Five Groups Recognized with the Imagined in Cambridge! Social Innovation Award at nonprofit party
The Foundation hosted a celebration of the nonprofit sector on Oct. 15 at which we announced our five Imagined in Cambridge! Award winners of 2021.
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The Foundation hosted a celebration of the nonprofit sector on Oct. 15 at which we announced our five Imagined in Cambridge! Award winners of 2021.
Join us in saying thanks to Cambridge nonprofits and to hear from our latest Imagined in Cambridge! Award winners.
Educators connect with nature and one another through Our Fire Collective. At the close of the 2021 school year, one national study said one in four teachers was considering quitting, citing pandemic-era stressors: remote learning for teachers and students, technology glitches, and concerns about COVID-19 exposure. And in our community, Our Fire Collective, a 2020 Imagined in Cambridge! Social Innovation Award winner, was there to help them. This young organization has been offering healing retreats for K-12 educators who work in high-needs communities and struggle with second-hand trauma and burnout. Prior to the pandemic, creators Naqibah Al-Kaleem and Jesse Leavitt saw their teacher friends struggling, and developed overnight nature retreats for educators. With the pandemic the program evolved. It now offers a six-month-long series of fully outdoor, daytime retreats for educators, offering individual healing and the opportunity to develop deep connections together. "Educators are so bogged down with schedules and the rigor of their work, they don't have time for "extra" - but self-care shouldn't be extra. If you keep giving, giving, giving, you have to have moments to heal as well. The pandemic has allowed a lot of educators to say, 'It's part of sustaining our work to take care of ourselves,'” said Naqibah. Thank you, Naqibah and Jesse, for giving local educators space where they're [...]
As our search continues for the next Imagined in Cambridge! Social Innovation Award winners, we caught up with 2019 awardee, Sisters Unchained.
An article by the Cambridge Chronicle about our recent microgrants for social innovators from the Imagined in Cambridge! Fund.
The application is now open for our third annual award competition.
Through the new Imagined in Cambridge! Fund, we've awarded $14,000 in microgrants to local social innovators, thanks to generous seed support from Verizon and a local family.
Our new nonprofit partner gives free bikes, empowers neighbors.
Photo of blackyard, 2020 Imagined in Cambridge Award winner, by Philip Keith for The New York Times. Supporting Grassroots Projects Tackling Pressing Social Issues October 8, 2020—Cambridge, MA At a virtual celebration on October 8, 2020, the Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF) named the recipients of its second annual Imagined in Cambridge! Social Innovation Award, recognizing five grassroots projects that nurture strong communities and tackle systemic barriers to equity and opportunity. Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui announced blackyard, a co-op for Black and multi-racial youth and teenagers that in the words of its founder: “dismantles white supremacy within and lifts up the brilliance of Black, Indigenous, and Brown people,” through homeschooling, arts activities, conversations around equity for youth and teenagers, and supports for youth organizers, as the first prize winner. The program, founded by veteran teacher and Cambridge resident Ashley Herring, was awarded $5,000, and joined by four runners-up—Friday Night Hype, Kids Fete, Our Fire Collective, and Women of Cambridge Cards—each receiving $1,000. The five award winners offer innovative solutions to big social needs, such as supporting Black and Brown youth, promoting social justice and cultural pride, offering mental health supports for youth and teachers, and elevating female leaders. Watch our short [...]
Tune in live October 8 at 5pm to meet our 2020 Imagined in Cambridge Social Innovation Award winners.