Interact’s Post

If I were asked to name my deepest passions for the world in two phrases, here's what they would be today: 1. A sustainable planet 2. Equity for all Although this is an admittedly simplistic list, I have found this exercise tremendously valuable. It acts as a filter to keep me pointed in the right direction. Over the past several years, I have made concerted efforts to embed these values into my giving, my volunteering, my work and my life. Today, I'm excited to share the next stage in my personal journey to truly live those values in every sphere of my life! I am joining Engage Globally to support their organization as an Advisor Board member. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for me to truly leverage all of my experiences in non-profit development, communications and marketing, data analytics and storytelling, HR and environmental sustainability to support an organization doing amazing, life-changing work. If you haven't heard, Engage Globally supports community-led sustainable development. And that word "community-led" is a HUGE part of why I am hopping on board. Their local partners work with traditional leaders, women’s groups, parents, and program participants to choose priorities, design projects, and implement programming. Their team supports LOCAL leaders and community members in achieving their goals through capacity building, project consulting, funding, and other resources. What does this mean? No white savior complex. No useless projects created only to be wasted. Just meaningful, locally initiated and developed projects. If you're still reading, I'm excited to have piqued your interest. DM me or visit https://lnkd.in/esvybdFD to learn more. Thank you, friends and colleagues, for following along as I work to ensure my values are a highly integrated part of everything I do. Stay tuned for more ways to learn about and support this incredible organization.

Yesterday my 16-yr old and I volunteered at the St. Louis Earth Day festival 🌍 (deemed “the largest Earth Day celebration in the Midwest.”) Yes, he agreed to do it alongside me this year as he needed the service hours to fulfill a high school requirement – but I’d also like to think/hope that it inspired him, at least a little. We were positioned at one of the footpath entrances and had three responsibilities: 1) keep a steady count of how many people were coming into the festival, 2) ask those leaving if they wanted to recycle their programs and 3) share a QR code with a short survey to solicit feedback from festival-goers. Right away, as his finger clicked away on the counter, he couldn’t believe how quickly the numbers added up and over the course of the 3-hour window, we tracked over 1,200 people walking in. During this time, we had an opportunity to talk about all kinds of things: the purpose of the festival, the importance of bringing attention to Earth Day, and why what we – as a society – are doing for our Earth right now is going to impact his future family, including his children, grand-children and great grand-children. When the convo got a bit too deep, we took a breather and enjoyed the beauty around us (there were turtles swimming in the stream nearby & a gorgeous egret showing off ☺️.) Honestly, it’s sometimes difficult to tell with teenagers what sticks and how much it will mean long-term, however, I will never stop trying and I will most definitely never stop modeling how I give-back and dedicate my time and energy to things that truly matter. earthday365 #earthday #giveback #raisingleaders #futuregenerations

On Native American Heritage Day, we honor the vibrant cultures, histories and contributions of Native communities. It is also a moment to recognize and uplift the work being done to create brighter futures for our youth.    At the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation, we are guided by the belief that Native communities hold the knowledge and strength to lead meaningful, lasting change. Through our core areas of physical activity, healthy nutrition, youth development and cultural connections we empower Native youth to pursue their goals and achieve their full potential.     As many organizations navigate shifting funding priorities, the importance of investing in community-led work becomes even clearer. Nonprofits like ours, and the grassroots organizations we partner with, are vital allies for many of our youth and families. Their work not only sustains our communities but also preserves and strengthens the cultural values that guide us.    Now more than ever, we must come together to support this important work. By investing in our communities and uplifting Native-led solutions, we ensure that our youth have the tools, opportunities and connections they need to succeed.    On this day of reflection and celebration, let’s commit to protecting the future of Native youth and the organizations working tirelessly on their behalf. Together, we can ensure that our communities and cultures not only survive but thrive for generations to come.   www.nb3foundation.org  

Have you ever participated in poster-making and slogan-writing ❓ When we were kids, World Environment Day was more than just a date on the calendar. It was a big celebration! I remember those school days well – making posters, writing slogans, and talking excitedly about how to take care of our planet. We cared about nature, lovingly looking after the plants around us. 🌿💚 Nowadays, things are different. We enjoy going on trips, watching lots of TV shows, and appreciating nature from afar. But not many of us do things to protect our environment daily. Sadly, fewer people are doing it now. 📉 It's not entirely our fault – life today is busy and doesn't leave much time for thinking about the environment. But imagine if we could bring back that feeling we had as kids. If we could be as enthusiastic and caring as we used to be. Our world would be better. 🌍✨ This World Environment Day, let's remember how fun it was to care for our planet when we were young. Let's try to bring back that same caring and excitement as adults. Together, we can make a difference. 🤝🌱 Let's love and take care of the world just like we did when we were kids. 🌏💖 #WorldEnvironmentDay #Nostalgia #ChildhoodMemories #NatureLovers #EnvironmentalAwareness #SustainableLiving #MakeADifference

Nordic safe digital childhood conference ”We believe that a cross-sector approach is the best way to promote children’s rights and safety in the digital world and the aims of the conference are to tackle some of the biggest challenges children are facing in their digital lives today. Join us with your expertise and engage in industry-cutting dialogue with a wide range of actors sharing a common goal: to increase children’s wellbeing and promote children’s rights in the digital world. The main themes for the conference include designing technologies for children’s rights, creating safe and nourishing gaming environments, and the potential risks and benefits for children with the advancements with AI. #ai #gaming #digital #räddabarnen

Easy and applicable approach to grassroot urban planning. Engaging youth in urban planning is a must for urban Jordan!

https://lnkd.in/eN2fdpn5 Absolutely love the connection of different generations! Such learnings to be had from both perspectives.

November 20th is a key date for us all—World Children’s Day 2024, with the theme “Listen to the Future.” This day, paired with the release of UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report, highlights three pressing challenges impacting children’s futures: the climate crisis, disruptive technology, and demographic change. From ECLT Foundation’s perspective, it’s an essential opportunity to rally engagement from the private sector. When businesses advocate for children’s rights, adopt sustainable practices, and incorporate CSR in the workplace, they support positive change for generations to come. Let’s use this World Children’s Day to listen to children’s visions of the future and take action. Together, we can make a real impact.

🚀 In case you missed it: Last week, The National Lottery Community Fund launched our new ‘missions framework.’ These are the community-led missions where we will be focusing our funding, learning, and efforts. The foundation of this approach is rooted in what we’ve heard from communities: a desire for us to be more ambitious, more long-term, and more focused on tackling bigger challenges while supporting continuous learning across communities. My colleague Thomas Walters has shared a blog and video about this (see below), so if this is your first introduction, start there. I’m adding some wider reflections to complement his. 💡 Why a mission framework? For us, a mission approach is about translating the 'why' into outcomes ('what') and identifying the target group ('for whom'). It provides a sharper focus on specific community goals without restricting flexibility on 'how' these goals are achieved. In fact, by being firmer on missions, outcomes, and target groups, we create more space for different, new, local solutions in delivery. It’s central to our commitment to agility, partnership, and, ultimately, solutions rooted in ‘it starts with community’. 🔍 Balancing priorities There’s often concern about whether missions can reflect the entirety of what an organisation can or should do. We recognise that while they can’t cover everything, setting clear priorities supports transparency and intentionality. At The National Lottery Community Fund, we expect more than 90% of grants will align with one of our four community-led missions. This still leaves room for responsive funding, ensuring we remain adaptable to emerging needs. 🌍 Complex vs. Complicated Some argue that the world is too complex for mission-based approaches. But I believe missions help us break down the often-complicated systems at play and develop a deeper understanding of the assumptions, learning, and evidence required to make meaningful progress. By defining clear goals, we seek to enable community led solutions to approach challenges more confidently, fostering curiosity, learning, and improvement. In short, the framework is about being bold, strategic, and community-focused. And when done right, it creates opportunities for greater collaboration, innovation, and long-term impact. This is a brief reflection on a big topic: there’s lots that Nesta, the Institute for Government and others have written about missions-led approaches. But if you want to hear more about our experience The National Lottery Community Fund, I’m looking forward to joining NPC (New Philanthropy Capital) Ignites Conference on 15 October! And as Tom says in his blog, we welcome reflections and feedback. Dan Corry

Its our anniversary week!!! we want to know how our organisation has impacted you. Share with us in the comment section. #anniversary #ecoscigen