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June 2020
The Mel King Institute was founded with the mission of building community as one of our priorities. This mission is important now, more than ever, with the increasing civil unrest. We stand in solidarity with those who are protesting the continued oppression of black communities in the US and demanding justice for the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.

It is difficult to determine how we end the injustice and inequity that is woven into the tapestry of a nation. Yet one thing we are confident about, at the Mel King Institute, is the power of learning and the power of love . Our namesake, Mel King, put us on the path to operate with those guiding forces. We will continue our work to connect people with each other and with resources and tools for addressing the pressing issues impacting our communities.

In Love and Solidarity,
The Mel King Institute
The Mel King Institute Annual Breakfast is going virtual for our 11th Anniversary! While we are sad we will not get to break bread together in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited to explore celebrating with you all in a new way. Join the us as we celebrate our 11th year of learning, innovating, and networking across the Massachusetts community development field. 

After two successful semesters of our MKI Network we are excited to announce that will be having a summer session! If your organization is hosting interns, fellows, AmeriCorps Members, or young professionals for the summer we would love for them to join our network. The network is designed to expose entry level professionals in any concentration area to the field of community development through access to MKI trainings and workshops, network building opportunities, partner events, and other activities.
Application Deadline: June 15, 2020
Summer Virtual Orientation: June 18, 2020

After months of sharing these resources with the students of the Business Development Certificate Program , we are now sharing this library with the all of you! The Business Resource Library connects Consultants, Technical Assistance Providers, and students to a variety of learning tools, including sample documents and industry trend topics. This library can quickly provide comprehensive information you may need to assist small businesses during their start-up, stabilization, and growth phases.
Community Building Resources
The Mel King Institute is here to support all Community Building efforts, especially during the current global pandemic that is impacting all of us in various ways.

Check out the list of resources we've gathered that may help you or your organization continue to cling to what life was like a months ago as you meet over Zoom, or reply in long email chains. There are also resources that will provide you with general information about COVID-19.

Please let us know what we can add to this list and be sure to share how you feel the Mel King Institute can support you during these difficult times.

Featured Event

~ Instructor ~
Jennifer Raitt
Town of Arlington, Director of Department of Planning and Community Development
This two- and one-half hour workshop will introduce participants to techniques in meeting preparation, managing interpersonal and group dynamics, and following-up for success.

This workshop is designed to help you explore and improve your capacity to manage meetings and to connect with other individuals planning meetings through a combination of active-learning, small groups, and presentations.

After this Training you will be able to:
  • Define meeting roles and expectations
  • Understand & incorporate appropriate learning styles that invite participation and inclusion
  • Identify the characteristics of and learn how to plan a results-oriented meeting
  • And much more!
Upcoming MKI Events
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Housing Training Program is focusing on information-sharing and fostering connections among residents to address isolation. We will continue to offer online versions of our Resident Leader and Resident Board Member trainings.

This training helps participants handle challenges unique to their particular role as both a resident and a  Board Member of a public housing authority.  Participants learn about the role of the Board Member, take an in-depth look at budgets and capital improvement plans, and receive a free resource binder. 

Upcoming Training Opportunities:
Partner Events
Please check our calendar to see the events specifically marked postponed and check out the events happening online or later in the Summer below. As we hear about new program dates, we will update the MKI Calendar.

Community Organizing & Planning






Nonprofit Governance









Racial Equity






Economic Development


Real Estate Development






Application Deadlines





Conferences
Share Your Programming with Us!
Do you have a training, conference, or program application you'd like us to promote in our next Newsletter? Send it our way to melkinginstitute@macdc.org .
In the subject line please include: MKI Newsletter Programming
June 11, 2020
4:00pm - 5:30pm
This Regroup session is open to people who have participated in any Undoing Racism Workshop facilitated by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (ever at anytime, anywhere) including our most recent session in September 2019. Join us to Review Core Concepts from the training, continue your Undoing Racism learning, and expand your anti-racism network.

Featured Resource
This report provides tools, learnings, and context through which individuals and organizations can begin or deepen their diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Specifically, this paper introduces the InclusionBoston model and explores the impact of this model on racial DEI within nonprofit organizations in the Greater Boston area. 
In this comprehensive guide, actionable and accessible resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have been compiled from the top leaders who have been doing the work to shape the future of a more inclusive economy. Read on for the most important trends and research-backed tools on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
~ What We're Reading ~
In Case You Missed It
Last month our first cohort of the Business Development Certificate Program finished their 6 modules of courses. This program was conducted in partnership with Cambridge College , MGCC , and Lawyers for Civil Rights . The students learned about everything from Small Business Coaching to best practices for Marketing and Bookkeeping for a small business. Congratulations to all the participants on completing this Certificate Program and we hope more of you will join us when we run this program again!