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News & Updates

2023 Annual Report Released

Your support over the last year has transformed Move for America from a small startup into a movement. As we head into 2024, your support has positioned our program to doubled in size, launching more civic bridge builders than ever before.

As we look back over the past year, we invite you to explore our 2023 Annual Report, sharing the story and impact of our first yearlong cohort of Move for America Fellows and community partners. Thank you for your ongoing support.

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Annual Report 2023

Introducing: Fellow Blog Sessions

From Week to Year—The Highlights of a Bright Orientation for Fall Fellows

A year of community. A year of change. A week of crazy hectic activity to kick it all off. This, I thought, was what was waiting for me when I stepped out of my apartment building into the warm August air at the start of Move for America's orientation week, a five-day learning process to equip a new cohort of fellows for bridging divides in the year ahead. In many ways, I found exactly what I predicted, but in others, I was deeply surprised, and pleasantly so.

 

Upon entering the Barrel House, our charmingly old-fashioned meeting place, I found a warm welcome, a cup of coffee and a group of people brought together by common cause awaiting me--people ready to  work and play in ways that were kind, equitable, respectful and authentic. The training, when it began, served only to add infinite layers of depth to the space that the group held both for and with one another, and it was truly one of the best  trainings of my life. This was a great joy to me, given the organizations' mission.

 

Move for America's main goal is to place fellows into positions where they might both bridge civic divides and better their communities in a year-long, immersive experience. It is particularly vital in such important, collaborative work that all involved begin from a strong foundation, and thus ensuring everyone has the tools they need is a natural and necessary first step. From the opening day, it was immediately obvious that the trainings throughout the week had been accordingly curated and facilitated with great care. The five of us Fellows spent the week learning about ourselves, our individual and collective cultures, our communities, and effective ways in which to both speak and listen to facilitate the sorts of profound and catalyzing conversations that were so plentiful for us during this time. The curriculum was robust, with important segments such as navigating conflict, being aware of bias and intentionally framing the narratives we might tell in a way that celebrates those we serve. This was an incredible and practical underpinning, but that was not the most impressive part of this experience for me. Instead, it was the staggering amounts of empathy, emotional openness and vulnerability with which every component in this process was imbued.

 

At the heart of every conversation lies at least two people, and at the heart of every person lies their thoughts and feelings, the personal and primally important ways in which they react to the world around them. In a training centered around building bridges and serving community, it would have been very easy to say that we as Fellows needed to put our emotions aside, shift them entirely based on the lens through which we are attempting to understand others in any given moment or otherwise devalue the importance of our emotional processes. Even outside of bridgebuilding work, more and more general focus is being paid to changing mindset, remaining positive or listening in ways that almost seem to deny individuals their own emotional impetus. In all of the trainings facilitated directly by Move for America staff, I did not see one shred of this idea in word or action.

 

In fact, to my great delight, I found the exact opposite to be the quickly established norm. Without forcing anyone to speak who had nothing to contribute in the moment--an impressive feat all on its own--weighty questions habitually made their way around the group both from within and without, even when they scrutinized a particular concept closely in a way the training may not have originally accounted for or predicted. These questions were answered in ways that were vulnerable, helpful and even sometimes slightly contradictory, and there seemed to be no inequality between Fellows and leadership when thinking about these more nebulous topics. Combined with a good group of people and the tools we had been given to ensure we remained respectful and open, this freedom to feel meant that all states of being could be brought to the table to better each and every  conversation involving this sort of depthful dialogue--and there were myriad! As a result, the training fostered a meaningful connectedness to both us as individuals and the group as a whole, while proving that it is possible to remain open and respectful in important discussions and participate with our whole selves; with all the history, context, and emotion that might entail. It proved that, with intention and practice, it is possible to truly listen and understand as you bring a deep and personal care to the situation at hand, and without that lesson, effective bridgebuilding would be unattainable, because at the heart of every bridge their lies a conversation, and at the heart of every conversation…well, the chain goes on.

 

Sufficed to say, this week is one that will remain forever important to me both as a close, caring and carefully-built training for work that  means a great deal, but also as an example of what can happen when people go into spaces with intentional, radical openness, and how that can spread from heart to heart. Now that I'm reflecting, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised--after all, openness is  one of the first steps we were taught on our journey toward becoming better co-architects of a brighter future with ourselves and our communities. But it's easy to talk without speaking, easy to shut people out of conversations while paying lip service to giving them a seat at the table. The fact that Move for America actively practices everything about its core mission in such a palpable way tells me that the organization is on to something real, and that means that we as fellows are, too. And I'm very excited to see where that leads. The first week is over, but the year has only begun.

Jessica is wearing a red blouse and black over the head headphones. Her hair is strawberry blonde and pulled back into a ponytail.

Learn more about Jessica!

Owen is outdoors in front of greenery wearing a black hoodie and medium brown glasses. His hair is blonde and cut ear length.

What do Fellows say about the program and their Move for America experience?

My time at Ames Lake helped me understand the ambivalent relationship people often had towards the police since they acted as both a violent figure in the community (something I witnessed directly) and an important resource."  This continues to make Owen rethink how teaching might reinforce and rely on modes of authority that evoke policing that can alienate our students; and how the role of an educator is to help build students' tools and language of agency. 

Owen Sayre served at A. Johnson Elementary School and Opportunity Neighborhood Ames Lake. When asked how his time at Ames Lake influences the way he enters spaces now, he shared how his experience helped him understand how kids might understand power and oppression without yet necessarily having the full language to do so, which informs his teaching.

2022 Fellowship Orientation: Fall
Cohort

We ended the month of August with another 5 full days of

Orientation and Inclusive Leadership Development

programming to welcome our Fall cohort of 4. Our host partner, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC), graciously provided the location once again for Orientation, and it was one to remember! ♥ We discussed community engagement, of course, self and culture, conflict resolution, and authentic professionalism in preparation for their first week serving at their project sites. Midway through the week, one of our Fellows felt under the weather, but he was able to take time to recover at home while still participating virtually the following day! Unfortunately, another one of our Fellows became ill on Thursday. We were bummed nonetheless, yet we were able to collaborate on ways to be adaptable and inclusive for the virtual team :) The Fall cohort also had the opportunity to meet a Fellow from last year and another from our Summer cohort. They shared their experiences and answered questions, giving the Fall cohort the support and encouragement they needed to feel confident in their new roles!

Group shot of 2022 Fall cohort Fellows joined around orientation table. (Left: Erick Castellanos and Matthew Simonson, Right: Natalie Meinhardt and Len Sanqui) Erick is standing and wearing a Move for America teal collared long-sleeve shirt, black pants, black glasses, and a black watch. Natalie is also standing and wearing a black short-sleeve top with black and white striped pants. Matthew is kneeling and wearing a grey tee shirt with khaki caro shorts. Len is also kneeling and wearing a black dress blouse with khaki pants and transparent framed glasses.
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Fellowship orientation table covered by a Move for America logo printed table cloth with content binders, refreshment snacks, and branded materials on top, including a travel mug and pen.

National Night Out: Camdentown

The first Tuesday in August is an annual night to gather with

neighbors and partner with the city of Minneapolis.

Minneapolis leads the nation for NNO participation, and

every year, thousands of residents take part in Block parties, Festivals, Parades, Cookouts, Youth activities, and even Public information events - Each neighborhood plans its own event! This year, Camdentown's National Night Out was an old-school block party around the North Market parking lot. They offered collaborative art, FREE food, music, games, and GREAT energy on a HOT summer day!

Group shot of 2022 Fellow, Emily Fulcher, and our Executive director, Libby Stegger, with Emily's host site supervisor and team at 2022 National Night Out Event.
The Community Mural at North Market, led by Artist Melodee Strong on behalf of Roho Collective. It is full of bright colors, tribal-like swirls, sunflowers, and repeating hearts toward the center where there are two brown-skinned halds holding seeds.
Camdentown team, including our Fellow Emily Fulcher, standing in front of the newly revealed Community Mural.
Group shot over Zoom of Empathy Cafe Event with Listen First Coalition community.

ListenFirst Coalition Community Empathy Café 

Move for America participated w/ the ListenFirst Coalition Empathy Café. We had the opportunity to experience, learn and practice the Empathy Circle process in small breakout circles. This also allowed us to network and build connections within the ListenFirst Coalition, talk about any relevant topics in the community, and develop ideas surrounding empathy to implement.

OUR TOPIC WAS:  How should we use our current political process to promote bridging? Or Whatever is alive for you? (i.e. what is important to you.)

Our mission at MFA is to catalyze a generation of leaders to bridge divides and strengthen civic dialogue, so empathy is significant when considering that dialogue piece that’s necessary to productively lean into our differences in order to bring constructive dialogue together for shared problem solving - If we don’t have a framework for listening, then theres no effective listening taking  place -

2022 Fellowship Orientation: Summer
Cohort

Move for America held 5 full days of Orientation and Inclusive

Leadership Development programming in June to welcome

our summer cohort of 3. Our host partner, Greater

Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC), graciously provided the location for Orientation, and it was a huge success! We spent time getting the Fellows familiarized with the program, discussing self and culture, as well as community engagement and conflict resolution. This included an Intercultural Conflict Style Workshop and practice with the Open Mind Platform, an online learning tool designed to equip our Fellows with the mind and skillset to communicate constructively across differences. We even received a virtual visit from 2/4 Fellows from the summer 2021 Fellowship. They shared their experiences with this year's Fellows, answered questions, and offered advice!

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Group shot over Zoom of a visit from the 2021 Fellows during summer orientation (2022).
MOTIVATIONAL MONDAYS: CONVERSATIONS WITH LEADERSTHE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF LEADERSHIP AND SUCCESS
00:00 / 16:55

Building Unity Through Listening and Civic Participation

While the news shows evidence that difference and divides between people are stronger than ever, social movements and other uniting forces are showing the power of human connection and unity—despite differences. Sit with folks who hold space for diverse communities and lead work to make our dreams of a better world for all possible. Learn practical techniques to move into differences and learning. Build your capacity to find and foster unity. Bringing decades of diverse perspectives and experience, panelists will highlight stories that will leave you inspired by the truth and power of connection.

Unity and Bridging Diverse Perspectives

While the news shows evidence that difference and divides between people are stronger than ever, social movements and other uniting forces are showing the power of human connection and unity—despite differences. Sit with folks who hold space for diverse communities and lead work to make our dreams of a better world for all possible. Learn practical techniques to move into differences and learning. Build your capacity to find and foster unity. Bringing decades of diverse perspectives and experience, panelists will highlight stories that will leave you inspired by the truth and power of connection.

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