Collective Impact
Reflections on The Nature of Innovation
It would seem “innovation” is the “it” word of the day! We have innovation funds, summits and workbooks. We have awards for social innovators and the assumption that without innovation there is no forward movement, no radical insight, no champion of change. In truth, innovation is critical to the advancement of our society, organizations and each of us. But the challenge of embracing a call to innovation is that we must first understand what truly is innovative as opposed to simply old toys in shiny new boxes; the challenge of innovation is cultivating our ability to discern the wheat of heralded innovation from the simple chaff of latest enthusiasms. READ MORE
Health Community
Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness Month
The new numbers from the Centers for Disease Control last week on autism were absolutely arresting. In their latest survey, 1 in 88 American children were found diagnosed with autism and related disorders. One in 54 American boys, on the autism spectrum. The numbers were stunning in themselves, and far higher than prevalence rates found just a handful of years ago. Maybe it’s all about rates of diagnosis. Or ways of defining autism. Maybe it’s not. But it’s got our full attention. READ MORE
Home Visiting Community
Minnesota’s Early Childhood Programs Get a Funding Boost
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that Minnesota, which was one of 10 states, awarded $8 million to provide early childhood support and home visits to families who volunteer to receive these services.These awards are part of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) created by the Affordable Care Act. The nearly $72 million in funding announced today will allow states to expand or establish their home visiting program. READ MORE
Jobs & Training Community
Three Keys to Completion
It’s predicted that by 2018, 70% of Minnesota’s jobs will require some sort of post secondary education or training, but currently only 40% of working-age adults in Minnesota have a post secondary degree. To address this ever-pressing issue, The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota and Greater Twin Cities United Way hosted the Three Keys to Completion: Higher Education, Business Leadership, and Community-Based Workforce Services seminar on March 27. This was the second in a series of workforce development seminars, and was focused on the role nonprofit-community college partnerships play in increasing completion rates and the overall success of low-income adult students. READ MORE
