Daily Resource Highlight - 2/21/2022

Posted by on February 28, 2022 at 8:35 AM

Below are the highlights and featured resources of this past week’s Daily* Resource.

February 15, 2022 - Honoring MLK by Empowering Others (MasterMind Cohorts)

MLK Day was January 18th. Today is February 15th, so in some ways this newsletter is about a month late. At the same time, MLK’s legacy is, in part, one of inclusion and empowerment, and the importance of those values doesn’t diminish after the 3rd Monday in January. That’s why, for today’s inspiration, we’re reaching back to America Promise’s MLK weekend interview with Renaldo Pearson (of RepresentUs).

There has been a steady focus on diversity and inclusion within the healthy self-governance movement in recent years. Everyday Democracy celebrated racial equity in its 2022 Aicher Award Winners, and National Civic League is emphasizing inclusiveness as it seeks nominees for this year’s All-America Leader Awards (nominations are due February 28th).

For our part, the Bridge Alliance has been convening MasterMind Cohorts throughout the last two years. These small groups, which bring together national and local leaders to co-develop and provide mutual support, are creating a pipeline of diverse leaders for the movement. They are also part of our larger portfolio diversity efforts, which includes the annual Diversity Report.

And quite a few members of the Bridge Alliance are doing their own long-term empowerment work. For instance, Civic Spirit is accepting applications for their We the Educators program (due February 25th), which will give middle and high school teachers access to a wide network and various civic resources. And Civic Influencers is awarding scholarships to college students who are eager to engage their peers and fight for voting rights (applications are open for Summer and Fall 2022).

On Thursday, we will talk more about how Bridge Alliance members have actively empowered their communities. It’s truly remarkable the impact they have made on America, and I promise these stories will make you feel better about the future of our nation.

February 17, 2022 - Members Driving Change; And a Clarion Call to Public Servants Everywhere

On Tuesday I promised more stories of empowerment, and I will get to those in a second. First, though, we have an opportunity for empowerment for people working in local, county, and state government. If this describes you, make sure to save this link, because applications are due February 27th. And if this describes a friend, do them a favor and let them know ASAP.

America Indivisible is looking for public servants for its Public Leaders for Inclusion Council (PLC).  Among its many benefits, PLC members will have the opportunity to connect with various minority communities to get a better understanding of their needs and the challenges they face. They will also have access to a growing network of other public leaders spanning 22 states. You can learn more about the program here.

Meanwhile, CivicsUnplugged and TechCongress are doing incredible work to ensure America’s place as a leader in the 21st century. CivicsUnplugged is committed to giving Gen Z the training, funding, and network necessary to become civic innovators. They do this in part through their fellowship program, which provided networking and grants to over 1,000 young men and women in 2021. By 2030, they project to invest more than $10 million into projects led by these young leaders.

TechCongress is also looking to the future, but in one of the oldest institutions in our nation – the U.S. Congress. We have discussed TechCongress’ work in this newsletter a few times, but the “The Congressional Digital Service Pilot Report” helps spotlight the tangible impact that TechCongress fellows have had on the Hill. For instance, TechCongress-placed engineers and developers helped the House adapt and adopt digital signature technology to minimize the need for in-person signature collecting (for co-sponsorships, etc.) amid pandemic concerns.

Our movement – your movement – is rising to the challenge of guiding America through difficult times. From America’s high schools to the hallowed halls of Congress, we’re seeing both new and longtime leaders step up to the challenge and help put us on a path toward prosperity. I, for one, can’t wait to see what’s next.

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