Joan Jackson’s Post

Are you a local business curious about the impact of your involvement in schools? According to a survey by the National Association of Manufacturers, 90% of manufacturers view partnerships as crucial for workforce development. These collaborations frequently involve internships and apprenticeships, offering students valuable hands-on experience that employers appreciate. Looking to kickstart your engagement in schools? Let From Me To You Consulting guide you! Visit https://lnkd.in/efrMHmDP to learn more about how we excel at connecting individuals and fostering beneficial relationships. If you are a business collaborating with a school, I'd love to hear your success stories! #Partnerships #WorkforceDevelopment #Internships #Apprenticeships #FromMeToYouConsulting

Honored to be spotlighted by Urban ArtWorks and help them in any way. I encourage anyone who can to support Urban Artworks, who uplift our region through #publicart, #arteducation, #artapprenticeship, #apprenticeship, #artexperience, #creativeeconomy, #creativerevitialization, #diversityequityinclusionaccessibility, #urbanrevitalization, #housingjustice, #justiceequitydiversity, #artinititatives, #gratitudejournal. #arteducationmatters. #artheals. #artistherapyforthesoul. #artiswellness. #supportartists #artengagement #artcollaboration #artengagement #artfollowers #artjourney #artdevelopment #publicartmatters #artindevelopment #artthroughdevelopment #visualthinkingstrategies #socialemotionallearning #CASEL

This month I wrapped up volunteering for Junior Achievement's PreK-5 program and walked away knowing that I helped open the little minds to endless possibilities when it comes to our economy, consumers, producers, entrepreneurs and the way money flows. However, and more importantly, I walked away with three big reminders - 1. We often regret inactions more than we do actions. So if you have a thought, share it. If you have a vision, act on it. Don't hold yourself back. Kids don't hold back ideas - don't kill that free thinking in yourself or others as you grow older. 2. Helen Keller was once quoted as saying, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much". Still so true, and still so relevant. Be inclusive, partner with creative minds, sharper minds, differently abled minds. Kids instinctively reach over desks to help others. They don't point out flaws, or express superiority. They don't judge. Let that mindset guide you as you progress in your career. 3. Gratitude can transform an ordinary afternoon into a joyous one. I got a very sweet card signed by all the kids in the classroom at the end of our sessions this month, and it brought an instant smile to my face for hours! A simple gesture but often lost in our busy world! Unleash your inner child and let creativity guide you. P.S. Volunteering in your local community and making an impact can go a long way in opening a small but curious window in the minds of a child. Find your local JA or other similar organization and go volunteer! https://lnkd.in/eAiKG8at

I want to reshare this post I made earlier this month as the KJS Legacy Project works to raise $5,000 by the end of September to continue funding scholarships to students at Trumbull, CT and at American University. Please consider given to keep Kevin's legacy alive: On this 4th of July, we observed another sad milestone. It’s hard to believe, but it has been nine years since Kevin’s tragic passing. For his family and friends, the pain of our loss is still deeply felt. We miss his kind and caring nature and that big grin of his. He had prepared himself to do great things - to have a positive impact on the world. Kevin’s career was just starting. He had such a bright future ahead of him - so much that he wanted to accomplish. And because his life was interrupted, those of us he left behind have dedicated ourselves to carrying on his legacy - working to accomplish some of the things he never got to do. And that is what the KJS Legacy Project (KJSLP) is all about. To date, the KJSLP has helped to fund five scholarships in the AU School of Public Affairs, four internships on Capitol Hill, and two high school scholarships. This year, we seek to expand Kevin’s legacy with the goal of making our impact even greater through increased endowments at AU and by funding an endowment for the Trumbull High School Scholarship. Toward that end, we are launching the Summer 2024 KJSLP Outreach. During the months of July, August and September, we have set a goal of raising $5,000 to support our various programs. In talking with our scholarship recipients, it is clear that we are making a real impact on their career trajectory. Kevin’s life-story is a powerful example that these students relate to and use as a guide as they make decisions along the way in their life’s journey. With your continued support, we will continue to expand that impact and encourage more students to follow in Kevin’s footsteps seeking to create that more perfect Union our founders sought to create! Click here to make a donation or continue below to see what our recipients are saying. https://lnkd.in/ezY585h8

One of the privileges I have each day is reviewing and approving grants to support striving tech students - typically low-income undergrads in computing fields from underrepresented communities. You might think it would be a slow time of the year for Last Mile Education Fund, but we're processing dozens of grants per week. You would be surprised how difficult it can be for many students to access opportunities they have earned such as an internship or research experience because of financial constraints. This week alone we invested in: -A student trying to juggle rent obligations for her college apartment until the lease ends in July, as well as housing at her internship site across the country - plus afford a return trip to move out and place her belongings in storage midway through the summer. -An intern at a major insurance company struggling to pay for rent, food or transportation during an internship that started weeks ago - but doesn't pay the students the relocation stipend until their first paycheck - 30 days after starting. -Funded several students to attend the ColorStack conference in August in San Jose. Networking and recruiting opportunities like these are critical to preparing to launch into the tech workforce, but often inaccessible due to upfront expenses as well as opportunity cost. These are just a few examples of the 'hidden costs' along the journey to a tech degree and career that can trip up financially vulnerable students. For affluent students, these costs are typically covered by their families. For students from poverty, they can be insurmountable. It is incredible how impactful a small investment of just a few thousand dollars can make for these talented students. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gVB_mhpX

The Opportunity Pass pilot is an exciting first step to explore how free public transit can benefit young city residents. Ride New Orleans and local youth developed and advocated for the pilot program, envisioning a future where transit offers full access to jobs, education, healthcare and other essential services. Efforts to ensure youth sign up for the pass are being driven by our community partners in New Orleans. These include the New Orleans Children & Youth Planning Board, New Orleans Youth Alliance, Reconcile New Orleans (Café Reconcile), Liberty's Kitchen, Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), Delgado Community College, the New Orleans Career Center, and others who are actively involved in this initiative. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ggu5YXnj

I have shared about this before - but AmeriCorps allowed me the opportunity to serve my community as a first-generation college student. I used my AmeriCorps Segal Award to make monthly payments on my excessive student-loan debt. It was a game changer as someone who had to work almost full-time as a student and couldn't take on any internships while in college. Consider sending a message to your senators about increasing funding to AmeriCorps for FY25. "These proposed cuts come during a difficult time when demand for AmeriCorps is greater than the funding available. In fact, what is needed is more funding – not less. Without increased funding in FY25, more than 34,000 AmeriCorps and 6,000 AmeriCorps Seniors positions will be eliminated next year. The House bill would serve a death knell, eliminating at least 71,000 AmeriCorps positions. Congress is facing some challenging decisions about spending priorities and that is why we need to urge them to support AmeriCorps. There is an explosion of needs in our country and now is the time to invest in AmeriCorps, not cut it." - Voices for National Service https://lnkd.in/erry9bmU

#EJAFellowUpdate These last 2 weeks were super super busy (as if it’s not always super super busy). Unfortunately, there will always be a need for public defenders and that need will always be high. The busiest days were Monday and Tuesday which I spent metaphorically running around like a chicken with no head. 4 clients all at the same time had some kind of motion, opposition, or order that needed to be written, all with different issues and requiring different research. Now, that may sound like a nightmare and that I’m complaining, but in reality they were the best 2 days of the summer so far. Similar to an F1 car, I’m awful at slow speeds but absolutely thrive at high speed. So having all of those things thrown at me was a godsend. The issues were interesting and allowed me to flex my creative muscle when thinking on how to respond. Aside from those 2 days, everything else was relatively normal and slow. The latter half of last week was spent on a really interesting issue involving personal property left in an apartment after eviction and the extent to which landlords have to care for it (hint: the answer is that they have to pay to store it and can’t take it for their own). So there was a fun crossover episode between civ pro and property. Having to write about bailments and personal property in the same context as notice and civil procedure was fun. My favorite part of the internship process has honestly been applying 1L class material, as boring as it is, to real life and seeing how it’s actually used. Seeing civil procedure especially used as a weapon in court is always satisfying. In an ideal world, that’d be all I do all day. Fordham University School of Law Neighborhood Defender Service Equal Justice America https://lnkd.in/eTATVqk5

Yesterday we had our REI Luncheon where 370 were in attendance. Chris Capece, Kyle Strober, Deirdre O'Connell, Peter Curry and I discussed affects to communities after multi-family development. Below are some interesting facts between fear and actuality before and after. 1. POOR PEOPLE WILL MOVE IN.- Two assessments were made with both Avalon Bay Communities in Rockville Center and Huntington Station. It was found that the Average Household Income (AHI) was 30%-50% higher in the multifamily complex than in the surrounding area in which they were constructed. 2. ALL THE NEW CHILDREN WILL DETROY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. - A white paper completed by the Real Estate Institute @ SUNY Stony Brook and counts by Avalon Bay Communities shows there are 0.091 to 0.125 school aged children per unit. This means that 10 units are paying school taxes when only one unit is actually using the schools. 3. RENTERS WILL BE COMING FROM NYC TO LI. - 40% of the renters come from within 2 miles of the development, and 67% are from within the town or village. Also, in these same areas retail vacancies went from 18% down to 3% after the development. Financial services like banks, grocery stores, more upscale retail along with additional services like Libraries populated this same area after development. The average stay of renters in a particular unit is 42.3 months. We will have the backup support material up next week on reisb.org

 New Blog Post: Extracurricular Activities: Authenticity for the WIN! by Bonnie Kleffman, M.Ed, GCDF Pro Tip #3: Don’t Forget About Summer! When a student is passionate about a topic, they may choose to do an independent study or related project, hence the overused ‘passion project’ terminology that tends to stress everyone out. Fear not. Although creative homegrown projects are wonderful, students don’t need to bend over backwards to do the most difficult thing they can imagine. The best summer endeavors can be as simple as getting a summer job and taking interest in the business, or volunteering your skills at a nonprofit organization. Sometimes building upon an out of school activity, such as leading classes at your martial arts studio or starting a neighborhood garden to benefit your local food pantry is much more impactful than an expensive, pay to play summer camp... https://lnkd.in/gjiUJbG4