This Week @ NewComm: BLACK INNOVATION IS THE AUNTIE IN SOUTH PHILADELPHIA.

Dear NewComm Community,

I hope this message finds you well. It's been an exciting week at NewComm and I am thrilled to share the latest happenings with you.

Firstly, we have officially launched our second orientation for FELLOWS at the Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative (BCDI). This summer, our students will collaborate with BCDI to create a "local laboratory" in the South Bronx. Here, they will share resources around advanced manufacturing skills, all to advance economic democracy in our borough. It was an inspiring day, filled with the energy and anticipation of what these bright minds will accomplish. I cannot wait to work with Cohort 1 this summer.

Secondly, we have been hard at work codifying our work to ensure we can scale effectively in the coming years. On our website, you will now find our core values, which until now, existed mostly as a handwritten notecard in my office. We have also codified our framework and made it available on the FELLOWS website for you to explore.

Lastly, we are excited to introduce our sister company, NewComm PARTNERS. NewComm PARTNERS works exclusively with companies to help scale their impact in local communities. In particular, we are passionate about creating dynamic learning environments that empower companies and underrepresented students to drive sustainable change. Through our partnerships, we facilitate the exchange of knowledge, resources, and mentorship, allowing students to learn directly from industry experts and apply their newfound skills to amplify local social innovation in their communities. Through this approach, the skills and knowledge acquired by students reverberate throughout their communities, transforming not only individual lives but also the broader social fabric. If you are interested in learning more about our work with PARTNERS, check out our LinkedIn page where our team periodically shares articles that cover all things Corporate Social Responsibility.

As always, thank you for your unwavering support of our work. It is your belief in our mission that fuels our progress and for that, we are forever grateful. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from our end.

Warm regards,

Chidi

RESOURCES THAT HAVE INFORMED OUR WORK THIS WEEK:

Creating a Just and Sustainable World: Collectivist Culture, Connection to Community and Respect for the Land:

• “For a lot of people, climate change can feel like an intangible issue, however, seeing the pollution and health consequences and experiencing hurricanes, made climate justice and environmental justice a personal and pressing issue,” says Alexia Leclercq, Ed.M. at Harvard. It also made clear [that] connection matters: collectivist culture and connection to community and land are so deeply important in creating a just and sustainable world. “I grew up with the belief that we aren’t separate, so every person, animal, or plant you encounter, you treat with the deepest respect. This is in sharp opposition to the colonial-capitalist society we currently live in,” she says. This belief “was really ingrained with storytelling throughout my childhood. I remember my mom telling me about the importance of water and tree spirits.” As a longtime social-environmental justice organizer, Alexia realized the crucial role that political education plays in building and sustaining movements. At Harvard, she is particularly interested in understanding ways of incorporating Asian and Indigenous ecological knowledge in curricula and researching the relationship between schools, environmental injustices, [...] and BIPOC students’ learning experiences.”" / Harvard Graduate School of Education?

Stony Brook University Selected to Operate Center for Climate Solutions

• "Today, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Trust for Governors Island announced that Stony Brook University will serve as the anchor institution for developing and founding a world-leading climate solutions center on the island. Dubbed the New York Climate Exchange, the location will be a first-of-its-kind international center for developing and deploying dynamic solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a hub for New Yorkers to benefit from the rapidly evolving green economy. [...] “The Simons Foundation has long been a strong supporter of Stony Brook University and is proud to help enable their leadership role in building The Exchange,” says Simons Foundation President David Spergel. “Bringing together an exceptional group of partners, the Climate Exchange is poised to be the place that starts the conversations, creates the companies and trains the individuals that will help address humanity’s greatest challenge, climate change.”" / Simons Foundation

What is Social Justice? Building a more Equitable Society through Social Justice

• "“Social justice is many things,”?says Gianni Morsell, 2022 graduate of the School of Social Policy & Practice, is helping to build a more equitable society.“For me, it’s about influencing policy and making real change happen.” After graduating, Morsell went to work for a nonprofit that advocates for forgiving student loan debt and improving student voter turnout. [...] “Particularly in a predominately white institution like Penn, it’s important to understand that investing in diversity through programs like the Social Justice Scholars not only benefits the scholars themselves, but also the institution as a whole,” says Yoosun Park, an associate professor in SP2 and faculty director of the Social Justice Scholars Program. “We’re aiming to train the next generation of leadership that will create new pathways and challenge the status quo, and it’s amazing to receive the financial support to do so.”" / PennToday?

Youth in Action: Actively Engaging with Environmental Degradation and Climate Change

• When young people understand societal issues and challenges and what is at stake for them (and us) both in the now and in the future, many want to take action. Afterschool and other out-of-school-time programs are a great setting for young people to strengthen their learning and appreciation for STEM by applying their knowledge and skills to real-world problems that often have STEM-based solutions. Our field’s foundational philosophy of youth development and emphasizing youth voice and agency allow us to support young people to layer deep engagement and action onto their STEM learning, which is becoming widespread in afterschool programs. In honor of Earth Day and the young people actively engaging with environmental degradation and climate change, this blog highlights a few programs that are working to support and empower young people including The Climate Initiative, Careers in Science, California Academy of Sciences and Youth Climate Program, The Wild Center” / Afterschool Alliance

FEATURED CONTENT:

Echoing Green tells the story of Unwavering: The Power of Black Innovation, featuring leading voices including Dr. Cory Greene (also featured in Ava DuVernay’s 13th), architect and activist Deanna Van Buren, gaming and tech educator Damon Packwood, and award-winning social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader Dr. Cheryl Dorsey.

Unwavering spotlights some of the most innovative leaders working on the front lines to break down racism and build a more equitable future. Highlighting the humanity and power bred from injustice and struggle, this honest storytelling is both "a call to listen and a call to action", as said by Jen Sarduy, Communications Director, Donors of Color.

INSIDE NEWCOMM:

An exciting new initiative coming soon!

HOW TO JOIN IN

Donate!

Email Us

Meet with our Founder, Chidi!

Thank you for reading! Feel free to reach out to us?HERE?if you have any questions. We would love to hear from you. We’ll see you again next week!