Category Archives: Intentional Communities

The ferry crossing from Washington state to British Columbia, more than three hours of uninterrupted travel, provided the time and luxury to read the Sunday edition of The Globe and Mail. On that December day in 2019, a story about an Indigenous Metis family dominated the front page, a description of young parents who had lost custody of their three children all under the age of 5 and were trapped in a bureaucracy that had traumatized everyone.

No Way Out was written and researched by Nancy Macdonald, who spent a year interviewing family members and examining the Canadian child welfare system, where Indigenous children are taken from their families at a rate 10 times higher than non-Indigenous families. The story detailed not only how a system repeatedly fails Indigenous families but reflected on the deeper context and greater crisis in Canada, connecting the dots from a contemporary problem to its roots.

Central to the modern context is the 100-year legacy of residential schools, beginning with the Indian Act of 1876 and extending through most of the 20th century, when more than 150,000 children were sequestered, many stolen from their homes without their familys or communitys permission. Residential schools were part of the governments goal to assimilate Indigenous people by severing them from their culture, language and stories, coupled with the notion that was the basis of residential schools in the late 1800s: to save the child, you must kill the Indian. These actions are another way to describe genocide.

The Globe and Mail article patiently described a social structure imposed by governments that failed Native citizens, embodied by this familys hardships when things go wrong, then right, then wrong again when people navigate the ups and downs of love, domestic violence, drugs and jail to become ensnared in a formal bureaucracy. The story described a social system that doesnt work.

In todays mainstream U.S. news, coverage of Indigenous communities challenges and strengths is sporadic, uneven and barely visible. Consider, for example, mental health, which is not well understood in popular media. Thanks to recent coverage of celebrities such as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry andMeghan) and champion tennis player, Naomi Osaka, narratives are emerging that help destigmatize mental conditions.

Not so for Indigenous communities. Suicide looms large in Native America with rates more than 30% higher than the population as a whole. Where are the stories that dig into questions of why American Indians and Alaska Natives die by suicide? Suicide in Indigenous communities is so underreported that Project Censored listed it among the most hidden stories of 2020. Invisibility in mainstream media has a disturbing consequence: it becomes a form of erasure.

There is, we believe, a greater and welcomed emphasis recently to report about Indigenous communities. But the most committed and ambitious coverage comes from Indigenous-led news teams and networks, guided by a small but growing cadre of Indigenous journalists, editors, broadcasters, bloggers and photographers who are increasingly delivering a Native American perspective to the national conversation.

One simple example is an Indian Country Today story about the droves of North American cicadas set to emerge from the soil after years of living as nymphs underground. Mary Annette Pember, national correspondent for Indian Country Today, tells the science story but adds an element likely to be overlooked in mainstream coverage: How did Native ancestors treat the cicadas? The title of her article, Cicadas: the Other White Meat, answers the question.

Bringing an Indigenous lens to storytelling is critical to making stories richer and expanding the breadth of reporting beyond the familiar and predominant white male perspective in journalism. The first step is to cultivate an awareness of Native-ness while asking: Is there an Indigenous link to the issues? Where is the Indigenous voice in a story? What can Indigenous people share with news audiences?

Another step is to build bridges between Indigenous communities and mainstream news outlets. Today, such partnerships are making inroads. The Associated Press has created AP StoryShare to facilitate sharing Indigenous stories with member news organizations. The Texas Observer and High Country News, among other newsrooms, both have Indigenous affairs desks. And our team, Underscore.news, covers Indigenous communities in partnership with Indian Country Today to increase coverage in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

There are other practical ways to address erasure in media and encourage reporting that makes Indigenous perspectives more visible. Heres what weve learned so far:

To build trust, media must be intentional about working in a new way reporting on issues that Indigenous communities tell us need attention. Approaching the relationship with the idea that were in this together is good practice.

At Underscore.news, that idea, simple yet vital, guides our journalism. We recruit intentionally to hire Indigenous staff, and we are honored to partner with the foremost national Native news outlet, Indian Country Today, to share an Indigenous beat reporter who is covering Indigenous stories in Oregon. Together, we are building coverage of Indigenous people and communities in the Pacific Northwest.

Underscores reporting is based on the values of justice, respect and ethical journalism. Our goal is to make Indigenous stories commonplace and the people who tell those stories more visible. This new blueprint for Indigenous coverage, we believe, will give voice to those who are not heard and better describe, ultimately, who we are as a country.

Cynthia-Lou Coleman, PhD, is the author ofEnvironmentalClashes on Native American Land(2020) and an enrolled citizen of the Osage Nation, and Jackleen de La Harpe serves as Executive Director of Underscore.news in Portland, Oregon.

This article was originally published by Underscore.news and is republished here with permission. Underscore.news is supported by grants and individual donations. Please consider making a donation for this important work, which will support their next Indigenous staff hire and build a stronger and more diverse newsroom as they expand our coverage in the Pacific Northwest.

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It's not easy to cover Indian Country. Here's why you must. Poynter - Poynter

VATICAN CITY (CNS) Instead of shouting down or shutting out people who support the latest conspiracy theory, deny scientific evidence or believe in fake news, a number of scholars are urging people to reach out, listen and talk to others in healthier ways.

Much of the polarization and animosity is being driven by assumptions and prejudices about the other side when, in reality, we actually agree on a ton of stuff and thats why this idea of deliberation is so important, said one of those scholars, Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation.

We can figure out in those conversations that we actually agree on a lot, said Kavanagh, who heads RANDs Countering Truth Decay initiative, which studies the decreasing reliance on facts and analysis in political and civil discourse in the United States. She was one of the experts invited to speak at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences Sept. 13-14.

When facing misinformation or paralyzing skepticism, people need to promote factual evidence from the bottom up, through face-to-face dialogue, said Ana Marta Gonzlez, a professor of philosophy at the University of Navarra and an academy member.

The way should be self-regulation by society, which supports freedom of speech grounded in ethics and professional standards and which creates communities of trust, she said.

The problem we are facing is a problem of trust, so there needs to be more avenues and occasions for the free exchange of views in a way that builds a sense of friendship, despite the disagreements, she said.

Increasingly polarized opinions, distrust and misinformation havent just ruined holiday dinners or interactions on social media; they are threats to democracy, communities and the ability to address serious challenges, according to a number of the speakers.

The growing disregard for facts by the public and political leaders has serious consequences for policymaking, inhibiting evidenced based decision-making to protect our planet, address social problems and alleviate human suffering around the globe, the academy said in its workshop booklet.

While intentional lying, especially by political leaders, is likely as old as civilization itself, we have entered a new era where truth, objective facts and science are increasingly under assault, it said, which is why the academy came together online and onsite to discuss, Truth and Post-Truth in Communication, Media and Society.

In a post-truth universe, truth still matters, but it is under attack, said Lee McIntyre, a research fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University.

If you dont like the truth, challenge it, pretend its not the case, provide a counter-narrative. You dont need to prove anything or even provide any evidence, just create enough doubt that your supporters have enough to hang their hats on, he said.

The taproot of todays post-truth world is science denialism, he said, which rejects empirically supported propositions and refuses to recognize when there is wide consensus.

The tobacco industry, for example, ran a hugely successful science denial campaign beginning in the 1950s when it hired public relations experts to refute and then cast doubt on any scientific evidence of the connection between tobacco use and cancer, he said. The pervasiveness of the manufactured doubt delayed action for decades on enacting regulations and providing health warnings to consumers.

Still, the tobacco industrys stalling tactics worked so well, McIntyre said, that other groups working to undermine trust in other fields, like climate science and vaccinations, have modeled their strategies after the tobacco industrys. These tactics have metastasized and can be used to deny any kind of reality, not just science, he said.

More education in media literacy and scientific literacy is needed to inoculate people against intentional mistakes and manipulation, said Kavanagh.

Its not about teaching people what to believe, she said, but its how to think about information; how to consume online information; what are the questions I need to ask to understand if this is a good source; who are the experts I should be turning to in this area; what is the scientific method; what counts as a rigorous study, how does scientific knowledge evolve.

This last feature is key because if people dont understand how science works and that previous conclusions might change as more data comes in, this can be weaponized to discredit all science, said Jane Suiter, head of Dublin City Universitys Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society.

Also to blame, she said, is the growing reliance on specialist expertise in forming government policies in a way that excludes any public scrutiny. One antidote is a process called deliberative democracy, said Suiter, who is research lead of Irelands Citizens Assembly, which brings randomly selected citizens from different walks of life together to consider a policy issue and produce a report for the government to respond to.

These deliberative assemblies bring in independent specialists representing all sides in a setting that is conducive to respectful discussion; its not a TV news debate, she said.

The aim is not necessarily that we need to have consensus, Suiter said, but people are guided to listen to good information and carefully consider all the arguments, so they become more open minded, more informed themselves and become trusted information proxies for the wider community.

Boston Universitys McIntyre said, We already have the tools at our disposal to fight back against misinformation and disinformation.

Psychological research suggests that denialist beliefs are not actually about ideology but identity what team youre on, he said, citing his experience forging relationships with so-called flat earthers.

The way to reach someone and change their mind is not to approach them with facts to cram down their throat, but, with empathy and respect, to help them see that there is room for them on the side of reality and reason, he said.

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Talk therapy: Honest listening, discussion are key to fixing 'truth decay' - The Catholic Sun

The new Student Union is expected to open its doors next spring and when it does, students will be greeted with a facility designed to surpass its predecessor in stature, utility and aesthetic.

For more than a year, a chain-link fence fitted with a privacy tarp has blocked full view of the construction of Florida State Universitys new Student Union.

Beyond that fence is a scene of near-perpetual movement: a parade of machines from massive dump trucks to pint-sized Bobcats zipping across the site. The voices of dozens of workers accompany the warning beeps of trucks, and the occasional heavy thud punctuates the proceedings.

Its a general cacophony of construction and progress.

The Union is currently an outline of its final form, a hulking framework of metal, concrete and bricks that rises 80 feet at its highest point. It is expected to open its doors next spring and when it does, students will be greeted with a facility designed to surpass its predecessor in stature, utility and aesthetic.

The original University Union building opened in 1952 when enrollment at FSU was less than 5,000 students. An expansion followed 12 years later and while there was additional facility growth (the Union included dining and game rooms, barber and beauty shops, lounges, offices, meeting rooms and an Olympic-sized swimming pool), the increasing enrollment of FSUs student body outpaced the Unions ability to meet its needs long ago.

When the new Student Union project is completed, it will be an amazing asset to our students and a hub for collaboration and engagement on campus. Im excited to see the progress and know our students will truly benefit from the space and amenities it will offer.

Vice President for Student Affairs, Amy Hecht

When the new Student Union project is completed, it will be an amazing asset to our students and a hub for collaboration and engagement on campus, said Amy Hecht, vice president for Student Affairs. Im excited to see the progress and know our students will truly benefit from the space and amenities it will offer.

Hecht said the new Union builds off holistic wellness initiatives undertaken by FSU in recent years. Those initiatives include ensuring students have positive social outlets, opportunities and environments.

The Union will play a key role in our efforts to become a healthier campus community, she said.

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Brandon Bowden is an alumnus who got to know FSUs old Union both as a student worker setting up events in the buildings ballrooms and as a regular student just taking a break between classes.

Today, Bowden is helping to oversee the project, ensuring that the building matches the goals of the university.

Weve always thought of the Union as the living room of campus, a place where students could come and meet, build communities and know they are always welcome, he said. It was getting harder and harder to welcome people into the old Union because we were running out of space.

The notion of community is one Bowden said has served as a guiding principle of this project from its inception.

The university has been very intentional in the design of the building to facilitate community building through features like lounge space, seating, to facilitate shared workspaces and bigger tables for more people to sit versus individual space, he said. The idea is that the space helps facilitate engagement so that, as you pass through, you are surrounded by opportunities to engage with others.

Engagement, connection and community will be made easier too thanks to an abundance of wireless technology that will permeate the building, including plug and play between laptops and in-house screens and projectors.

Natural ambience is a core principle of the building as designers let natural light pour in where design allowed. From the 48-foot atrium that greets visitors in the main entrance, to the bottom floor that will be home to the new Club Down Under, a 12-lane bowling alley, a sports grill and an art center, natural light will be present. Exposed staircases and a set of bridges will add to the buildings capacious, open-air feel.

Theres also space most students wont ever see that houses the machinery, hardware and facilities that will run the building.

There are air-conditioning units that will be big enough to walk inside of, boiler pumps for hot and chilled water throughout the building and natural-gas-powered generators, said Dane Chrestensen, assistant project manager with Ajax Building Company. There will be a kitchen that will be able to service events inside the Union and across campus.

For his part, Bowden said hes especially impressed with the buildings grand ballrooms. With a footprint of about one-third of an acre, the ballrooms are designed to host large-scale events like conferences and banquets but can be segmented with dividers for smaller affairs.

The previous capacity of the ballrooms was 1,000 people on a good day, Bowden said with a laugh. The new ballrooms will easily accommodate more than 1,500.

Adjacent to the ballrooms is a concourse, featuring massive floor-to-ceiling windows that will bathe the space in natural light. Doors off the concourse lead to balconies, each offering expansive views of campus, from the heart of the Legacy Walk to Doak Campbell Stadium in the distance.

The third floor was branded the Engagement floor. It houses space that will be used for meetings of large groups, including the student senate. Despite being located toward the buildings center, designers ensured that the space also features natural light and views of campus.

Also on the Engagement floor, Bowden said about 30 FSU student groups will have permanent space in the Union. He was quick to add that FSU is home to about 700 registered student organizations and clubs, and each can access Union facilities.

The FSU Bookstore will be located on the main floor. Student Business support staff will occupy space nearby as will a Starbucks coffee shop. Students will have five restaurants to choose from: Pollo Tropical, Panera Bread, Seminole Pies, Panda Express and Sports Grill.

The FSU Computer Store is an Apple Authorized campus store while the Trading Post convenience store will offer students everything from fresh produce to sushi.

The interior dcor of the building will include art contributions from students. Bowden said details are being finalized but an art contest will be held to determine which student pieces will be displayed inside the Union.

FSU also conducted a call for artist to commission art that honors the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the relationship between the Tribe and FSU.

Were excited to honor the Seminole Tribe of Florida through original artwork and showcase it in a prime location on campus, Bowden said. We plan to make a selection of the winning piece soon.

The exterior of the Union was designed with the campus existing architecture in mind and uses materials and design elements drawn from the prevailing aesthetic of FSU, including the iconic red bricks found throughout campus. The Union will use 607,910 of the bricks.

The buildings western end will feature a colonnade and Market Plaza, which will host concerts and performances.The uniquely FSU tradition, Market Wednesdaywill return and be held onthe terrace located off thebuildings south side.

One of the things that sets Florida State apart is its welcoming campus, Hecht said. I think the Union will be a beautiful new center of campus that brings us together and strengthens our traditions and community.

For more information, visit https://new.union.fsu.edu/.

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FSU'S new Student Union draws from the past while rising toward the future - Florida State News

Professionals across the state can gain the tools needed to build inclusive, equitable and diverse workplaces during a one-day online conference offered by the University of Arkansas IDEALS Institute Oct. 7 in Bentonville.

Register online for the Arkansas Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Conference: Moving Beyond Statements Toward Action, hosted by the IDEALS Institute and the Global Campus. Top U of A and community experts will provide safe, virtual environments for participants to engage in conversations and small-group discussions to explore the current social climate and its impact on advancing equity and inclusion in workplaces and communities.

The IDEALS Institute, launched in 2019, is a professional development, consultancy and research institute dedicated to creating diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces and communities.

"This conference will offer insight into a wide range of topics, many of which are left out of typical DEI conversations," said Elecia Smith, executive director of the IDEALS Institute. "We are creating a space that will challenge participants and encourage them to ask courageous questions through authentic small-group conversations. We are excited to present our first statewide conference and to collaborate with the U of A Global Campus."

Conference speakers include Smith and

A panel discussing the "Inclusive Practices for Diverse Identities" will be moderated by Magdalena Arroyo, an IDEALS Institute trainer, facilitator and consultant. Panelists include:

A Community of Action Panel that includes sector leaders from corporate, small business, non-profit, and education will discuss their opportunities and challenges as they work to move beyond DEI statements toward action. The panel will be moderated by Elecia Smith. Panelists include:

The IDEALS Institute is a part of the university's Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is intended to serve as a hub of support for diversity and inclusion efforts for organizations of all sizes and across all sectors. It is a unique conduit for businesses, government agencies, community groups, philanthropic organizations, public schools and fellow higher education institutions to receive expertise in the best diversity and inclusion practices.

In addition to the conference, the IDEALS Institute provides other training and education options, leadership consulting and access to research and outreach.

Become a Sponsor

Several sponsorship options are available to help defray conference costs. Companies will be recognized during the live event and on the conference website. Sponsorships include tickets to the online event.

Please reach out to Heather Sprandel, coordinator with the Global Campus in Bentonville, at sprandel@uark.edu to sponsor part of the conference. The conference is offered through U of A Professional and Workforce Development.

About the IDEALS Institute: IDEALS Institute is a diversity, equity and inclusion professional development, consultancy and research institute that works with system leaders and their organizations from all sectors who have a commitment to match their everyday practices to their stated values. IDEALS offers a customized and intentional approach to training, consulting, leadership development, and organizational change management to promote sustainable DEI practices. The institute is a unit within the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Arkansas.

About University of Arkansas Global Campus and Professional and Workforce Development: The Global Campus provides expertise in developing and delivering both academic and training courses. It offers instructional design services, media production and assistance with program planning and marketing. U of A Professional and Workforce Development, a division of the Global Campus, is a hub for professional and workforce development programs and courses. For a complete list of services available, visit theU of A Professional and Workforce Developmentwebsite.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.

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U of A Offers Statewide Online Conference on Online Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Oct. 7 - University of Arkansas Newswire

John Porter is an input and accessibility designer who is unable to use what so many take for granted: a keyboard and mouse.

Porter relies almost entirely on his voice and speech recognition technology, in addition to switches (a series of buttons with pre-defined actions to cover a small range of motion) to interact with his PC.

Working on Windows 11 as part of the Modern Input & Accessibility team, he's been creating solutions to help others who use their PCs in different ways.

"My role on the team is to think about how we can create new and more inherently inclusive input modalities that will not only address the needs of customers with disabilities, but have mainstream value as well," says Porter, who joined Microsoft three years ago while in a doctorate program at the University of Washington in the department of Human Centered Design and Engineering.

In Windows 11, you'll now see Accessibility in Settings, new contrast themes and an ongoing commitment to engage with the disability community in doing even more with their feedback.

"Having someone on the team like me who didn't grow up entrenched in a traditional notion of what it means to interact with a computer allows me to think outside the box," says Porter, who has a neuro-muscular condition called spinal muscular atrophy.

When he was a young child - about 5 - he had enough manual dexterity to use a keyboard and mouse on his first computer. But as his condition evolved, he had to adapt, using a pencil to "hunt and peck" on the keyboard, and a stylus instead of a mouse.

"When I think back to my own childhood, being in the classroom or computer class, my most vivid memories include using alternate input devices and the way all the kids crowded around to witness this novelty. For me, I was incredibly fortunate, that manifested as a pretty positive experience, but I also recognize that is far from typical," Porter says. "Often, for people with disabilities - sensory, physical or cognitive - accessibility features and assistive technologies you rely on to mediate your interaction with the world around you may as well be a flashing neon sign that says 'I'm different.' So with Windows 11, that was one of our real commitments and priorities. Regardless of whether you're using Windows with mouse, touch or voice typing, using a default color theme, etc. - all of it had to feel like you were using Windows in the way it was meant to be used.

"It was critical to recognize that no two people with disabilities are alike. One person who's blind or low vision can't act as a proxy for an entire community. What I try to communicate to my team and all of our partner teams is that we're off to a good start, but how do we push this further? I've broken down that door, so to speak, so how do I use that privilege in the world of Windows to find more seats to that table, bring more people into that conversation? The only way we're going to be able to move forward to represent the full spectrum of human diversity is by being understood and represented in the things we create," Porter says.

Porter's manager, Jiwon Choi, has been at Microsoft for eight years, straight out of college, channeling her experience on Windows into a mindset pervasive throughout her team.

They acknowledge people have different preferences and abilities. So, they asked, how do these folks prefer to interact with Windows? Do they have low vision, and so therefore the software experience needs to be kind of augmented so that it helps them see the screen better or see based off the way that they like? Or, some people can't see at all. They might need an experience where everything is read out loud.

"We always knew that Windows 11, even before it was called that, that it was going to be this big push and that it was going to be this new page. We wanted to make sure we really buckled down on the things that we believed in and the things that we felt like was going to really move the needle for people, for the customers," says Choi, who admits she learned a great deal from her team, reinforcing the understanding that "We're building this together, so we did really try to uplift each other and teach each other."

The Carnegie Mellon School of Design instilled in Choi the basic principle of form follows function.

"It's always about questioning what the problem is. And I think that hunger to always identify the nugget at the real core is something that I always continue to hold on to, and I think it's helped us limit our distractions," she says. "We're really trying to create meaningful, intentional and thoughtful solutions."

Choi thought she'd end up in print design - even studying abroad in Switzerland in a school that specialized in print design - but changed her mind after she visited a Microsoft booth at a recruiting event.

"I was blown away at how unexpected that experience was, back in 2013. You never really heard Microsoft and design put in the same sentence together, but I could tell these design leaders who came to our school really believed in the vision and the power of what design could bring in," says Choi, who grew up back and forth between the East Coast and South Korea. "There was just something super compelling about working for a company that had such a large reach and potential for impact that I think it was really contagious, that feeling."

Choi has developed that feeling into listening to people and working with others within the company to evolve to their needs. Her team collaborated with teams working on hardware, which gave them insights into how people hold their devices, acknowledging the fact that not everyone has a desktop tower setup. They looked at how people used their PCs beyond a stationary desktop setup and observed the needs of people who prefer to work in fluid ways like on the couch and on-the-go. And places where typing when the keyboard and mouse aren't readily available. It helped her and her team design around a variety of postures and environments.

Her team heard from customers that they wanted to use their voices to type and create content across these postures (physical arrangements of a user and their device), so Choi and her team embraced that.

These input solutions, such as Windows voice typing, also often have natural accessible outcomes as well. For example, although voice typing was initially designed primarily for a mainstream use case for convenient text entry across diverse device postures, the team found that the feature was also valuable for customers with physical impairments that made traditional typing difficult.

"That's a game changer," she says. "We really want to double down on those efforts."

They made it easier for people to find the places where they could use their voice.

"We hope people find it an elegant solution that tries to really meet you where you are," she says. "It's reliable, it's valuable and I hope people really get to try it out and see what the benefit is and for us to learn from that."

What also meant a lot to her with this release was the rebranding of the Accessibility icon.

"Accessibility wasn't an afterthought. All those aspects were important," Choi says. "We wanted it to be consistent to that message of Windows 11 being this new journey and everyone's included. What I like the most about the icon being a human figure is that we're not just talking about one type of disability. We want to embrace the fullness of that range in the spectrum. And to recognize first and foremost, that what it means to be human means to have differences and diversity and to celebrate that. We really felt like the human figure really embraces those principles. We're just getting started."

Before she joined Choi's input and accessibility team as a designer, Natassia Silva worked directly with people every day. As a manager at a sushi restaurant in San Francisco, she jotted down notes about regular customers, remembering names of family members, allergies and favorite dishes.

"I found myself learning about the customers, learning their habits, the menu and trying to find ways to improve the menu. I helped build it. I did things that were outside expectations," she says. "But I was really passionate about not just making a business successful, but also making the people that come to it happy and have a memorable experience. I have a deep empathy for folks and learning and listening to feedback."

Born and raised in Hawaii, Silva took some time to figure out what she wanted to do. She was always very creative. She loved computers, drawing and fashion. She even made her own zines. But she also knew she wanted to do something that helped people.

Silva went to The Academy of Art University and worked in the men's fashion industry - doing a little bit of everything - before a chance meeting changed her life.

"I was at a point when I was considering going back to school for graphic design. I met someone at the restaurant that I was managing who was a UX [user experience] designer and he asked me, have you thought about UX design? He shared all these resources that sparked my curiosity. Long story short, I decided to move to Seattle just to switch it up, try a new city," says Silva, whose cousin urged her to join a design program there. "On the very last day of my interaction design classes, my instructor was showing us portfolios of designers to look up to and one of them was the same designer I met in San Francisco who told me I should go into UX design."

For Windows 11, Silva worked on the pen menu, the handwriting panel, the language switcher and the input method editor (IME) for East Asian languages. She also worked on accessibility settings such as text size, visual effects and color filters. But the bulk of her focus was on high contrast themes, something she wasn't familiar with when she started.

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The people behind Windows 11: working with communities to improve input and accessibility - Marketscreener.com

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Denver, Sept. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) was selected by Lumina Foundation to join the Racial Equity for Adult Credentials in Higher Education (REACH) Collaborative, a national initiative focused on helping thousands more Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Native American adults earn credentials. All 13 CCCS colleges will participate in the collaborative, creating pathways from quality credentials to associates programs that embed culturally sustaining practices and sequenced student supports.

Persistent structural barriers continue to limit education and training opportunities and outcomes for adults of color. Pathways created through the REACH Collaborative will lead to quality short-term credentials that align with associate degree programs, making it possible for Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Native American adults to pursue better job prospects while continuing to progress toward a degree. Colleges will implement a holistic approach to delivering support that combines comprehensive academic, advising, and financial supports tailored to the unique needs of adult students of color. An intentional focus on weaving practices that honor and nurture students cultures, values, heritage, and language into each part of the student experience will ensure that the pathways are anchored in racial equity.

States were selected for their innovative, student-centered pathways efforts, supports for adult students, and demonstrated commitment to equitable student success. CCCS will increase credential completion for adult students of color by developing robust data tools to better understand barriers faced by those students and focusing student support services toward the target population. Each of the 13 colleges will apply for mini grants for their specific activities aimed at supporting adult students of color in their communities.

Community colleges participating in the collaborative will develop between four and eight academic pathways that align with in-demand career fields. Equity champions, community partners, and workforce leaders will be engaged at the state and local levels to support colleges in designing the pathways and ensuring equitable economic outcomes.

Colorado is committed to the REACH Collaboratives goal of increasing credentials earned by Black, Latino, and Native American students, ages 25-64, enrolled at participating community colleges by two percent over the next two years.

CCCS and our 13 colleges are committed to being a system in which equity gaps do not exist, said CCCS Chancellor Joe Garcia. This work will support the states goal of increasing the number of Coloradans who hold postsecondary credentials and our own commitment to providing pathways to success for all Coloradans.

As efforts to enroll and graduate more adult students of color have intensified in recent years, deep systemic barriers in higher education have continued to stand in the way of their success. The adoption of widespread reform efforts at institutions across the country have shown some promising results in improving completion rates, but work remains to serve adults and close racial equity gaps more intentionally. Disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic threaten to widen the 17-point percentage gap between white and Black adults and further compound inequalities that have been laid bare. The REACH Collaborative will work to close the gap by expanding on pathway reform efforts in a way that acknowledges and addresses the needs and lived experiences of adult students of color.

There is an urgent need to provide functional and equitable pathways to attainment for adults of color, said Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation. Lumina is proud to support the REACH Collaborative, not only as a necessary effort to reach our own attainment goal but as a moral imperative. Community colleges are uniquely suited for this critical work because of their long history as diverse engines of social mobility, addressing the needs of both students and the workforce.

Other states selected for the REACH Collaborative are [California, Colorado, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia]. Education Strategy Group (ESG) and the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) at the University of Illinois will lead the collaborative and coordinate technical assistance for participating community colleges, system offices, and student success centers. DVP-PRAXIS LTD is serving as the learning and evaluation partner.

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About CCCS

The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) is the states largest system of higher education and workforce development, delivering thousands of programs to over 125,000 students annually through 13 colleges and 35 locations across Colorado. The Systems open-access mission ensures all Coloradans who aspire to enrich their lives have access to high quality, affordable higher education opportunities. The System Office provides leadership, advocacy, and support to the colleges under the direction of the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE). Join us in changing the way Colorado goes to collegewww.cccs.edu.

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Community Colleges Selected by Lumina Foundation for National Collaborative Focused on Creating Equitable Credential Pathways for Adults of Color -...

Published 09-22-21

Issued by Abbott

Abbott details its 2030 Sustainability Plan focus on innovating for access and affordability and broader ESG performance in 2020 Global Sustainability Report

Abbott recently released its 2020 Global Sustainability Report, detailing the companys work to help the greatest number of people to live better and healthier, and providing a comprehensive overview of the companys environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.

Over the past year, Abbott has made a significant contribution to addressing COVID-19 and other global challenges, while laying the groundwork for a healthier future with the launch of its 2030 Sustainability Plan, which lays out an ambitious goal to improve the lives of one in every three people on the planet by decade's end. Read on for these and other key highlights.

2030 Sustainability Plan

Abbotts 2030 Sustainability Plan is the companys roadmap to improve the lives of more than 3 billion people every year by 2030, with an intentional focus on innovating for access and affordability to reach more people in more places than ever before. This includes dedicated work to:

The emphasis of our 2030 Plan is on the priority where we can make the greatest impact and do the most good for the most people: in focusing our future innovation on creating products that are affordable and accessible to more people than ever before, said Robert B. Ford, President and Chief Executive Officer, Abbott. Using our primary expertise to help the world achieve greater total health at lower total cost is the most meaningful way we can contribute to the long-term sustainability of our society and our planet helping more people than ever before live their best, healthiest and fullest lives.

COVID-19

2020 was an unprecedented year, as the world navigated the impacts of a global pandemic. And Abbott stepped up like never before, applying its longstanding expertise, life-changing technologies and capabilities, and global scale to make a significant impact.

The companys 2020 Global Sustainability Report spotlights how the company led COVID-19 response efforts, moving at an unprecedented speed and scale to supply hundreds of millions of tests to more than 140 countries worldwide. Abbott also mobilized partners to launch the first-of-its-kind Pandemic Defense Coalition to help prevent the next pandemic, and supported its employees, communities and health systems amid a global crisis.

Building the diverse, innovative workforce of tomorrow

Abbott is building the workforce of tomorrow by reskilling its teams, advancing STEM opportunities and focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

As an extension of Abbotts global sustainability strategy and reporting, the company also recently released its 2020 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Report. This report provides updates and insights on how the company is building diversity and inclusion in its workplace and culture by attracting, engaging and developing talented people who share Abbotts values, along with examples of partnerships to advance health equity in communities around the world.

A decade of progress: 2020 environmental goal results

Abbott continued to deliver progress in shrinking its environmental footprint, as reflected in its 2020 environmental goal results. Abbott shared results of its 10-year work, reducing carbon emissions by 50%, water use by 33% and waste by 47%.

And looking ahead, Abbott is already working to deliver even more progress over the next decade. Protecting a healthy environment is a crucial pillar of the companys 2030 Sustainability Plan, with targets in priority areas including addressing climate change, protecting water resources, and reducing packaging and waste.

You can see Abbotts full 2020 Global Sustainability Report here, and its 2020 DEI Report here.

About Abbott and the Abbott Fund

The Abbott Fund is a philanthropic foundation established by Abbott in 1951. The Abbott Fund's mission is to create healthier global communities by investing in creative ideas that promote science, expand access to health care and strengthen communities worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.abbottfund.org.

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs nearly 90,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries. Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's website at http://www.abbott.com.

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How Abbott Is Shaping the Future of Health by Innovating for Access and Affordability - CSRwire.com

By Tammy Murphy, Jane Cohen and Rob Asaro-Angelo

For anyone who did not personally experience or witness the destruction caused by Tropical Storm Ida, it is impossible to convey in words or images.

Seeing a 150-year-old house moved off its foundation in a photograph is jarring, but it does not convey just how far it slid. The mud piled high, people sorting through their belongings, neighbors offering comfort to one another; it is devastating to bear witness to these images. Even more devastating are the stories of those who died in their houses and in cars as they traveled through flooded roads to get home.

For a long time, many viewed climate change as an abstract problem, something for someone else to deal with in the distant future, but science tells us that the storms and flooding New Jersey experienced this summer were not a fluke. They are part of new patterns of extremes that climate scientists have told us will only worsen as our planet continues to warm. From New Jerseys own scientific report on climate change to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the warnings are clear and stark: fundamental changes must be made to drastically decrease emissions now.

Until recently, global progress has been dangerously slow as disinformation suggested addressing climate change would destroy industries and jobs. The truth is, serious climate action will create not destroy opportunities to build a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce and create family-sustaining jobs. Our urgency in reducing emissions will help us to develop an economic ecosystem that fosters generational investments and prioritizes environmental justice.

Changing the way we produce and consume energy and treat our natural capital will have big impacts on the world around us.

Governor Murphy understands that successful climate action requires a comprehensive, intentional and collaborative approach across all levels of government and economic sectors. As we seize this opportunity together, we are not just positioning New Jersey as a national leader of the climate action movement, but also creating a lasting green economy that works for all New Jerseyans.

To this end, the governor created the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy, which is developing the long-term roadmap for building New Jerseys clean energy and green industries into powerful engines for job creation, economic growth, and equitable investments.

On September 9, we broke ground on the New Jersey Wind Port, a once-in-a-generation project that will create hundreds of jobs and attract billions of investment dollars to New Jersey. This transformative project is proof that climate action can drive investments in infrastructure and manufacturing, create good-paying, union jobs and help us reach our goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050.

The scope of Governor Murphys Energy Master Plan and overall climate action and investment strategy extend beyond the burgeoning offshore wind industry. Essential elements include making significant investments to double solar capacity, electrifying fleets of buses, vehicles, and port equipment all while reducing the disproportionate pollution burdens that affect New Jerseys underserved and environmental justice communities.

While we work to grow New Jerseys green economy, we are also preparing our students for the jobs of tomorrow. Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, our New Jersey students will be the first and only in the nation to have climate change education incorporated across all K-12 learning standards. This means that when they graduate, they will be the leaders of this new economy equipped to face the real-life challenges of climate change.

Having three tornados touch down alongside torrential downpours, which led to the horrific loss of life and destruction of property and lifestyles going forward, New Jersey understands that climate change is a great and deadly danger to our way of life. However, the greatest danger that we face is our own inaction.

As the clean-up from Tropical Storm Ida continues in communities across the Garden State, families, friends, and neighbors have come together to support one another and rebuild. This spirit of community and service are the same values that must drive New Jerseys commitment to climate action. And, in many ways, we are taking the same approach all hands on deck, ready to make profound and transformational change to protect our environment and future while we build a green economy that lifts every New Jersey resident.

Other contributors to this column:

Joseph Fiordaliso, president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Tim Sullivan, the chief executive officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

Tammy Murphy is New Jerseys First Lady and co-chair of New Jersey Council on the Green Economy. Jane Cohen is the executive director of New Jersey Council on the Green Economy and Rob Asaro-Angelo is the commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

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On climate change, inaction in New Jersey is the greatest danger | Opinion - NJ.com

Grants to support racial justice initiatives in communities of color across the country

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This morning, Change.org and New York-based community foundation, North Star Fund, announced more than 35 Black-led organizations across the United States that will receive grant funding from Change.org's $5.5 million Racial Justice Fund. The Fund was created to redistribute money that came to Change.org connected to the Justice for George Floyd and Justice for Breonna Taylor petitions. The grant recipients work on the frontlines of Racial Justice to disrupt anti-black racism and empower communities of color.

Change.org (c) 2021 (PRNewsfoto/Change.org, Inc.)

With the guidance of North Star Fund, each grant recipient was carefully chosen through an intentional approach that sought to responsibly resource Black-led organizations and movements. The five-week process took a unique approach to corporate philanthropy by developing an inclusive selection committee of Change.org staff members, petition starters, and a representative of North Star Fund to learn about equitable grantmaking and identify a cohort of recipients.

"Creating a system that intentionally sought out organizations that were on the frontlines of this work was crucial in our grantmaking process," said Jennifer Ching, Executive Director for North Star Fund. "We hope that our partnership with Change.org inspires other major corporations to be more conscious about creating equitable philanthropic practices that directly benefit a greater number of Black-led movements fighting for transformative change."

According to statistics, a majority of philanthropic dollars go to causes that exclude Black, Indigeneous or People of Color communities issues like Racial Justice.

"Change.org's goal with the Racial Justice Fund has always been to responsibly resource Black-led organizations and movements. This could not have been possible without the guidance of North Star Fund," said Rashawn Davis, Associate Director of Change.org's Racial Justice Fund. "This process has been a practice of solidarity and we hope to lay a foundation for long-term change and continued transformation within Change.org and around the world."

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Organizations from the Racial Justice Fund grants include:

Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100): Founded in 2013, BYP100 is a member-based organization of Black youth activists creating justice and freedom for all Black people.

The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI): MPJI protects and defends the human rights of Black transgender people by organizing, advocating, creating an intentional community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting collective power.

BlackOUT Collective: The mission of BlackOUT Collective is to train 10,000 black people in the next four years to execute creative and effective direct actions in service of organizing and advocacy work.

Law 4 Black Lives: Law for Black Lives is a national community of radical lawyers and legal workers committed to transforming the law and building the power of organizing to defend, protect and advance Black Liberation across the globe.

Freedom Agenda NYC: Freedom Agenda is a member-led project, dedicated to organizing people and communities directly impacted by incarceration to achieve decarceration and system transformation.

More information on the Racial Justice Fund and the full list of community grant recipients is available at http://www.change.org/RacialJusticeFund.

About Change.orgChange.org is the world's home for people-powered change. More than 644 million people across more than 195 countries use our petition and campaign tools to speak up on issues they're passionate about. Approximately 70,000 petitions are created and supported on our platform every month, with 1.7 million new people joining our global network of users every week.

Every day, our users collaborate to organize on local, national and global issues; hold corporations to account; and demand action from decision makers at the highest levels of government and business. Our platform is free to use, open to all, and completely independent because it's funded by the people who use it. This independence also makes Change.org a trusted resource for decision makers, who turn to the platform to hear from and respond to the communities they represent. People on Change.org have powered tens of thousands of campaign victories worldwide, and more are winning every week.

As an organization, Change.org is committed to providing the tools, resources and support needed to help democratize activism, so that anyone, anywhere has the power to create the change they want to see in the world.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/changeorg-partners-with-north-star-fund-to-distribute-5-5-million-to-35-black-led-organizations-301377957.html

SOURCE Change.org, Inc.

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Change.org Partners with North Star Fund to Distribute $5.5 Million to 35+ Black-led Organizations - Yahoo Finance

There is so much finger-pointing and anger among everyday people and communities as the pandemic continues. On both sides, it has become an extremely polarizing issue, which has drawn us apart from one another. I have begun to wonder if the conversation will be had about root causes of the pandemic and, more so, the severity of it in our country.

It is easy to blame politicians for their shortcomings, but when are we going to address the fact that our private, for-profit hospitals have been intentionally under- and defunded to cut costs in the name of enriching hospital CEOs? When are we going to talk about the fact that the animal feedlots, where many of our meals come from, are the ideal breeding ground for the next pandemic? When are we going to air our frustrations that not only politically, but socially, we were unprepared for and uneducated about the reality that a pandemic like this was not only predictable, but imminent?

What are we going to do to make sure that we arent in the same situation when this inevitably happens again as a function of our intentional dispossession of functioning community dynamics, an intentionally broken food and health system, and a growing world with increasing chronic disease and wealth disparity? Are we going to finger-point at one another about masks and vaccines and blame local politicians about their policies we agree with or disagree with, or are we going to look at these harsh core issues in the face and address them with the severity and intensity that they merit?

Noah PoulosAsheville

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Letter: When are we going to address community's core issues? - Mountain Xpress