Arts Integration as a Pathway to Unity in the Community: The (Ongoing) Journey of Pillsbury House + Theatre

This report is a 2013 study of how a nonprofit theater and a social service agency that happened to reside in the same building rediscovered their shared history as a 19th century Settlement House, and unified operations to become a 21st Century Center for Creativity and Community. In 2008, Pillsbury United Communities -- a network of five community centers, 70+ programs, and 8 business ventures in the Twin Cities -- made the unusual decision to hand over leadership of its largest facility, Pillsbury House Neighborhood Center (PHNC), to Faye Price and Noël Raymond, co-artistic directors of Pillsbury House Theatre. The theater had gained acclaim with almost two decades of professional productions reflecting contemporary social issues of relevance to its diverse South Minneapolis neighborhood. However, Price and Raymond had a larger vision to have high-quality arts underlie all of the Center's services to increase the individual and community creativity needed to tackle serious socio-economic challenges and revitalize the neighborhood. The journey is told through stories and interviews with more than 30 staff, artists, program participants, community and civic leaders, residents, and funders. It is supplemented by data from independent program evaluations from 2010-2013. The report (by veteran journalist and arts funder Nancy Fushan) documents not only what happens as the staff attempts to embed the arts in almost every aspect of the organization. It explores factors that contribute to success and thechallenges that informed further change and evolution. Pillsbury House + Theatre (PH+T), a center for creativity and community, shares lessons learned that may be of value to other nonprofit organizations that are contemplating a "re-imagination" of their work at this considerable scope and scale. The insights may also be of interest to artists, educators, evaluators and those in the human services and philanthropy fields

Advancing Strategy: How to Lead Change in Corporate Societal Engagement

Implementing a strategy may be even harder than developing it. This learning brief is intended for corporate foundation and CSR leaders who have completed an initial strategy refresh process and who seek effecitve practices and tools to advance this strategy. In our experience advising more than 100 multinational companie, effective leaders facilitate structured, data-informed decisions and enable important organizational improvements to achieve their strategic objectives. Specifically, advancing strategy in corporate societal engagement typically requires leading change in two major areas of the overall portfolio: designing a signative initiative and transforming local giving

Many Hands, More Impact: Philanthropy's Role in Supporting Movements

GEO has prepared a publication that provides a framework for understanding the array of roles that funders can play in supporting movements and networks. Many Hands, More Impact: Philanthropy's Role in Supporting Movements offers an orientation to some of the inherent benefits and barriers to supporting movements and provides insight into ways that grantmakers can explore collaborative efforts for social change

Dampier Peninsula\u27s Community Navigators: Empowering Kimberley Families through their Aboriginal-led Woombooriny Amboon Angarriiya Partnership Initiative (WAAPI)

The Dampier Peninsula is home to a pristine coastal landscape and rugged country with diverse and abundant marine life, flora and fauna. Valuable Aboriginal cultural knowledge, traditions and science are still shared and practiced, while local tourism and industry opportunities are poised for growth. Throughout this unique and beautiful region, an exciting project led by the Aboriginal people of Beagle Bay, Djarindjin, Lombadina and Ardyaloon communities called WAAPI - the Woombooriny Amboon Angarriiya Partnership Initiative is taking shape. It aims to empower Aboriginal families and improve outcomes for their children, young people and families living across the Dampier Peninsula region. WAAPI’s focus is on creating strong families, strong leaders and strong communities with an Indigenous governance family empowerment model. This provides a model for a ‘voice’ to facilitate local decision-making and ensure Aboriginal-led, designed and delivered positive social change.https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/nulungu_insights/1003/thumbnail.jp

Sustainability and renewal: findings from the Leading Sustainable Schools research project

"A research study highlighting the characteristics of sustainable schools and the leadership qualities required to develop sustainable schools." - Page 1

The Needle is Moving in CA K-8 Science: Integration with ELA, Integration of the Sciences, and Returning Science as a K-8 Core Subject

This first EII evaluation publication discusses one of the major shifts above, namely the shift to integrated instruction. The integration of science and ELA is the focus of one section, and the integration of the science disciplines (i.e., earth/space, life, and physical) inherent in the MS Integrated Model is the focus of the second. Also discussed at length in this publication is a fundamental shift that is not listed above, but is equally, if not more, important: the need to teach science in the first place. In order for any of the targeted shifts to take place, teachers must devote time to teaching science on a regular basis

Gaining Perspective: Lessons Learned From One Foundation's Exploratory Decade

Ten years after launching an ambitious strategy, the Northwest Area Foundation asked FSG to identify lessons learned from a decade of community-based work. In the period from 1998 to 2008, the Northwest Area Foundation made a big bet on an innovative approach to reducing poverty. Before that time, the Foundation awarded relatively short-term grants in a variety of program areas. In 1998, the mission was sharpened to a single purpose: to help communities reduce poverty. At the heart of the new strategy was a set of placebased, long-term commitments that were conceived as partnerships with entire communities.

The Principal Internship: How Can We Get It Right?

Examines educational leadership degree programs in the SREB region. Focuses on the problems within internships, and provides ideas on how programs can be designed to produce good school leaders

Personal and Leadership Development in the Middle School Environment: The School STRONG Initiative

Schools today are extremely focused on the academic rigor demands of standards and literacy that students aren’t learning the skills necessary to become self-initiating individuals and leaders. Through the School STRONG Initiative, students and teachers will have an outlet for community, technical skills enhancement, and leadership and coaching development. With this program in place, schools will transition from the traditional schooling approach, to an authentically led learning organization

A Model for Implementing a Successful Sustainability Strategy

The process of implementing sustainability within national and international corporate functions requires senior management commitment and a sustainability team which employs the correct leadership knowledge and skills. Additionally, all stakeholders must fully understand, accept, routinely monitor, and participate in the strategy of sustainability. This core business value must also be clearly articulated throughout the organization