The Stone Soup Leadership Institute's Sustainable Workforce Development Program

Back-to-School Event • August 27, 2019

Sailing with Community Boating Center

  We’re grateful to New Bedford’s Community Boating Center. During the Summit our youth delegates really enjoyed their experience with Sail Newport. They were thrilled to learn that they had an awesome sailing program right in their own community!

Greta Thunberg Sails to U.S.

Our youth were excited to learn that on this same day, Greta Thunberg arrived in New York City's harbor. She had sailed for two whole weeks from London to U.S. speak at the United Nation's Climate Change Summit.  During the Summit youth were inspired watching videos about this 16-year-old Swedish youth who is engaging millions of youth #Fridays for our Future and challenging leaders to join them to address the climate crisis facing our world. Our youth were excited the Institute would be in New York City for a special event with Greta - and they would live stream on their computers. They will then join in the Global Climate Strike with young people around the world on September 20.

We children are doing this to wake the adults up. We children are doing this for you to put your differences aside and start acting as you would in a crisis. We children are doing this because we want our hopes and dreams back.

Dreams to Action

The Back-to-School Event is an important next step in the Institute’s year-round program. Building on the strong foundation set in the Summit, this event brings together youth for some fun and to refocus on their goals before the new school year begins. In this way, they are better prepared to take advantage of all the resources that we can collectively find to support them. We reviewed their 5-year plans they created in the Summit. They shared how they had taken actions towards making their dreams come true. Some shifted or honed their goals. Each youth left the session with an action plan. Supporting our youth to share their plans and formulate next steps deepens their commitment to realizing their dreams.

Youth Voices

Yesterday was a good day because most of the Summit youth delegates saw each other again after summer. We shared what we did during the summer. We also shared our plans for the fall and if we had made any changes since the Summit. A great thing for me was that Marianne and Lola gave me advice and let me know that I have their support to move forward with my plans. Last but not least thank you to the Community Boating Center, I enjoyed sailing even as it was nice and calm. Izzy and I had so much fun! -- Evelin Perez

Greta Thunberg

New York City

Global Climate Strike

On Sept. 9 The Institute’s Executive Director was with Greta Thunberg in New York City at “The Right to a Future” to call on people of all ages and all around the world to join the strike for Global Climate Strike. Here is the 10 minute edit of the event video. Read more: https://interc.pt/2UU7JBQ