There is a time in parenthood when we realize our kids are ready to expand into greater facets of this world. I know deep in my bones that summer camp is a soft landing pad for our daughter to take this next big step, just as it was for me.
The Service Year Alums Awards recognize outstanding alumni across the national service community for their contributions during their service years and beyond. This year, we recognize alumni who embraced the lessons, skills, and connections gained during their service year to pursue meaningful careers and positively impact their communities.
Perhaps one of the most hopeful findings of More in Common’s research was the phenomenon of “cascading” interest in connection. The more people experience connecting with others, the more interested they might be in connecting again in the future-- finding themselves in a cycle that builds on the previous experience.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to help all our grantee partners navigate the shifting context in which we work. We are leaning on our relational approach, actively and deeply listening, with a commitment to keep showing up in true partnership.
About two-thirds of parents agreed that the demands of parenthood sometimes or frequently feel isolating and lonely, and nearly 4 in 5 would value a way to connect with other parents outside of work and home. I was firmly in this camp.
Every single one of us yearns to be known and understood, to lead a life anchored by our own desires and traditions, to feel cared for and loved, and to belong.
In February, nearly a hundred parent leaders, funders, healthcare practitioners, and policymakers gathered in Durham, North Carolina to explore how we can collectively support and promote strong, positive, and nurturing relationships between babies and their parents and caregivers.
Our team of seven shared a list of books, podcasts, poems, and albums that inspired and helped us think differently about our work this year.
As a way of adding punctuation to this anniversary, I want to share the ten lessons I have learned in the last ten years that have shaped my understanding of how we gather, what it takes to spark connection, and how we build on each other’s strengths.
I’m taking cues from our long history of collaborative behaviors and our basic need for human connection to shape my understanding of how we can rise to the societal challenges before us and achieve better solutions by working together.
