YMCA of Greater Houston’s Post

Pumped to start Ettie Bailey-King ‘s new six-week course, “Bold Type”, tomorrow. I’m ready to dive in with a bunch of awesome people (I’ve not met them yet, I just know they’ll be awesome already!) and learn together about how we can make our comms more accessible and inclusive to specific audiences and groups of people. Accessibility and inclusivity are things I’ve been increasingly passionate about over the past few years. I’ve loved developing Christians Against Poverty ‘s five-year digital accessibility roadmap and championing best practice across various teams, but now it’s time to go deeper on how I (and we) can be more accessible and inclusive to specific groups, whether they’ve got certain access needs or are perhaps marginalised/misunderstood by wider society. As a champion of all people, I’m excited for what the next six weeks will hold, and to meet others who are just as passionate about this as me. Let’s go!

Back in 2018, I first started to think about how we could get textbooks sitting unused in a class cupboard in London shared with a cash-strapped school in Yorkshire. After five years of hard graft, School Resources Exchange properly got going last year. While it has been challenging to say the least, it's also pretty amazing to be starting 2024 with a live service that is already being used by and helping hundreds of schools. The focus for this year is simple - help more schools. What we're doing is a no-brainer. It's a free service which can benefit every single school in the UK. The impact of sharing surplus items between schools is a genuine game-changer on so many levels. If you know someone connected to a school - a staff member, parent, governor, etc - be sure to tell them about us as it really could help them out enormously. 👇 The short video explains exactly what we're doing and how the service - a nationwide schools' circular sharing community - can benefit every single school in the UK. #schools #schoofunding #schoolresources #schoolbudgets #circulareconomy #communityimpact #secondaryeducation #primaryeducation #teachers #headteachers #slt #schoolbusinessmanagers

We believe capacity building is at the epicenter of organizational effectiveness. Yet historically in our sector, it hasn’t worked as well as it should. It’s expensive – each org has to figure it out for themselves – and typical “white paper” offerings often don’t take into account the practical complexities of how nonprofits will implement in the real world. Each year, in collaboration with our members, we create a series of cohort-based Capacity-Building Program Tracks designed to solve for these challenges. By looking across our 100+ member orgs, we work to understand what the most urgent capacity building priorities are in our community, and then design deeply responsive, high impact programming. This programming is: 1️⃣ Included in our membership fee with no additional cost to member orgs, enabling more leaders to do more of it. 2️⃣ Done in cohorts, so that peer learning and accountability are built in, enabling leaders to understand all the ways these same needs and challenges show up across our sector. 3️⃣ Explicitly designed not as a “white paper,” but a series of practitioner-led sessions resulting in a co-created blueprint that leaders can take back to their orgs, ready for implementation. This year, 70% of all member organizations are participating in our capacity building programming. To learn more about joining the Alliance, reach out to Sadiq A. Ali.

💻NASPA Webinar TOMORROW Shifting Institutional Conditions to Advance Racial Equity in Community College 1PM ET, June 4, 2024 | $79 for members, $179 for non-members Learn More & Sign Up: https://bit.ly/4e2MEgB We invite community college leaders to this session specifically designed to help assess your institution's readiness for equity-oriented change. In an era of increased resistance and pushback to DEI efforts, this webinar can provide important insight to professionals dedicated to advancing racial equity. ❓Why Attend? Gain insights from research and practice of our presenters & learn about a unique model focused on organizational support and shared responsibility for racial equity. 📋Key Takeaways: -Identify organizational conditions that can either support or hinder equity efforts. -Discover how to innovate and transform your institution to better support racial equity. -Equip yourself with the tools to decipher your organizational archetype and mobilize your equity initiatives.

"When we open our hearts and minds to growth and expansion, beautiful things begin to dwell, sprout, and bloom within us and the community around us. If there is one thing we all know to be true, it is that change is inevitable. How we decide to move forward with that truth is entirely up to us." In this winter's #ProgramNews article, Program Director Shaunequa James, LICSW reflects on our latest transformation: becoming Gilda's Club Minnesota! Read her article to learn about how we're approaching change with open hearts and minds: https://bit.ly/3tU4H6z

Have you attended allyship trainings in the past? There's always more to learn, as the journey toward equity and justice is a lifelong commitment. Our empowering allyship workshop offers a fresh perspective on promoting racial equity and justice as a lifestyle. Learn more & register >> https://bit.ly/3IbROs4

Introducing 7 Dimensions: Empowering the Next Generation 🌟 At 7 Dimensions, our mission is clear: We empower underserved, marginalized, foster-care, and at-risk youth by providing comprehensive education and equitable opportunities across emotional, physical, social, and intellectual domains. Our nonprofit is dedicated to bridging the educational divide, unlocking potential, and fostering personal and professional excellence. Through collaborative partnerships and innovative approaches, we create sustainable solutions that ensure access to quality education and the tools needed for success. Together, we strengthen families and build more equitable communities. Our Vision: We envision a strong, sustainable platform that delivers comprehensive education to underserved and at-risk Black youth, addressing their emotional, physical, social, and financial needs. By providing tailored educational and mental health resources, we aim to bridge the educational divide and unlock the full potential of the youth we serve, striving to become a leading nonprofit dedicated to empowering them to achieve personal and professional excellence. Join us on this vital journey as we work tirelessly to uplift and empower the next generation! 🌍✨ #7Dimensions #Empowerment #Education #Equity #YouthDevelopment #Nonprofit #Community

Building Bridges, Not Just Checking Boxes: Rethinking Youth Engagement in Under-resourced Communities After 50 years of engaging with youth of color in under-resourced communities, I've seen what real mentorship can achieve. From my beginnings in a predominantly Black community to roles in the City of Carson, California Youth Authority, and beyond, the real victories are not in the accolades I've received but in the lives, we've changed. Yet, too often, our approaches fail these young minds. Instead of genuine connection, we see transactional interactions—quick checks on a list rather than building relationships that foster trust and growth. This isn't just flawed; it's a systemic issue rooted in biases that see these young individuals more as problems than as potentials. Our current systems prioritize numbers over impact, with short-sighted metrics that overlook the true needs of these communities. We see preventive and even punitive program designs that stem from misguided perceptions of Black youth, perpetuated by stereotypes that only serve to lower expectations and squeeze funding. The nonprofit sector, despite its best intentions, can aggravate these issues by spreading resources too thinly, opting for short-term "pop-up" engagements that destabilize rather than build trust. In the Black community, trust is not just about performance; it's about consistency and predictability. At Bridge Builders, we're doing things differently. Our summer camps serve as a beacon of trust for parents checking if we are the right fit for their children. By committing to be "of the community and for the community," we've become a trusted pillar, supported by over 70 dedicated volunteers who help us nurture over 700 youths annually. The path forward is clear: we need long-term investments in the ecosystems surrounding our youth. This means not just engaging with the youth themselves but supporting their families, schools, and communities to foster sustainable growth and change. Our youth are not problems to be managed but potentials to be nurtured. Let's commit to meaningful, long-lasting relationships that empower rather than stifle. Let’s build more bridges with long-term commitments and check fewer boxes with short-lived solutions. It's time for change. The future of our communities depends on it. Join us in this mission. #YouthEmpowerment #CommunityBuilding #bridgebuildersla

Help us bridge the digital divide in America. Digital inclusion and equity are powerful tools that transform health, education, and economic opportunities. Access to digital connectivity opens doors—let’s ensure everyone has that chance. Learn more about Lead For America's flagship service program, the American Connection Corps.

The core of our mission at GID is to make a real impact and reach real people. There are countless organizations out there doing the work. Check out these black-led organizations highlighted by Blavity https://loom.ly/7X2fjGo