Social Capital
Expanding Cultural Connections
This program year we are expanding the successful Cultural Connections Supper Clubs. Diverse groups of teens and adults will learn about new cultures by cooking their cuisine together. Read More…
Social Capital
Six of My 2016 Social Capital Highlights
Wow! I realized it has been over a year since I blogged here on the SCI site. Not for lack of blogging though–as some of you know I share my passion for tasty, healthy food on a blog called Cooking Chat. I thought it would be a good time to Read more…
Social Capital
Local Social Capitalists Help Milwaukee Youth Succeed
During my drive to the office this morning, I learned about an interesting Milwaukee neighborhood initiative that is taking a “social capitalist” approach to helping young black males. OK, the NPR story didn’t use the term, but I think it definitely applies! When one youth got arrested for some vandalism in the Read more…
Civic Engagement
Millennials Finding Their Own Ways to Engage
I read data about the Millennial generation with great interest. Sure, size has something to do with it. Now the largest and most diverse generation of Americans, Millennials are positioned to have a big influence on our society. The majority of our AmeriCorps members fall into the Millennial category, so Read more…
Social Capital
Closing the Civic Achievement and Social Capital Gaps
We are all too aware of the academic achievement gap, which has rightfully stirred much effort to close the gap and create equal educational opportunity for students of all backgrounds. New research indicates there is also a disconcerting gap on civic achievement and social capital that is of particular concern to Read more…
Social Capital
Answering the Call to Service
What was President Kennedy’s greatest accomplishment? A good case certainly can be made for avoiding a devastating nuclear war in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis, but his call to service has to be right up there. During one of yesterday’s JFK remembrances on WBUR, I was reminded of Read more…
Social Capital
8 Community Building Lessons from the Farm
Want to learn some good tips for engaging volunteers and building community at your organization? Perhaps you should spend a morning at a local farm like I did yesterday! We wanted to get better acquainted with Nina and Archie McIntyre after Nina had come to one of our events awhile Read more…
Social Capital
Community Assets and Perception
Yesterday Sandy Maxey and I were exchanging Tweets about the merits of taking an asset-based approach to community and economic development. As I said to Sandy, when facilitating community planning, we usually start by asking people to talk about assets they see in the community. Even when it’s a simple icebreaker at Read more…