Project 100 - Gaining Clarity Workshop

At our Gain Clarity Workshop, California's lower Russian River community gathered to launch our Project 100 Systems Inquiry to understand the forces that contribute to toxic stress in 0-5 year-olds.

Drawing from community-based organizations, educators, healthcare, community leaders, government, mothers, fathers, grandparents, caregivers, addiction specialists, mental health providers, and more, this amazing group of individuals began the process of identifying the many forces that 'enable' or 'inhibit' the deeper system of toxic stress in our community. These system ingredients were used to identify important themes and begin to develop loops that will be woven together to create a Systems Map. (What is Systems Thinking?!? See this great intro video from @Omidyar

We are now busy further understanding the Structural, Attitudinal, and Transactional aspects of the identified themes to begin our loop and map making.

The name 'Project 100' is a reminder that there are approximately 100 babies born in the lower Russian River area each year. We know these babies! We can have a transformative impact on their lives if we can better understand the system that contributes to toxic stress in our community and act collectively.

Want to learn more about the impact of toxic stress on 0-5 year olds?

• Great books: What Happened To You by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey; The Deepest Well by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris
• Ted Talk by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris

If you’d like to stay connected to Project 100, email: [email protected]?or for system thinking email: [email protected]??

Conveners: Soledad Figueroa, Ariana Montano – River To Coast Children’s Services; Dana Pedersen - Guerneville School District; Ellen Bauer, Abigail Cunningham, Jason Cunningham, Karen Mitchell – West County Health Centers; Alexis Weilunski – Center for Care Innovations; ?

System Coach – Chris McCarthy??

#EarlyChildhoodDevelopment #AdverseChildhoodExperiences #ToxicStress #SystemsThinking #RussianRiver?