For the fourth consecutive year, I represented Step Up at Clinton Global Initiative America, which took place in Atlanta, Georgia, June 12-14. It’s an annual conference that brings together a myriad of sectors—nonprofit, corporate, philanthropic and civic to solve domestic challenges in America, particularly around the economy. Working groups at the conference allow attendees to partner together to accomplish this. Because Step Up believes all girls should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential, we took a role in College and Career Readiness working group, which focused on mentorship, ways to engage first-generation college students, improving access to employment opportunities and improving career readiness experiences.
After two days of great speakers such as Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, among many others, I wanted to distill down my big four learning moments with actions we can all take to turn ideas into action.
Our Actions Matter
All of our individual actions matter and contribute to the big picture. Again and again, whether in discussion on college and career readiness or advanced energy, individual action in areas like mentorship, apprenticeship, and building connections between communities, were put forth as the most effective solutions to pressing social and economic problems.
Race Matters
We can’t have effective policy conversations about poverty, criminal justice or education if we don’t acknowledge that race is inextricably interwoven into the fabric of these issues.
Be Like Bill, Jimmy, and Marian
Be a lifelong learner is what that means! Bill Clinton (age 69) knows everything about everything and is still curious to know more. Jimmy Carter (age 91) is totally sharp, funny, and fired up. Marian Wright Edelman (age 77) was the star of the conference for telling it like it is.
Take the Long View
To wrap up the conference, President Clinton said, “There is a lot of good happening in the world. It may not get as many headlines as tragedies. But if you follow the trend lines you will see that, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, the arc of history is long and it bends toward justice.”
Which of these resonates with you the most? Leave a comment below and let’s have a discussion about it!
