Of the many wicked problems in communities, institutions, and government, virtually all of them are rooted in histories of broken connections, damaged trust and eroded respect that have driven increases in inequality in the first place. To ensure health and well-being for everyone, we need ways to address these problems and build more social and […]
Developing upstream solutions to social problems is more effective than scrambling to apply reactive remedies downstream. Whether you call it prevention or “nippin’ it in the bud,” looking upstream leads to more lasting impact for more people. That’s why changemakers in community health view policy, systems, and environmental change strategies as the most promising approaches […]
I grew up in southern Michigan near a small town with only a thousand people. I lived in the “country.” That’s what we called anything outside of the one-square-mile town where I went to church and school. There was (and still is) one bank, one bar, a library, and a few ever-changing shops. Growing up […]
I recently completed many years of service as a board member for a local nonprofit that improves the lives of girls and young women. I loved it and felt we were making a real difference in our community. In the last decade, we quadrupled the number of girls served and had measurable, positive outcomes. We […]