I talk about The Full Press a lot, but I don’t know how often I’ve shared about where they came from. Both were initially created during the height of the pandemic, but for different reasons. They were not woven together at first, they developed as separate ideas that tackled different aspects of major problems the trauma-informed movement was facing, that perhaps not surprisingly wound up fitting together very well. Social infrastructure development, as is the case with all

I love the United States. I always have and I always will. I come from a family that has shown me unconditional love, and so that is what I know to give back. But I fear that not everyone who claims to love the USA feels this way. There are people who will love this country so long as it feeds their selfish desires, but turn their backs on it as soon as it starts working toward a common good, and then they will find another place to “love” and take advantage of. There are oth

After I transitioned out of my role with CTIPP and as I was getting ready to graduate, having finished my capstone paper and just needing the actual graduation date to arrive, I confronted a serious issue: what was I supposed to do with only one job? I was so excited to be full-time in my role with The Change Campaign that I hadn’t really thought about the fact that I haven’t had just one job and no school since April of 2017. Over the last decade of constantly spinning multi

I have met just about weekly with my primary funder since we began working together, who has supported me in my work since I started as ED on loan to CTIPP over five years ago. Actually, we started meeting regularly about a half a year before that, though those meetings were not always one on one like they often are now. What interested her most in me, beyond honestly my mentor who she wanted to support me to be able to learn more from, was the project financing idea to susta

I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy this week. Today is Doug’s 32nd birthday. Doug was my best friend growing up who passed away tragically when we were 15 years old. Additionally, last weekend, my Bubbie passed away at the age of 92. She lived a wonderful life though her battle with dementia over the last few years was challenging. Two very different lives and trajectories, both with indescribable influence on me, now and forever onward. I will try to do both justice. Doug

The last couple of weeks have been the first time in nearly a decade that I have only had one job, do not serve on any boards (other than The Change Campaign’s), and am not in school. Honestly, I was concerned about whether or not I would be able to do just one thing well. I had gotten good at keeping multiple plates spinning, but questioned if I had the discipline to do just one thing well. These concerns have proven to be unnecessary, as there is more than enough work for m

I have had the good fortune of getting to travel for work and do some speaking engagements again. As I transitioned out of my role with CTIPP and was doing grad school in addition to running The Change Campaign, I had to travel less because I simply didn’t have the capacity to do everything, but it is so nice to be back. From Walla Walla, Washington - leading a community conversation on our Building Bridges curriculum Jared Yates Sexton and I have been working on together to

I’ve been thinking about the education system a lot this week. Granted, I think a lot about the education system most weeks, but it feels like it’s been more than usual. Perhaps it is because the Fels graduation on Sunday reminded me of my first master’s program. Perhaps it was the frightening statistics I heard about learning losses at generational levels that our society has not experienced before. Whatever it was, today I want to write about my hopes for education. Off the

Our society has a vested interest in supporting everyone to reach their full potential in order to create the best possible future, individually and collectively. I am woefully aware that this is not how American society currently stands. I also remain hopeful that the crises we are facing serve as pathways for systems to begin to transform. Systems that have resisted transformation for their own survival must now transform in order to survive. The same interest that made the

This was my capstone project for my Master's in Public Administation from the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government. This piece will be built upon moving forward, but serves as a foundation for much of The Change Campaign's work.

As part of a broader strategy I am working to implement, I am going to begin writing and posting a thought piece every Saturday morning for The Change Campaign’s blog and repost on LinkedIn. I have wanted to share my thoughts in the past and have done so sporadically, but writing consistently has always been a bit tougher for me. This is a good opportunity to push past my comfort zone and develop new skills. All growing up, I had teachers try to correct my writing style. Per

During the June 2024 CTIPP CAN (Community Advocacy Network) call, Jesse Kohler, serving as President of The Change Campaign and Executive...