This Week @ NewComm: CORE VALUES

Dear NewComm Community,

I hope this message finds you all well and inspired. Today, I am eager to share with you the guiding principles that are the backbone of NewComm PROJECT, shaping our resolve to create transformative learning experiences for underserved learners in NYC.

1. Exceptional:

At the heart of NewComm PROJECT is our commitment to being excellent in every aspect of our programs, from meticulous curriculum design to the seamless user interface/experience of our websites, and even the quality of the food we provide. We firmly believe that every learner, regardless of their background, is deserving of excellence and exceptional spaces. It is our mission to instill this sense of worth and entitlement to excellence in our learners, ensuring they recognize and embrace their place in unparalleled learning experiences.

2. Equitable:

Equity is the cornerstone of our endeavors. We relentlessly question whether our programs are bridging the profound opportunity gaps embedded in our unequal education system. The spaces we create are reflections of the equitable world we envision, serving as living models of equal opportunity. To ensure the quality and effectiveness of our spaces in embodying equity, we align our efforts with Toni L. Griffin and her development of the Just City Lab Index, a tool designed to measure the realization of equity in community spaces.

3. Effective:

Our programs are designed to not just meet needs but to feel urgent and indispensable. We aim to ensure that every student who engages with us undergoes a transformative experience that leaves a lasting impact. Our approach is deeply collaborative; we work hand-in-hand with our students and community stakeholders in designing spaces that resonate with the needs and aspirations of the community. We empower our learners to see themselves not just as beneficiaries but as designers and architects of radical futures in professional spaces, fostering a sense of ownership and agency.

In every step we take, our core values of Exceptional Spaces, Equity, and Effectiveness guide us. They push us to constantly reflect on the quality, impact, and relevance of our work. We are unwavering in our commitment to creating spaces where learners feel valued, empowered, and inspired to design and execute transformative change in their communities and beyond.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to every member, supporter, and advocate of the NewComm PROJECT community. Your belief and investment in our mission are instrumental in making these transformative experiences a reality for our learners. Together, we are not just reshaping education; we are molding a future where equity and exceptional spaces are accessible to all, and where every learner is a catalyst for radical, positive change.

Warm regards,

Chidi

Founder and CEO, NewComm PROJECT

RESOURCES THAT HAVE INFORMED OUR WORK THIS WEEK:

Introducing AfroFutures by Florence Okoye

• "In the field of Complexity studies, one of the characteristics of a complex system is that it will often show sudden discontinuities, tipping points after long periods of apparent stability. [...] I like to think that the resurgent interest in the genre of AfroFuturism is one such trend – one that will leave a more interesting world of genre fiction, media and even technology in its wake. [...] AfroFuturism is a genre where the trope of science fiction are melded with black culture. [...] Inspired by cultures and experiences both within and without the African continent, AfroFuturism is an artistic movement where black people can put themselves in the middle of futuristic narratives. No longer passive victims, magical assistants or entirely vanished, the black person is now someone who can be the astronaut, the engineer, the astrophysicist and have an active role in navigating, deciphering and creating at the boundaries of out knowledge. [...] This might seem trivial, and perhaps it is. However, it should be enough to understand that growing up surrounded by stereotypical depictions of ourselves and our communities, lowered expectations within the educational system and other hallmarks of institutional racism, imagining that there will indeed be ‘black people’ in the future was a subversive act for some of us, particularly those acquainted with sci-fi and speculative fiction." / Ragged University

Honoring Founder of Organization Working to Close Diversity Gap in Design Industry

• "Jacinda Walker remembers the day her life changed. She was a 10th grader at Cleveland Heights High. Her favorite class was art — she loved painting in watercolors. That year, a new teacher, Mr. Applebaum, introduced the class to typography and other elements of graphic design. [...] “He came to my table one day, and he was like, ‘You’re really good at this, you should think about doing this when you get out of school,’” Walker recalls, then mimes the face of a teen who suspects a prank. “I was like, nobody’s gonna pay me to draw for a living. I need a real job.’ And he was like, ‘No, these are real jobs.’ [...] In 2016, when she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at Ohio State, she made diversity the focus of her thesis. “Design is everywhere, but for many African American and Latino youth, the journey to a design career can be overwhelming,” she wrote. [...] Today, the Cleveland Arts Prize’s Mid-Career Artist Award recognizes Walker’s work with designExplorr, the organization she founded to address the diversity gap in the design industry." / Signal Cleveland

Everyday, Everywhere Girls Are Resisting

• "Stories of Girls’ Resistance is the largest ever collection of oral and narrative history of adolescent girls’ activism, offering a window into girls’ lives and their resistance in all of its messiness, pain, and power. "Throughout history, the stories of girls and their power have been ignored, erased and pushed aside. Through the Stories of Girls’ Resistance, you will discover the multiple ways girls are resisting – and transforming their homes, communities and the world. From the smallest, most invisible acts of defiance in the home, to the role of girls in shaping some of the most powerful revolutions and social justice movements of the last century. These are stories for the ages and the stories the world didn’t want you to hear. [...]"" / Girls Resistance

How Nonprofits Can Use A.I. Well — and Avoid Pitfalls

• "Interest in artificial intelligence has been exploding in recent months with the emergence of new tools like ChatGPT. Yet fewer than 30 percent of nonprofits have started using or exploring A.I., says Nathan Chappell, senior vice president of DonorSearch, a software company that provides prospect research and donor-intelligence data to nonprofits. [...]Nonprofits can’t afford to fall behind the curve of learning and adopting A.I., Chappell says. “This is not a fad — this has fundamentally changed how our world works. The nonprofit sector has not only an opportunity but a responsibility to rise to the occasion.”[...]As A.I. becomes more advanced and accessible, it has the potential to transform how nonprofits operate, from increasing efficiency to optimizing fundraising. But this technology comes with some key risks that leaders and fundraisers shouldn’t ignore." / Philanthropy

FEATURED CONTENT:

From Youtube: From climate change to mass-migration, designers of the future will be faced with unparalleled challenges. Our creativity will be pushed to the brink as we are tasked with designing for realities that have yet to exist. This panel explores the multi-faceted ways that design may rise up to meet the challenges of the future, rooted in not just notions of fear, but possibility. Panelists: Toni Griffin, Kenneth Bailey and Malcolm Davis Moderated by: Jha D Williams

INSIDE NEWCOMM:

Lauren Stockmon Brown, our superstar Director of Education & Research, has recently completed the 2023 Social Enterprise Summer Fellowship (SESF) through the generous support of Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change at Columbia University - Columbia University's Business School. Through the "SESF Grant", the University provides financial support for students to engage in opportunities that can create #social and #environmental value.

When speaking about her work with us, Lauren has said, "Working for NewComm has allowed me to put abstract ideas revolving around public policy and innovative educational techniques to practice", specifically through FELLOWS - our transformational internship program - which turns the study of literature into an active tool to understand and confront evolving local community challenges. This summer, Lauren has taught our Cohort 1, and has empowered learners to leverage the power of narrative to create tangible impact. Thank you, Lauren!

We feel grateful for Institutions such as 美国哥伦比亚大学 for contributing to advancing more socially just educational spaces.

To learn more about the Columbia Grant ??: https://lnkd.in/eVhsxFEQ

To learn more about FELLOWS ?? & Watch our Trailer: https://newcommproject.org/fellows

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!