a role model.

Mr. Bruni focused on Petes thoughtfulness. Watching how Pete navigated his position as a trailblazer without being defined by it helped me in my own similar path, as I was the first openly gay man ordained by an Orthodox rabbi anywhere, in May 2019.

Thank you, Mayor Pete.

(Rabbi) Daniel AtwoodNew York

To the Editor:

Re For National Security Council, a Mission Turns Upside Down (front page, Feb. 22):

According to one who should know Gen. Colin Powell, the former national security adviser under President Ronald Reagan the head of the National Security Council is first and foremost a process manager.

He continued: He must insure that the president gets full, objective, coherent and balanced recommendations on issues he must decide. He cannot allow unpleasant information to be shunted aside. He cannot allow the decision process to ill serve the president by keeping from him minority perspectives. The national security adviser must make sure that the president hears the strongest views as well as the weakest views.

But this process will work only if the president himself wants to hear these views and consider them.

Apparently President Trump does not. Only his views count.

Karl F. InderfurthMcLean, Va.The writer served on the National Security Council staff in the Carter administration and was co-editor of Fateful Decisions: Inside the National Security Council.

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Anti-Semitism Affects All Jews, Not Just the Orthodox - The New York Times

The port of Oakland spans more than 800 acres of land along the waterfront and includes 20 berths and an international airport. Its towering cranes are the first thing to greet visitors driving in from San Francisco, a constant flow of trucks and containers humming below.

California officials chose the port this week to dock the Grand Princess, the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship originally headed for San Francisco, citing the ports scale and its transportation connections. Emergency workers would easily be able to isolate an 11-acre stretch while passengers disembarked to their quarantine locations, officials said.

But to many in Oakland, a historically more racially diverse and impoverished city long overshadowed by its counterpart across the bay, the decision however rational - plucked at old hurts, steeped in racial and environmental discrimination.

Theres a feeling, particularly among people of color in this city, that things keep happening to us and not for us, said Oakland activist Cat Brooks. When something like this [cruise ship] happens, that allows for a breeding ground of hysteria and mistrust.

The decision over the Grand Princess fanned a longstanding tension between San Francisco and Oakland, a dynamic entrenched in inequality and economic disparity. San Francisco became the center of the latest tech boom, while Oakland remained its rustier, more industrial counterpart. Oakland was the place San Franciscans turned to for affordable housing, until Oaklanders could no longer afford to live in their own city.

The median household income in San Francisco is more than $104,000 while in Oakland, its $68,000. San Franciscos poverty rate teetered at 11% while Oaklands pushed 18%. Oakland had the Golden State Warriors then the star basketball team moved to San Francisco after becoming a dominant force in the NBA.

If you look at the type of comments that Oakland people have been posting about on social media, its not like anybody would wish ill on the ship passengers, the Oakland council member Rebecca Kaplan said. Its that this is a pattern and a history that San Francisco treats Oakland this way. Theyre using Oakland to solve a San Francisco problem.

Its a continuing theme, she said. Kaplan pointed to Oaklands current housing affordability crisis, which she blames in part on San Franciscans moving to Oakland for cheaper housing and then driving up the costs.

San Francisco builds jobs but not housing, and then expects Oakland to house the workforce that serves the profits of San Francisco, Kaplan said. That has been an ongoing problem for at least a couple of generations.

This cuts particularly deeply in communities of color, which comprise almost 72% of Oaklands population, many of whom found themselves getting pushed out of their own neighborhoods. Jhamel Robinson, an Oakland activist who co-founded BBQn While Black after a white woman called the police over two black men barbecuing at Lake Merritt, called this the gentrification plague.

For Robinson and other Oaklanders of color, this was why the decision to reroute the cruise ship to Oakland felt insidious. The West Oakland neighborhoods bordering the port are historically some of the citys poorest and most polluted. Last month, a West Oakland high school was shut down after trichloroethylene was found in the groundwater under the campus.

While the risk of viral contamination is low the ships passengers were isolated and moved to quarantine outside the city, with none remaining in the community for some of Oaklanders, it felt like an intentional risk.

I think that its important for people to remember that for black people in particular, theres no logical reason for us to believe anything that comes out of the mouths of health officials, government officials or elected officials, Brooks said. When you look at the history of sterilization, experimentation, purposely infecting people, theres a long history in this country where black people were purposely exposed for a variety of different reasons.

Assembly member Rob Bonta, who represents Oakland, addressed these issues in a Facebook post.

It makes it seem like people in these communities dont matter

I am very sensitive to the perception that the Grand Princess being berthed and disembarked at the Port of Oakland instead of in San Francisco is wrong and unjust, he wrote. Frankly, that was my first reaction. It is absolutely appropriate to view this through the historical context and lens of environmental racism and injustice in Oakland, specifically in West Oakland, including exposure to toxics, dirty air and lead.

But from my vantage point and in my estimation, after being briefed, informed and hearing directly from the team collaborating to execute this operation, my view is that the disembarkation operation of the Grand Princess is not at all the same.

Kaplan made a point to note that objections to the decision to dock had nothing to do with the passengers on the ship. Oakland is always willing to take in refugees, she said. But officials could act quickly to protect Oaklands vulnerable populations in the same way they acted quickly to dock the cruise ship.

Yes, the state should stand up for the people on the ship, but also for the people in danger on the streets right now, she said. A bunch of high-ranking state officials moved heaven and earth to help them, and bless them, but we have people in desperate need, people who need hand-washing stations and public toilets right now, and the state needs to take action.

BBQn While Black had collaborated with the group, You Are My Sista, on a community baby shower to take place in West Oakland. After the cruise ship docked, Robinson said they decided to postpone the event as a precaution.

Its frustrating, he said. Were trying to do something good for the community and trying to give back to the community and it feels like these barriers are in the way. We chose West Oakland [for the event] because we know theres a dire need there.

A need, he said that is now put on hold for the needs of the passengers on the cruise ship.

To me personally, it makes it seem like people in these communities dont matter, he said.

Original post:

'People here don't matter': arrival of coronavirus-hit ship in Oakland plucks at old hurts - The Guardian

In just a few months time, Worcester will be home to not one, not two, not even three, but four video game bars. Four businesses, spread throughout the city, are making the same bet, albeit with different business models, that the good people of this city want somewhere to drink and game at the same time.

A trend that has in recent years spread rapidly along the East Coast is descending on Worcester all at once. Between Savepoint Tavern, which has been open for months, and the soon-to-open Free Play, Pixel & Pint, and All Systems Go, Worcester gamers will not be wanting for a watering hole.

So what gives? Why are we seeing so many entrepreneurs stake a claim at the nexus of booze, gaming and the Paris of the '80s?

The owners of each establishment in some way cited Worcesters recent spike in development activity and the subsequent narrative of a city on the rise. They also cited the relatively cheap real estate compared to Boston, the large population of young people, and the central location.

But a more objective observer sees more at play. Tim Loew, executive director of Mass Digital Games Institute and general manager of the varsity esports program at Becker College, said that the convergence on Worcester is in part an acknowledgement of the growing influence of gamer culture.

They see an opportunity, in games and games culture, which is huge, to connect with younger generations and older generations, to bring them back out to neighborhood restaurants and bars, said Loew. Youre competing with Netflix and video games and other in-home entertainment, and the idea is to bring that in-home entertainment out.

With the huge and growing popularity of video game streaming on platforms such as Twitch, the emergence of esports as a legitimate market competitor to traditional sports, and online communities growing on forums like Reddit and Discord, gaming culture is perhaps more popular and more mainstreamed than it has ever been. Look to the 2018 League of Legends final tournament, which drew more viewers than the Super Bowl that year 100 million unique viewers to the Super Bowls 98 million.

But, Loew said, games culture is not monolithic. Theres a broad range of different interests and expectations within the culture, and each of the four bars planned for Worcester targets a different slice of the market.

To the untrained eye, they may appear the same, but to the initiated, they are very different. Free Play, which is taking over the Maxwell Silverman's space on Union Street, will offer hundreds of cabinet and arcade games, from crowd favorites such as skee-ball and air hockey to obscure old-school arcade games such as "Dragons Lair." The Highland Street-based Savepoint Tavern, on the other hand, focuses on console games. The space is stuffed with TVs hooked up to Xbox Ones, Nintendo Switches and Playstations. Pixel & Pint, on Grafton Street, is attacking the arcade game side of things, but with an intentional '80s theme and games tailored to match. All Systems Go, on Shrewsbury Street, directly targets esports. That business hopes to be a hub for competitive tournaments one of the first of its kind anywhere and as such the space is built out around a massive LED screen set on a stage designed for two teams of players.

I think what we'll end up with is a good set of options for people who love games to get out of their home, get out of their dorm room, and get out in the community, said Loew.

Savepoint Tavern

I met Savepoint Tavern owner Brian Huff on a recent afternoon a few hours before the bar was set to open. The Highland Street location, previously occupied by a restaurant, 57 Grill, and a nightclub before that, is small and slightly idiosyncratic. The walls arent perfect 90-degree angles and the interior is filled with wavy glass brick fixtures that vaguely allude to a different time. One such fixture, originally designed as a DJ booth, now serves as a two-person arcade game simulator station.

A few small tables near the entrance are just about the only seating in the entire bar that doesnt face a screen, though theres a projector feet away. Otherwise, TVs hooked to gaming consoles line the main bar, a rail for solo players, and what would traditionally be the dining room, except this dining room is full of couches facing TV screens. The bar has every console you could dream up, from classic Nintendo to Nintendo Switch, Sega to Playstation 4. A virtual reality system along the back wall has proven a big hit, Huff said.

Savepoint has been open for about six months, making it something of a test case in whether Worcester will be receptive to video game bars. As with any new business, Huff and the crew have shifted and adapted over the months to the clientele. Theyve added trivia, and theyre building out a more robust board-game menu. Theme nights, like Marvel and Harry Potter, have been a big hit, as have weekly competitive tournaments in games such as Mario Kart, Teken and Ascension Towerfall.

On most nights, the business runs lean a cook, a bartender and a games guy and the space can handle about 75 people at one time.

While Huff was expecting, given the location, a good chunk of its business coming from WPI students, it hasnt quite worked out that way, he said. More so, its Worcester locals mixed with people traveling into the city from places like Marlboro, Hudson and Fitchburg for a gaming bar experience. When the business first opened, it was mostly solo players, but recently Savepoint has been more parties of two or three.

With a full kitchen and a full bar, Savepoint is reminiscent of a down-home and cozy neighborhood bar, except for the infusing of games and gaming culture. For Huff, a self-described lifelong gamer, thats part of what makes Savepoint stand out. Savepoints unrepentant embrace of nerd culture will endear it to the right customer base.

"Everybody here is a part of that culture. We're all gamers, we're all nerds, we're all foodies, he said. That gives us a lot of flexibility to be versatile and to keep it new every time.

All Systems Go

While Savepoint has the vibe of a cozy local bar, All Systems Go, on Shrewsbury Street, has a flashiness to it, and a bit of a wild ambition. With a sleek interior, a large seating space, and a massive, 46-foot LED screen, All Systems Go hopes to position itself as a premier hub on the East Coast for esports a market that might seem niche, but has an audience large as some professional sports.

I met with co-owners Devin LaPlume and Amber Beck inside the large, unfinished space at 225 Shrewsbury St. When it is finished theyre hoping for a spring open the space will feature a stage and viewing area, a full bar, a coffee bar, a kitchen and a space for friendly cooperative play. What theyre shooting for is something truly novel on the East Coast.

"There's no day-to-day operation right now that handles esports that's open to the public, that's a bar. There's no esports bar, really, said Devin LaPlume. This brand is hopefully the emerging brand in that space, and we're looking to go to market right after and open more locations. So this is the first one."

They hope to host tournaments both local and national, and will make streaming on platforms like Twitch a part of the business model. The venture is based heavily on the bet that esports, among younger generations, will grow increasingly popular.

"Thats because everyone can relate, though," said Beck. I don't play football, I don't care. But I care about something I can go on and play."

The Shrewsbury Street location nestles the business squarely within a neighborhood already teeming with dozens of options for food and drink. What the All Systems Go team hopes to add to the neighborhood is a solid after-dinner entertainment option, while also catering to the wider world of esports as a destination for tournaments.

We're not here to compete. We're here to bring entertainment to an area where a lot of people go out to. I feel like a lot of people come out to Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, and they want to get a bite to eat, and they want to have a drink, but they dont know what to do after. Theres no entertainment after that, there's nothing to do late night. So I think that's what we offer to people, said Devin.

Esports, though wildly and increasingly popular, is about as decentralized as a sport can be. Most, if not all, of the action occurs online and via streaming. Last year, Worcester was host to a well-attended Super Smash Brothers tournament at the DCU Center Conference Center, but outside that, the area has seen little activity by way of esports. Naturally, it begs the question of "why Worcester?"

This city is undergoing one of the biggest revitalization processes on the East Coast, said Devin. So that, when we were looking at different markets all the colleges here, too, and the introduction of the stadium it was an easy answer to come here and set up shop.

Pixels & Pints

Savepoint and All Systems Go take unique approaches, but they are what a gamer might call console-based bars. Their draw is in the world of newer, digital video games. Pixels & Pints, on Grafton Street, offers something decidedly different. Heavy on retro feel, the relatively small space will offer a catered '80s-style arcade experience, with wall art, a drink and food menu and a bar to match. The centerpiece of the establishment, the bar is carved out of an old-school metal shipping container.

Owner Jason Eastty is no stranger to Worcester. His first venture was Escape Games Worcester, which he sold several years ago to pursue either an axe throwing bar or an arcade bar. Worcester is his home turf, the place where he says he feels most comfortable opening businesses. Pixels & Pints, which is set to open within the next several months, is something he feels Worcester folk gamer or not will find an attractive place to spend a night.

I always want to bring something new and exciting to Worcester that hasnt been there before. And I did that for a couple years and I kind of got bored and realized I wanted to do something else, Eastty said. That next thing was going to be axe throwing or arcade bar, and I settled on arcade bar. I just, I always want to bring something cool and new to Worcester for entertainment. There's definitely a need for entertainment venues in Worcester.

Worcester folk, he said, will be blown away by the space, with its tight '80s concept, selection of arcade games, and ambitious food and drink menu. Experimental cocktails and craft beer will be a focus, he said, as will a small but ambitious food menu, which he was reticent to disclose publicly.

Unlike the other three, its possible the games may not end up being the main feature of the establishment, but rather an add-on to what would otherwise be a fun, cool bar.

The main pitch for us and the way we design this is even if you don't want to come and play arcade games, if that's not your jam, you'll still want to come to us because of how we're built out, because of our general feel, and our food and drink menu, he said. It is going to be very unique. If you dont care about video games, you'll want to come hang out here.

Free Play

For lack of a better phrase, Free Play aims to be a free-for-all. Tucked inside the old Maxwell Silverman's space at 25 Union St., roughly 8,500 square feet, Free Play is an arcade bar that will feature more than 100 cabinet-style arcade games as well as old-school favorites like air hockey, pinball and skee-ball. The business is very much a replication of the companys first location in Providence, where folks pay a flat cover fee for unlimited access to every game in the establishment. With a full bar and a light food menu, Free Play aims to be a destination for both hardcore gamers seeking rare and out of the way retro games, and casual bar-goers hoping for a bit of arcade activity to accompany their night on the town.

The Providence location of Free Play has operated for about two and a half years now with success. The Worcester location, which is already visible on the street with a large stand-alone sign and embroidered window awnings, is less than a month away from opening, barring any setbacks. The owners hope to have Free Play open to the public by the end of March.

I met with two of the three partners inside the space on a recent afternoon. The space bore only a cursory resemblance to the old Maxwell Silvermans space the brick walls, an old steel boiler cover and beaten-down wood support beams. Otherwise, the space was packed with cabinet console games as a crew of about a dozen hurried around the space, installing and positioning games. As we spoke, in the middle of what would become the main game floor, a crew of three worked to install and balance the panels on which people will one day play Dance Dance Revolution.

I think its going to take off a lot faster than it did in Providence, said Jay Leone, one of the three owners and a game collector responsible for most, if not all, of the games inside the space.

Theres a lot of talk around it already, a lot of hype around it, said Leone. We havent really advertised at all, but people are asking us daily, you know, Are you guys open? When are you opening?'

At Free Play, everything takes second-place to the games. A full-service bar and a light food menu will keep people in the space, but the draw is unabashedly the full access to a wide array of arcade games. But that draw, from Leones estimation, is split between what you might call hardcore gamers and the casual fan looking for a somewhat different night out.

I would say it's probably 5 to 10 percent hardcore gamers who went to arcades and really want to relive this, said Leone, speaking of his experience with the Providence location. And then the other 80 to 90 percent are folks who have never experienced an arcade before. Who come and say Wow this is so cool. This is what it was like 30 or 40 years ago.

As such, the business is geared heavily toward nostalgia, while not sacrificing it for more modern games like "Dance Dance Revolution" which have proven popular mainstays. Interspersed with the big hits are more niche '80s arcade games like "Dragon Slayer," "PacMan," "DigDug" and others. Part of it, Leone said, is an appeal to the hardcore gamer, but perhaps more so, its a recognition that nostalgia for the '80s pervades the culture.

In music, in television, in media, everything about it is retro, he said. This is hitting at the right time.

Who will last?

Though different in a multitude of ways, all four video game bars open or set to open are attempting to cash in on the same general trend. It begs the natural question of winners and losers, which only time will truly answer.

Looking a bit deeper, All Systems Go and Savepoint have more in common with each other, with their focus on modern console games. And both Pixel & Pint and Free Play are offering a more old-school arcade experience.

But the natural question of whether there will be one victor in the race to capture the video game bar market is something at which Tim Loew, of MassDIGI, balks.

I think they can all benefit from each others marketing schemes. Rather than just one lone operator, we have four operators broadcasting and marketing.

Each business offers something a touch different, and it remains to be seen what model will prove successful in Worcester, he said. But Worcester, he pointed out, is a market for a public video game experience that has been untested since the last of the arcades shuttered several decades ago.

I think its pretty cool that Worcester is becoming a center for this, said Loew. Tip of the hat to all these entrepreneurs who are taking the risk, coming here and building their business around games.

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Ahead Full Tilt! Whats with all the video game bars coming to Worcester? - Worcester Mag

Mar. 10 /CSRwire/ - By:Aditi Mohapatra, Managing Director, BSR andAnnelise Thim, Manager, BSR

As we enter the 2020s, BSR is eager to set the stage for how we can deliver gender equality in this decisive decade. The goalposts have been set: the Sustainable Development Goals state that we shouldnt aim for global gender equality by 2030we need toachieveit.

The roadmap is also in place: the Womens Empowerment Principles lay out a series of steps that companies can work toward to advance gender equality across their operations. At the same time, data from the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap report demonstrate that women are actually falling further behind in terms of economic parity, making us all too aware of just how far we still have to go.

At BSR, we are committed to working with our members to chart out a path that gets us to equalityquickly. Here is what we think needs to happen to achieve gender equality in this decisive decade:

1. Companies need to dial up their ambition.

Nearly every major company has committed to increasing the number of women in leadership or published a statement on the importance of diverse and inclusive workplaces. Until now, many companies needed to be convinced of the business case for equality or on business role and opportunity to influence change. For the next decade, we need greater ambitiona shift away from broad corporate commitments and toward specific goals and metrics that chart a clear and measured path to equality. Equality in leadership, in pay, in safe and respectful workplaces, in the supply chain, and beyond.

There are some outstanding examples of this ambition in practice:Salesforcehas gone beyond tracking and reporting its annual gender pay gapand isnow making the necessary pay adjustments to close the gap, committing USD$10.3 million over the past four years. Cisco andUberhave taken the bold step of sharing data on sexual harassment complaints and occurrences. While not an easy step to take, this move underscores the companies commitment and establishes additional accountability to ensure employee and client safety.

Still, we need even more companies across all sectors to advance women to the highest levels of the organization. The percentage of women in global management roles has unfortunately steadied around25 percent globally, and new thinking, curiosity, and creative approaches will be necessary to accelerate towards equitable leadership. For example, women are severely underrepresented in line functions and STEM roles. Given that these positions are often the pipeline to management and leadership opportunities, there is a need to put a particular focus on increasing the representation of women in these high-quality, high-earning roles.

2. Companies need to partner and work collaboratively together to scale efforts.

Since the Beijing Platform for Action 25 years ago, we have not seen a global convening on its scale or magnitude focused on womens rights. This year, however, the Generation Equality Foruma gathering of governments, civil society organizations, and companieswill seek to set the stage for ambitious global action on womens rights. It will provide an important entry point for companies to learn, share, and partner to achieve the scale and partnerships necessary to accelerate progress. Multi-stakeholderAction Coalitionswill launch targeted actions for 2020-2025 to deliver tangible results for women and girls. In addition, all actors, including businesses, are invited to make their own commitments to advancing womens empowerment.

Of course, many companies are not waiting for this moment to get started. Partnerships such asBusiness Action for Women,Paternity Leave Taskforces,Unstereotype Alliance,Target Gender Equality,Deliver for Good Business Ally Network, and others are highlighting what is possible when businesses work together to remove barriers for gender equality.

3. Companies need to be mindful of the new climate for business.

The conversation on gender equality needs to take place in the context of the changes already taking place in the workplace, in communities, and for issues like climate change globally. The changing nature of work, fromautomationto entirelynew business models, will have a differentiated impact on women. Businesses have an opportunity to be intentional and deliberate about how their approach to achieving gender equality intersectswith disruptions to their workplace and workforce over the next decade as these changes accelerate. By designinginclusive future of work strategies, companies can address both the systemic challenges faced by women at work as well as the new challenges presented by new work structures and gaps in social protections.

A new policy landscape sets a high bar for companies to protect and promote women throughout their operationsfor example, the ILO Convention on Violence and Harassmentsets out an international standard and guidanceon addressing this critical issue in the workplace. But again, moving from commitment to action is paramount, beginning with ratification of the Convention at the country level and then with individual companies revising policies, risk assessments, and grievance mechanisms to ensure they are aligning with international best practice. In some regions, critical protections for women related to sexual and reproductive health are being rolled back. Asthe business casefor how these issues impact workplaces becomes clearer, more companies are being asked to address these changes, engage in reproductive health policy, and understand the implications for their employees.

Finally, all decisions over the next decade will need to be made in the context of our warming climate. While climate change impacts everyone, marginalized groups, including women, are particularly impacted due to socioeconomic barriers, which include having alimited voice in decision-making and limited access to critical resources. Women and the role they play in communitiesboth on the front lines of climate impacts, and also in designing solutionsshould be front of mind for companies. Research shows that more women in decision-making and leadership roles has a positive impact on sustainable natural resource management and climate change solutions. These two areas, traditionally managed very separately, should seea greater convergenceas the linkages between gender equality and climate changeare further understood.

Most of the issues facing companies and women are not new, but the urgency and growing momentum for change is unparalleled. At BSR, we believe that every company has a role to play in achieving gender equality both individually and through collective action. To support this, BSR has developed a suite of tools to help companies address many of these issues, from updating policies aligned with the ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment to identifying synergies between their approaches to climate and womens empowerment for greater impact. For the decisive decade ahead, companies can make progress on gender equality by moving from commitments to action to create an equitable workplace that works for everyone. Pleasereach outto BSR's women's empowerment team for more information on steps to take.

Originally appeared onBSR.

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Business Action to Achieve Gender Equality in the Decisive Decade - CSRwire.com

Im twenty six years old, and I have never lived alone.

I grew up in boarding schools and community centers, and when I left home for college overseas, I found myself jumping from one shared living arrangement to the next. I admit, part of me wanted to save money, but also, I didnt want to be all by myself.

Well, these past two years, my housing situation has been quite different, but not in the way I expected: For the first time in my life, I shared a house with friends who happened to share my own social and environmental concerns. It felt more possible (if not, more hopeful) to live sustainably, in the face of overwhelming scientific and economic realities.

Together, we recycled, carpooled when we could, repurposed old shirts as napkins, split a CSA box, started a compost, and even tried our hand at square foot gardening. We joked about calling our house the green-house and one day starting our own tiny house community. My handyman housemate even started drawing up plans for a tiny house.

Id serendipitously fallen into an accidentalintentional community.

Youve probably heard these terms floating aroundintentional community, ecovillage, commune, housing cooperativesbut what do they mean? What exactly is an intentional community anyway?

For starters, its not just a commune or a hippie house.

According to the Fellowship for Intentional Community (FIC), an intentional community refers to any custom-made community. Intentional community is an umbrella term that includes ecovillages, cohousing, residential land trusts, income-sharing communes, student co-ops, spiritual communities, and other projects where people live together on the basis of explicit common values.

Whether the communitys binding purpose is environmental responsibility, religious, political, or spiritual beliefs, social activism, the arts, or being a good neighbor, intentional communities commit to varying degrees of a shared, sustainableand often countercultural lifestyle. (So, okay, a commune is an intentional community, but an intentional community is not always a commune.)

The FIC directory lists 1,759 forming and established intentional communities spread across every American state and Puerto Rico. Turns out, I live near a few.

So, with my roommate in tow, I checked out a cohousing community called Blueberry Hill Cohousing Community in Vienna, Virginia, a small, picturesque neighborhood nestled in an unlikely suburban spot: a short drive from the mega-mall, Tysons Corner, and bordered on one side by McMansions and a farm on the other.

Cohousing is legally and financially identical toa condominium associationits a private home ownership collective, and they have a board of directors, no shared income, and no special tax breaksexcept that residents actively participate in the planning of the community. Sure, some cohousing communities might also have mandatory resident meetings, shared meals, and chores, but every community does it differently.

The day we visited Blueberry Hill, it was warm, humid, and Betsy, one of the original residents at Blueberry Hill, welcomed us wearing shorts and a faded t-shirt, sporting the word: Smile. We parked on the outskirts of the neighborhood, next to the common house, a shared facility where residents have community meals, gatherings, and access to things like games and movies.

The homes were clustered, with kitchens facing out onto the neighborhood. And as Betsy gave us the tour across the pedestrian-only paths connecting the homes, we ducked in and out of the homes, and said hello to a few residents who were enjoying the summer afternoon on their wrap-around porches.

When I spoke to Ann Zabaldo, former president of the Cohousing Association of the US, she pointed out these same architectural principles in her own community at Takoma Village Cohousing in the DC metropolitan area. These principles help increase the incidental interplay that builds the bonds between communitiesneighbors you interact with because you run into them on the way to your car, or because you see them walk home from work.

In turn, this connection facilitates the sharing economy that can mean everything from the ability to stay longer in your homes as you age, to readily available caregiving and babysitting resources for busy parents, or for Ann, a writer and wheelchairuser, something as simple as the ability to have her neighbor pop by real quick to change a lightbulb she cant reach.

Anns lived in community most her life, and for all the challenges that come with living in communityor any human relationship, for that mattershe still loves it. Its Mardi Gras everyday, she tells me, and laughs.

Here are some things to consider before you apply to live in an intentional community.

What do you care most about? How can living in community help enhance your personal goals?

There are so many communities out there, each with different intentions and expectations, whether its an ecovillage like Headwaters Garden and Learning Center in Vermont, where sustainable developmentor what owner, developer, and founder, Gwendolyn Hallsmith, calls meeting human needs today without harming the needs of tomorrows generationis the driving force; or Koinonia Farm, a Christian intentional community in Georgia, which aims to embody peacemaking, sustainability, and radical sharing.

A great place to start is the Fellowship of Intentional Communities directory. What state do you want to live in? Do you want to live in a rural, urban, or suburban setting? How much independence do you want versus community? The FIC directory will give you everything from basic demographic information to community expectations and practices.

Most places will strongly recommend this, as it will give you a feel for the place. Some places might even require a trial run period, to see if you are a good fit.

Are you able to get along with people you dont like? Do you cope well with change? Some people make the mistake of thinking that intentional communities come with a built-in best-friend network, and most of the time, thats simply not the case. Choose an intentional community that serves you where you are in life right now, and not simply where you think you should be. Intentional communities arent for everyone, and thats okay.

Our lease is coming to an end and Ive been slowly boxing up my room. My housemate broke down the square foot garden the other day, too, which made me sad. Living intentionally was wonderful in so many ways,but Ill admit, its also no easier than living anywhere else.

Over the past two years, Ive learned what it looks like to be accountable for my beliefs on a day-to-day basisand I have my intentional community to thank for that.

Update, June 30, 2015: A previous version of this article stated that cohousing communities were similar to condominium associations, when in fact cohousing communities are legally and financially identical to condominum associations. The article has been updated to reflect this change.

Ah-reum Han was born in South Korea, but bred on the sandy savannas of West Africa. Shes been to five different continents, but learned to keep her feet still long enough to get her B.A. in Creative Writing and Cross-cultural Sociology from Carson-Newman University and her M.F.A.in fiction fromGeorge Mason University.

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I Stumbled Into an Intentional Community. Heres What I ...