This Week @ NewComm: BUILDING THE TOOLS WE NEED

Dear NewComm Community,

I hope this message finds you well.

In the past week, I have been immersed in the process of revisiting our Theory of Change. This was prompted by my talks with prospective funders who expressed a keen interest in understanding the core assumptions that underpin our mission and impact.

When I first encountered the concept of Theory of Change during my graduate studies, I must admit that I thought it was a straightforward task. I thought it was simple: We create a cool thing---and cool things happen. However, as I delved deeper into this process, I realized that it should not be taken lightly. It is, in fact, a critical cornerstone of our organization's strategic direction that orders all of our steps.

I became a bit obsessive about this work. Late into the night, I was tweaking and fine-tuning our assumptions, and with each adjustment, the vision of our organization becomes clearer.

Here is what I landed on as our key assumptions for our work:

1. Education and Empowerment: We believe that engaging underserved high school students to harness their education for year-long projects that addresses local challenges will empowers them with practical skills, knowledge, and a profound sense of purpose.

2. Community Collaboration: Our collaborative projects with community stakeholders, including local companies, colleges, and other institutions, foster a deep sense of ownership and agency within their communities.

3. Social Entrepreneurship: By teaching a BIPOC-centric, literacy-driven education through the lens of social entrepreneurship, we equip high school students with the skills needed to navigate complex challenges and drive systemic improvements.

4. Higher Education as a Lever: We firmly believe that college or higher education is a crucial stepping stone for our students to further their understanding of driving and institutionalizing sustainable social innovation at scale.

5. Employability Skills: Our commitment to developing critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities enhances our alumni's future employability and earning potential.

6. Systems-Changing Leaders: Our alumni emerge as systems-changing leaders, using their skills and experiences to drive sustainable and irreversible social innovation at scale within their communities.

While I am sure I will continue to edit this, with this clearer list of assumptions, we will be better equipped to refine our offerings and ensure they align with our core beliefs. This exercise will also allow us to trim the unnecessary, focusing on what truly matters.

With the official launch of recruitment for our two transformative programs, FELLOWS and FUTURES, and armed with this clarified Theory of Change, I am more enthusiastic than ever about the impact we will collectively create in the coming weeks and months.

With gratitude and enthusiasm,

Chidi

Founder and CEO, NewComm PROJECT

RESOURCES THAT HAVE INFORMED OUR WORK THIS WEEK:

20 Black heroes who should be on a postage stamp: Bernardine Evaristo, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Doc Brown and others

• "For Black History Month,?Professor Olivette Otele?shares with the?The Guardian?the person she would choose to celebrate for their contribution to British society."I’d love to see?Prof Uzo Iwobi CBE celebrated, because she is a trailblazer and a formidable leader, [...] a committed educator. After qualifying as a barrister in Nigeria, Iwobi moved to Wales, where she founded the country’s first African Community Centre and she now serves as the chief executive officer of Race Council Cymru. [...]", Olivette tells the Guardian. Professor Olivette Otele?is?a distinguished research professor of the legacies and memory of slavery at SOAS University of London. Find out in this article the full list of the '20 Black heroes chosen by a distinguished panel [...]" / The Guardian

Education for Emancipation: Building the Tools We Need

• "Nearly all grassroots groups agree that education about the economy is essential. But rarely is education treated as urgent. Mobilizing to protect a working-class family from eviction is an emergency; helping members understand why housing markets are unlikely to deliver affordable, high-quality housing in sufficient numbers is not.Education in?political economy—that is, a classic understanding of economy that connects economics and politics (as in the work of Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and Karl Marx)—needs to not only help members connect their individual problems to their systemic root [...] but also to create spaces to collectively dream and strategize alternatives [...]" / NPQ

The dangers of biased AI for minorities

• "AI is often sold to us as essentially unbiased. However, the data often contains many of the biases that exist in the real world. Professor Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, author of Is Artificial Intelligence Racist? The Ethics of AI and the Future of Humanity, explores the implications of algorithmic bias. Bad data does not only produce bad outcomes. It can also help to suppress sections of society, for instance, vulnerable women and minorities. This is the argument of my new book on the relationship between various forms of racism and sexism and artificial intelligence (AI). The problem is acute. Algorithms generally need to be exposed to data – often taken from the internet – in order to improve at whatever they do, such as screening job applications, or underwriting mortgages. But the training data often contains many of the biases that exist in the real world. [...] It is our responsibility to plan the course of action for this new AI future." / SOAS

Afro-Feminist Data Futures: A Manifesto

• "'Our stories matter and should be preserved! We reject the efforts to erase the memory, determination and experiences of black feminists.The digital space should be used as a tool to enhance our advocacy, preserve the tales of African women and exchange knowledge through oral storytelling, reading materials and curating a safe space for personal interaction. We commit to leaving an institutional legacy for younger feminists to lead with fresh ideas, approaches and wisdom they deem fit in their feminist journey.' Have a look at Pollicy's Afro-Feminist Data Futures Manifesto here" / Pollicy

FEATURED CONTENT:

INSIDE NEWCOMM:

• We are excited to announce that we received a $15,000 grant from the DJ Mc Manus Foundation!! With this funding, we can officially say that our FUTURES program (our research program to Kigali, Rwanda) will launch this summer! Thank you to the DJ McManus Foundation for believing in our work!

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!