The What
STL Sandbox is an invitation to practice complex problem solving and change making.
It emphasizes the intersection between the individual and the group (organization, community, institution, system) and empowers individuals to consider, calibrate, and craft their own actions to better achieve system level impact. None of the biggest problems we face can be solved or mitigated by one person alone, and yet the individual (alone and en masse) is the greatest instrument of change we have available. Participation in STL Sandbox means rethinking your own process, reassessing your context, and expanding your modes and methods of change.
The Outcomes & The Practice
As participants in STL Sandbox you can expect the following outcomes from this practice:
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An understanding of how you can be a part of making change right where you are.
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Ability to ORIENT yourself
- i.e. move from “I think” to “I know” with regard to our own intersections with systems of equity/inequity.
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Willingness and capacity to GRAPPLE
- i.e. take responsibility for and engage in complex change work with a systems mindset.
04.
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Confidence and motivation to REORIENT FOR ACTION
- i.e. leverage our platforms or institutional power/positions for change.
The Why
Change requires more people doing the work of change from where they are. There are many people - including probably you - who care and would like to engage but don’t always feel equipped to contribute from their current place in the ecosystem. We believe If more people and professionals were skilled in story-forward, systems-focused, power-aware strategies then they would be able to leverage their platforms and positions more effectively, and change would cascade differently, and - most importantly - more quickly. We believe that every space and place has an un-activated and under-leveraged network of potential change agents embedded within. We consider it part of our work to get more individuals powered up and pointed toward change.
The Who
Nicole Hudson
Co-creator / ST LOUIS, MO
Nicole Hudson uses communications, storytelling and strategy to drive toward systems-level change and has worked on projects in industries ranging from Broadway to government. Nicole’s early career was focused mostly on large-scale digitally driven communications initiatives for international brands, while her recent focus has been policy and system interventions around issues of inequity at the organization, municipal, and/or population level. Nicole served as the communications director for the Ferguson Commission, which led to her leading the non profit the Commission created and tasked with supporting the region’s implementation of the report. After a year as the Deputy Mayor of Racial Equity and Priority Initiatives for the City of St. Louis, Nicole joined the administration at Washington University in St. Louis a year ago as Assistant Vice Chancellor, Academy for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Adelaide Lancaster
Co-creator / YPSILANTI, MI
Adelaide Lancaster is a social entrepreneur, community builder, and advocate. She excels as identifying possibilities, operationalizing action, and mobilizing people. Most recently she co-founded We Stories, a St. Louis-based non-profit organization that engages White families to change the conversation about and build momentum towards racial justice and equity. In 4 short years they directly engaged 1400 families, helping them to start and strengthen conversations about race and racism and increase their capacity for civic engagement and advocacy. Prior to that she co-founded In Good Company Workplaces, a first of its kind community and co-working space for women entrepreneurs in Manhattan, which opened in 2007. In Good Company served thousands of women entrepreneurs and has helped shape the shared workspace industry of today. Adelaide is an active participant in many civic organizations and racial justice initiatives, was particularly honored to serve for 6 years on the Board of Directors for Forward Through Ferguson - the organizational outgrowth of the Ferguson Commission report. You can find her current projects, available consulting services, and some writing @ The Slipstream.
The Fine Print
* STL Sandbox is built to be modular. Start with a Framework Foundation Workshop and then customize your plan to suit your journey. The sessions are like interlocking puzzle pieces but each one is useful on its own. We have found that more practice makes for more meaning.
* Our Patreon Community is the best way to commit to on-going, regular practice with us and peers. There are levels available for everyone, as well as those specifically available to workshop alumni.
* These workshops were originally offered in St. Louis. We currently alternate in person and virtual formats, which allows us to engage with change agents from across the nation. You are encouraged to bring a pal or two from your community or organization because it helps build more power!
* This workshop operates from an acknowledgement and acceptance that inequitable outcomes are the result of centuries of law and policy and can only reversed or interrupted by intentional, system-level actions by organizations and institutions in their practices, policies, and structures.
* Please let us know if you’re interested in sponsoring another person’s participation.
* We do not want the workshop fee to be a barrier. Please let us know if you need financial assistance in order to participate.
Ready to Grapple?
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