Empowering Youth Changemakers
The Empowering Youth Changemakers program was launched with 19 teens in attendance, under the direction of Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County. BGCM is collaborating with Teen Think Tank, Project Write Now, Trenton Circus Squad, RWJ Barnabas Health and Lead U, along with the Empowering Youth Changemakers Working Group members. Moving forward, BGCM is putting together a program calendar that will include dates, times and locations for future sessions and will have the partner agencies plugged in. They held their first session, “Teen Leadership” which introduced key leadership concepts to the participants. In addition, the teens voted on leadership positions for the group. The next session is scheduled for October 19th and the topic will be, “What is your passion?” More updates to come.
Amplifying BIPOC Leadership
We are continuing with planning and will share more information once the Amplifying BIPOC Leadership strategy is solidified.
Empowering Communities to Center Equity
This strategy will focus on advocacy for 2022-23. We have many partners in this work, including BolderAdvocacy, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, New Jersey Center for Nonprofits and consultant, Orville Morales of The People’s Lobbyist®.
On September 8, we hosted a Let’s Talk About Advocacy Breakfast and Discussion and had a great turnout of Ocean and Monmouth County nonprofits and businesses who came to learn how they can get involved to create change in the community and the world. Orville Morales of The People’s Lobbyist® and Linda Czipo of New Jersey Center for Nonprofits spoke about the whys and hows of advocacy. Orville also talked about an exciting Pragmatic Activism Cohort opportunity presented by the Grunin Foundation in partnership with The People’s Lobbyist® beginning in September.
The Pilot Pragmatic Activism Cohort will accept 20 individuals from the Ocean and Monmouth County nonprofit and business community, who will work together through six phases of pragmatic activism which is a strategic approach to social change that allows for intentional and reasonable action that is sustainable over time. We will have more updates as the Cohort moves forward.