If there is a theme to this week, it’s about strength in numbers and what we can achieve when we all come together.
This week we’ve been honored to host our partners from Cincinnati who’ve been visiting as part of our joint peer-learning effort funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This effort has provided both cities with a great opportunity to share learnings, best practices, and collaborate on how to best improve the health of families and the strength and well-being of our communities.
One of the many highlights of the visit so far was the 24:1 Municipal Partnership meeting with local mayors in the 24:1 Community. Our friends representing the Cincinnati City Council, local education, youth development, social services, and small business joined us to discuss our comprehensive community development work in the 24:1 Community—especially in the areas of public safety, youth development, and economic and small business development.
If opportunities like this happened more often in our world, it’s amazing to think of what we might all achieve together.
We were also joined by special guests including representatives from Normandy City Council, parents of children within the community, and Venton Blandin from KMOV.
Another highlight was the presentation of the 2020 graduates of theYoung Voices with Action program, Civic Ambassadors Academy St. Louis. Young Voices with Action develops the growth and leadership of young people through community service. Civic Ambassadors Academy St. Louis is funded by Beyond Housing with a grant from the Deaconess Foundation and partners with the United Nations Association of St. Louis to promote civic responsibility of young people to make a difference in their communities and help create a more sustainable future for all. The students were awarded scholarships for successfully completing the eight-week academy.
As Venton Blandin spoke to the graduates, it was a comforting reminder that the future of our communities will be in good hands thanks to young people like these students.
The night ended with honoring Normandy Schools Collaborative Superintendent, Dr. Charles J. Pearson, who announced that he will soon be retiring. Dr. Pearson put his retirement on hold to join the school district in 2015 and has been instrumental in helping the district regain its accreditation.
Thank you to our Cincinnati partners and everyone else who made this such an inspiring and productive week to be remembered.
If opportunities like this happened more often in our world, it’s amazing to think of what we might all achieve together.
