Because real change doesn't happen by chance.
Approximate Read Time: 7 minutes For the past four weeks, we’ve explored the role of the US Culture Wars in community engagement and whether we can find common ground in the current social and political climate. Today we are going to explore how we can succeed at community engagement despite deep cultural divisions, using the …
Continue reading "How to Succeed in Community Engagement Without Really Trying"
Approximate Read Time: 4 minutes When controversy flares and conflict is brewing, there is often a push to find “common ground.” That makes sense, but does it work? It depends. We know. That’s not a response many like to hear but it is the most truthful. What does common ground depend on? It depends on …
Approximate Read Time: 4 minutes “Let sleeping dogs lie” is an adage that dates back to the 13th century according to some historians. Others claim that it goes back further than that, to the Hebrew scriptures. Proverbs 16:17 says, “He that passes by, and meddles with strife belonging not to him, is like one that …
Continue reading "Nap Time is Over for the Dogs of (Culture) War"
Approximate Read Time: 4 minutes Last week, in Navigating the Fog of (Culture) War – Part 1, we ended with an introduction to Inquiry Engagement. Inquiry Engagement prioritizes listening and hearing from people before we start our campaigning. Through Inquiry Engagement we can catch glimpses of the controversies that could lie ahead and then create …
Continue reading "Navigating the Fog of (Culture) War – Part 2"
Approximate Read Time: 5 minutes These headlines (below the logo) from only the first two weeks of March are the latest dispatches from the ever-shifting frontlines of the resurging culture war in the United States. We Say Gay! Hundreds of Iowa students walk out of class to protest LGBTQ bills Des Moines Register, March 1, …
Continue reading "Navigating the Fog of (Culture) War – Part 1"
The story of the ill-fated super ship, the Titanic, is widely known. Approximate Read Time: 5 minutes When it was launched in April 1912 it was the largest passenger ship in the world. It was unthinkable that it could be sunk by anything, let alone an iceberg floating aimlessly in the North Atlantic. Ironically, the …
Ah! Valentine’s Day! Approximate Read Time: 3 minutes A day of joyful surprises or painful disappointments…depending upon our expectations for love. There is one way Valentine’s Day can’t go wrong…if we do some loving things for ourselves. Here are three things you can do for yourself today – for FREE! Try a little Tai Chi …
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...there is something you can do, and we can help. Approximate Read Time: 3 minutes For the last two weeks we’ve been posting information that we hope gets you ready to apply for that next “big” funding announcement. Two weeks ago we posted about the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) funding …
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And a Free Webinar to Help You Get Started Approximate Read Time: 6 minutes Is this you? You’ve been anxiously awaiting a major funding announcement. You open your email inbox and – Ta Da! – there it is. It doesn’t matter whether it is from a state or federal agency or a private funder. It. …
Continue reading "Six Prep Steps for Writing an OPA Application"
Approximate Read Time: <5 minutes Last year the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) forecast three new Teen Pregnancy Prevention grants. Grants.gov indicates they could be released as early as next week. For most of my career I (Tom) have worked in many aspects of teen pregnancy prevention – from program development, testing, delivery, and evaluation …
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