In our sixth episode of the Voices of Local Leaders series, we interview Nikki Saccoccia, an environmental educator working as the Schooner Camp Director and Preserves Coordinator for Gather New Haven. Nikki grew up in Connecticut and has always been fascinated by natural sciences and education. Through middle-school and high-school, she got involved in several initiatives to learn more about field research and help researchers in their work, including volunteer opportunities and internship across the state like mapping invasive species, tagging geese and butterflies, and catching dragonflies and damselflies. Using hands-on, outdoor experiences that combine arts and natural sciences, Nikki creates learning opportunities that foster a deep relationship between kids and adults with the environment.

Check the full interview at: https://www.scienceyourself.org/en/blog/2021/interview-with-nikki-saccoccia

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TechSoup is launching a new initiative, through the generosity of the Truist Foundation, to engage a cohort of nonprofit organizations to help them use technology to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19, and deliver vital services to their communities both now and well into the future.  The value to be received by participant organizations is up to $10,000. Click here to apply.

Connecticut is creating a plan to prepare the state for climate change. Decision-makers must hear from you to best support your community. Researchers at the Vermont Law School and Yale University want to aid that communication. Over the coming weeks their team will run focus groups on equity, health, transportation, safety, and other issues in the context of climate change. In these groups, you can share your experiences and stand up for your needs. Your insight is key for advising how the state's plan can best serve your community. Compensation for your time is offered. Click on the link below for more information:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVExcSmiiErzOKp-eOd7_66BQY9xnfMqtFEEkcAF6fItkRIQ/viewform

Cyndi Suarez

February 4, 2021

Editor’s Notes: The Nonprofit Quarterly’s new editor in chief, Cyndi Suarez, launches a new podcast series today featuring women of color in leadership. Through candid, in-depth interviews, listeners will come to understand how these women embarked on their paths to leadership, how their leadership styles have evolved over the years, how they envision their work now, and what they hope to see for their fellow women of color leaders.

“I’m noticing that women of color have been moving into key leadership positions in the nonprofit sector, including philanthropy,” Suarez explains in inaugural podcast. “Some of us are leading predominantly white organizations, often with the charge of transitioning them to more racially just design and practices.” Other leaders of color, like Amoretta Morris, direct organizations that are by and for people of color. Morris, who kicks off this series, is the newly installed president at Borealis Philanthropy.

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/new-borealis-leader-outlines-bold-vision-for-racial-justice-philanthropy

Monday,  April 5th from  6 PM – 7:30 PM: a panel discussion to launch Connecticut's 3rd annual Health Equity week: “The Path to Health Equity in Connecticut.” To register click here.

In our fifth episode of the Voices of Local Leaders series, we interview Adrian Huq, a young environmental activist with strong roots in New Haven. As a middle school student in the area, Adrian already cared deeply about the environment and would go out of their way to improve recycling efforts and reduce food waste at school. In high school, at the Metropolitan Business Academy, Adrian had the opportunity to engage with their school community about environmental issues and started organizing youth-led climate strikes and other initiatives, which led them to co-found the ‘New Haven Climate Movement’   and coordinate the youth internship at the ‘Climate Health Education Project’ . Based on solid scientific evidence about the impact of human actions on global climate, Adrian’s activism creates awareness of these issues and pressures local communities and policymakers to advance plans for broad climate education across the city and potential solutions to mitigate human impacts. Adrian inspires other young students to take action and is definitely helping New Haven move in the environmentally right direction!

Check the full interview at: https://www.scienceyourself.org/en/blog/2021/interview-with-adrian-huq

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Let your voice be heard and testify in support the PROTECT Act, our bill that will eliminate solitary confinement and mandate external oversight over the Department of Correction! You can register for the testimony and learn more here. 

To create public works that truly serve our shared experience, we must maintain that community organizers and city-appointed art directors are sitting at the table as peers, not outweighed by power or pedigree but rather equalized by their lived experience.

Imagine that public space put the ideas of the artist at its center, with urban transformation, public infrastructure, and civic architecture as its foundation. In such a space, creative culture would be championed by the public and be financially supported by those who understand that art is essential to social advancement. In that world, hasty cycles of development would become more thoughtful, collaborative civic movements that represent people from all backgrounds and abilities...

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/public-art-the-case-for-a-cultural-heart-transplant ;

Please join Health Equity Solutions and panelists to launch Connecticut's 3rd annual Health Equity week on April 5th at 6 PM. Health Equity Week is a week-long annual campaign created to bring awareness and start conversations on advancing health equity throughout the state of Connecticut.

Moderator, Tekisha Dwan Everette, PhD - Executive Director, Health Equity Solutions

Panelist, Nichelle A. Mullins, JD - President & CEO, Charter Oak Health Center
Panelist, Steven Hernández, JD - Executive Director, The Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity
Panelist, Wizdom Powell, PhD, MPH - Director, UConn Health Disparities Institute

This event will be recorded. Can't make the live webinar? RSVP anyway and we'll send you a recording afterward.

To register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5bGqiZURSp-TEOGSfDi-CQ

In our fourth episode of the Voices of Local Leaders series, we interview Dr. Gale Ridge, a concert pianist that became an insect researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Although Dr. Ridge’s specialty is bedbug’s behavior, she has helped solve several bug-related mysteries, from intercontinental transportation of exotic insects, to forensic entomology in murder cases, to mental disorders in which patients believe they are being fed on by insects. As she points out in the interview, her curiosity and attention to detail have been prevalent in her life and are a driving force that facilitated her crossover from working on the theater stage to the microscope in her laboratory. Her passion for six-legged creatures and her compassion for learners and patients in distress are inspiring and will make you want to learn more about her work!

Check the full interview at: https://www.scienceyourself.org/en/blog/2021/interview-with-dr-gale-ridge

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In our third episode of the Voices of Local Leaders series, we interview Gammy Moses, an environmental educator currently working as the extended day PM coordinator at the Elm City Montessori school. Gammy has been connecting young students and their parents to accessible, open green spaces around New Haven for the last 16 years. Through references to his childhood in the island of Dominica, spending as much time outdoors as possible and following the musical steps of his father, we can easily understand and admire his passion for environmental and outdoor education. Using captivating lessons that combine arts, rhythm, and movements with nature exploration, Gammy engages our youth in learning about science and taking action to protect our environment. There is absolutely no doubt that Gammy is an inspiration to how we should work together and teach our children.

Check the full interview at:: https://www.scienceyourself.org/en/blog/2021/interview-with-gammy-moses

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On March 11th, we launched our promotion campaign which includes billboards on I-84 and I-95 as well as digital ads, targeted mailings, and bus ads. Check out coverage from our presser yesterday in front of NHCC. 

Health care workers answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccines

This information is shared for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at time of filming. Always consult a health care provider for any personal health decisions. Click here for vaccine FAQs from the CDC.

Why We Need The Conversation

W. Kamau Bell shares why he joined THE CONVERSATION, “I want to be part of getting our people vaccinated and healthy. Too often we don’t get access to healthcare, and I would hate it if we don’t get access at this critical time. So, I have to be a part of the solution here.”

https://www.greaterthancovid.org/theconversation/?utm_source=betweenusaboutus.org&utm_medium=vanity%20url/

In our second episode of the Voices of Local Leaders series, we interview David Carter, one of the facilitators for the ‘Neighborhood Leadership Program’ (NLP) from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. After 30 years working as a project manager, David decided to shift his career and dedicate his efforts to help local leaders make a difference in their communities. From being the professional that was expected to have all the answers to embracing the unexpected challenges of community development, David’s journey has been centered in listening and learning. Not by chance, both attitudes constitute two of the main pillars of the NLP program. But they are not fundamental only for creative, community problem-solving. They also embody essential aspects of critical thinking and the scientific mindset we foster here at Science Yourself. We truly believe that David’s experience and perspectives illustrate how everyone can benefit from an empathetic, scientifically literate community!

Check the full interview at: https://www.scienceyourself.org/en/blog/2021/interview-with-david-carter

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Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) is accepting applications for membership on our Board of Directors!

DESK is a New Haven-based nonprofit organization, committed to serving people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty by providing food assistance and services that promote health, community, and equity. We are a small organization, but we are growing significantly! (Have you seen the recent article on the Yale Daily News?!) As we continue to grow, we would like to invite passionate and committed people to join the organization as Board Members.

DESK’s Board of Directors is comprised of a group of dedicated individuals who are highly engaged in the community, each bringing at least one area of specialization or knowledge to their Board service. Ideal candidates will be passionate and committed to DESK’s mission. To learn more about Board Membership, please take a look at our posting here.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and CV or résumé to Sofia Morales at sofia.morales@yale.edu with “Board Member Application” in the subject line.

Grant news: We're pleased to share the news about a $400,000 flexible funding grant from The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to expand The Prosperity Foundation’s capacity. Read about it here