EDUCATING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
LEADERSHIP NEWARK
GOALS
Envisioning Sustainable Public Policy; Introducing Leadership Newark Fellows to the Triple Bottom Line concept to inspire systems thinking and sustainability in Fellows’ policy leadership
CLIENTS
“Leadership Newark is a 2-year public policy leadership development program designed for emerging and established adult leaders, committed to building stronger communities through activism and civic engagement.”
Project participants included Celia King, Executive Director of Leadership Newark, Shelly Bell, Director of Operations of Leadership Newark, two cohorts of Fellows, and I.
RESULTS
When asked what connections they saw between their leadership in public policy and sustainability, participants were bolder about their own power at the end of the day: At the beginning of the day, one Fellow saw herself as “a voice and potential vehicle for promoting” sustainable policies, and ended seeing herself as “being in a position to inform and inspire a shift in thinking toward sustainability such that, in time, a critical mass of people will embrace the necessary shifts in behavior.” Another Fellow started the days thinking they could lead by “bringing awareness” to the issue and left “being able to create the space to think big and encourage change in individual’s ways of thinking when it comes to sustainability.”
MY CONTRIBUTION
To design and facilitate a one-day seminar for incoming Leadership Newark Fellows that transforms their thinking about the relationship between public policy and sustainability, and their role in it. To craft questions relevant to the Newark context that enable participants to measure their policy leadership and civic engagement by its impact on economic, social and environment systems in the present and the future.
“Moira was not only a strong facilitator, but she had the ability to manage a rather large group keeping them interested and very engaged during a presentation on envisioning sustainability in a community. The participants had fun, learned a great deal and gave every indication they intended on applying what was learned in their everyday life. Kudos to Moira and the environment!” — Celia King, Executive Director Leadership Newark
“I had no expectations about a what a workshop on sustainability and public policy might be like before I participated. I wish I’d have had high expectations because then she would have exceeded those too! It’s been over a year and I still remember how blown away I was during and after Dr. Wilkinson’s session. It’s not often that one has the opportunity to learn, reflect, and build at the same time.” — Tolu, Leadership Newark Fellow
