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Speaker, Panelist, Mentor, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Environmental Leaders Program

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All for Planning Team & Mentor, Facilitator, Speaker for Sessions 5, 10, 11

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Collins presents a study on how good companies, mediocre companies, and even bad companies achieve enduring greatness.

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This is a a working calendar that may change over the course of the Program.

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GDP ELP 2024 Schedule for Cohorts- 2025-0527

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More details on how to get started from Cheryl

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Sinek explores how leaders can inspire cooperation, trust, and change. He explains why organizations should start with 'WHY' to truly motivate.

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In a time of uncommon change and isolation, this book focuses on how to create environments where more individuals can feel cherished, productive, and fulfilled. Strategies are suggested for tapping into one’s creative potential and putting that talent to work, resulting in greater health and balance in family, business, school, social, and civic settings. Topics addressed include the power of words, metaphor, natural guides to community building, learning styles, intercultural learning, core personalities, and ways to reduce stress and prejudice.

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How to be an Adult-Kegan's Theory of Adult Development

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How to be an Adult-Kegan's Theory of Adult Development

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Stage 1 - Impulsive mind (early childhood)

Stage 2 - Imperial mind (adolescence, 6% of adult population)

Stage 3 - Socialized mind (58% of the adult population)

Stage 4 - Self-Authoring mind (35% of the adult population)

Stage 5 - Self-Transforming mind (1% of the adult population)

I focus on Stages 2-5, because they're most applicable to adult development. Most of the time we're in transition between stages and/or behave at different stages with different people (i.e. Stage 3 with a partner, Stage 4 with a coworker).

The 'goal' is to pay attention to which stage we are at, when and with who. Only then can we deliberately work to change our perspective, thoughts, feelings and actions.

Notice as you transition to new stages what was once subject becomes object.

Stage 2 - The Imperial Mind (6 years - adolescence, some adults)

Stage 2 used to include only adolescents, but many adults never get past this stage. I feel like we all know a person who falls into this category.

In Stage 2, the emphasis on one's own needs, interests and agendas is primary.

Relationships are transactional. Stage 2 individuals view people as a means to get their own needs met, as opposed to a shared internal experience (how we feel about each other). They care about how others perceive them, but only because those perceptions may have concrete consequences for them. For example, when Stage 2 friends do not lie to each other, it is because of a fear of the consequences or retaliation, not because they value honesty and transparency in a relationship.

Moreover, individuals follow along with rules, philosophies, movements or ideologies because of external rewards or punishments, not because they truly believe in them. For example, a person in Stage 2 won't cheat because they're scared of the consequences, not because it goes against their personal values.

Stage 3: The Socialized Mind (most adults)

Most of us are in this stage.

In Stage 3, external sources shape our sense of self and understanding of the world.

Whereas in Stage 2 the most important things were our personal needs and interests, in Stage 3 the most important things are the ideas, norms and beliefs of the people and systems around us (i.e. family, society, ideology, culture, etc. ).

For the first time we begin experience ourselves as a function of how others experience us. For example, we take an external view of our ourselves ("They'll think I look stupid") and make it part of our internal experience ("I am stupid").
More characteristics:

We get our thoughts, beliefs, morals (what we know to be true) from external sources.

We take too much personal responsibility for how other people experience us. As a result we spend too much energy trying to avoid hurting other people's' feelings.

We look for external validation to derive our sense of self. For example, a student doesn't know whether he has successfully mastered a subject until he sees his grade on a test; an executive doesn't know whether a particular meeting was successful or not until her colleagues tell her it was.

We don't have an independent, strong sense of self. When there is a conflict between important ideologies, institutions, or people, we have a hard time answering the question: what do I want? We're too busy focused on others' expectations or societal roles.

We no longer view other people as a means to an end. We can internalize others' perspectives and actually care about others' opinions of us - not just with regards to the consequences of those opinions. For example: I care that you're angry with me because I care about you and our relationship, not just because if you're angry then you won't invite me to your party.

For example, with regards to cheating:

For many people, social maturity seems to stop here. However, the potential for continued development continues onwards and upwards.

Stage 4 - The Self Authoring Mind

According to Kegan, about 35% of adults live at this stage.
In Stage 4, we can define who we are, and not be defined by other people, our relationships or the environment.
We understand that we are a person, with thoughts, feelings and beliefs that are independent from the standards and expectations of our environment. We can now distinguish the opinions of others from our own opinions to formulate our own "seat of judgment". We become consumed with who we are - this is the kind of person I am, this is what I stand for.

We develop an internal sense of direction and the capacity to create and follow our own course.
More characteristics:

We can question expectations and values, take stands, set limits, and solve problems with independent frames of mind.

We can explore other thoughts and feelings, creating our own sense of authority or voice.

We can take responsibility for our own inner states and emotions - "I feel angry because I interpret what you did as a violation of important values of mine, and if I interpreted your actions differently I might feel sad instead."

We generate our understanding of the world and are not unduly shaped by the context in which we find ourselves.

We realize that we're always changing, that who we are is something that we can still negotiate.

Stage 5 - The Interconnected Mind

Only 1% of adults reach Stage 5.

In Stage 5 one's sense of self is not tied to particular identities or roles, but is constantly created through the exploration of one's identities and roles and further honed through interactions with others.

This is similar to the Buddhist concept of an evolving self - a self that is in constant flux, ever changing.
More characteristics:

We are both self-authoring and willing to work with the authority of others. We can not only question authority, but also question ourselves.

We are no longer held prisoner by our own identity. We see the complexities of life, can expand who we are and be open to other possibilities - we are reinventing our identity. Our identity is limited - our circumstances in life will continuously change and our identity needs to change with it.

We can hold multiple thoughts and ideologies at once. We can understand things from many different perspectives.

Now that you've reviewed the stages, which Stage do you think you're at? And where would you like to be?

According to Kegan, we all believe we're in a higher stage than we are. So pay close attention to how you behave across contexts and with different people.

In Part 2 I review strategies for transitioning from Stage 2 or 3 to Stage 4 and Part 3 shares how to transition to Stage 5.

I started a monthly(ish) newsletter where I share more thoughts/ideas plus meaningful bits and pieces from the web. If you're interested in receiving it, you can subscribe here.

Thanks so much for reading!

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Part 1: How To Be An Adult- Kegan's Theory of Adult Development

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I'm not talking about buying guest towels or renters insurance. I'm talking about how we ought to be developing in adulthood. How should we perceive and engage with the world? Or handle conflict and...

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The Curbside Chat: Charles Marohn of Strong Towns on Building Better Places

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This Experiment Undid Our Cities. How Do We Fix It?

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From Ripple, Module 3 Part 1

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When Was the Last Time You Really Changed Your Mind?

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When Was the Last Time You Really Changed Your Mind?

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Ripple Module 3 Part 1, extra

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When was the last time you really changed your mind?

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From Ripple, Module 3, Part 1, extra

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First published a half-century ago, Rachel Carson's award-winning The Sense of Wonder remains the classic guide to introducing children to the marvels of nature

In 1955, acclaimed conservationist Rachel Carson-author of Silent Spring -began work on an essay that she would come to consider one of her life's most important projects. Her grandnephew, Roger Christie, had visited Carson that summer at her cottage in Maine, and together they had wandered the surrounding woods and tide pools. Teaching Roger about the natural wonders around them, Carson began to see them anew herself, and wanted to relate that same magical feeling to others who might hope to introduce a child to the beauty of nature. "If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder," writes Carson, "he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."

Now available in paperback, The Sense of Wonder is a timeless volume that will be passed on from generation to generation, as treasured as the memory of an early-morning walk when the song of a whippoorwill was heard as if for the first time. Featuring serene color photographs from renowned photographer Nick Kelsh, "this beautifully illustrated edition makes a fine gift for new and prospective mothers and fathers" (Gregory McNamee), and helps us all to tap into the extraordinary power of the natural world.

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The Sense of Wonder: A Celebration of Nature for Parents and Children

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Buy The Sense of Wonder: A Celebration of Nature for Parents and Children: Read Kindle Store Reviews - Amazon.com

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Dear Pastor:

We have not met, yet I feel I know you well enough to call you friend. First of all, we grew up in the same faith. Although I no longer belong to that faith, I am confident that if we met and spoke privately of our deepest beliefs, it would be in a spirit of mutual respect and goodwill. I write to you now for your counsel and help. Let us see if we can, and you are willing, to meet on the near side of metaphysics in order to deal with the real world we share. I suggest that we set aside our differences in order to save the Creation. The defense of living Nature is a universal value. It doesn't rise from nor does it promote any religious or ideological dogma. Rather, it serves without discrimination the interests of all humanity.

Pastor, we need your help. The Creation―living Nature―is in deep trouble.

The Creation is E. O. Wilson's most important work since the publications of Sociobiology and Biophilia . Like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring , it is a book about the fate of the earth and the survival of our planet. Yet while Carson was specifically concerned with insecticides and the ecological destruction of our natural resources, Wilson, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner, attempts his new social revolution by bridging the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of fundamentalism and science. Like Carson, Wilson passionately concerned about the state of the world, draws on his own personal experiences and expertise as an entomologist, and prophesies that half the species of plants and animals on Earth could either have gone or at least are fated for early extinction by the end of our present century.

Astonishingly, The Creation is not a bitter, predictable rant against fundamentalist Christians or deniers of Darwin. Rather, Wilson, a leading "secular humanist," draws upon his own rich background as a boy in Alabama who "took the waters," and seeks not to condemn this new generations of Christians but to address them on their own terms. Conceiving the book as an extended letter to a southern Baptist minister, Wilson, in stirring language that can evoke Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail," tells this everyman minister how, in fact, the world really came to be. He pleads with these men of the cloth to understand the cataclysmic damage that is destroying our planet and asks for their help in preventing the destruction of our Earth before it is too late. Never a pessimist, Wilson avers that there are solutions that may yet save the planet, and believes that the vision that he presents in The Creation is one that both scientists and pastors can accept, and work on together in spite of their fundamental ideological differences.

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The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth

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Buy The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

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Brown explores the power of vulnerability in leadership, showing how leaders can use their vulnerability to inspire, innovate, and lead change.

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Insights on how to effectively communicate with people where they are. Overcoming the communication challenges.

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Short You Tube Video

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What We Can Learn From Nature | Janine Benyus

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The Sustainable Development Code offers best practices for community development.

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What’s Challenging Your Community? – Sustainable Development Code

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CHAPTER 1 : Environmental Health and Natural Resources

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Speaker, Mentor, Co-Chair of the 2024 Environmental Leaders Program

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All for Planning Team & Mentor, Speaker for Sessions 5, 7

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Panelist, Mentor, Environmental Leaders Program Planning Member                

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All for Planning Team & Mentor, Speaker for Session 10

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Mentor, Past Cohort, Env. Leaders Program Planning Member

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All for Planning Team, Mentor, Facilitator & Chef Extraordinaire

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Mentor, Past Cohort, Environmental Leaders Program Planning Member

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All for Planning Team, Mentor and Facilitator

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Speaker, Panelist, Mentor, Env. Leaders Program Planning Contributor, The Ripple Effect Creator

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All for Planning Team, Mentor, Speaker for Sessions 1, 8, & 12, and The Ripple Effect course reviews

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Speaker, Env. Leaders Program Planning Contributor

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All for Planning Team & Mentor, Speaker for Sessions 3, 4

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GDPE Env Leaders Bio - Fowler Gayle Covington

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Panelist, Co-Founder of the Environmental Leaders Program

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GDPE Env Leaders Bio - Hippensteel Hall Sarah

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Session 1 Tour Guide, Panelist Session 8

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All as Mentor, Panelist for Sessions 10, 11

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GDPE Env Leaders Bio - Van Hoose Stephanie

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At the heart of Frankl’s theory of logotherapy (from the Greek word for “meaning”) is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but rather the discovery and pursuit of what the individual finds meaningful. Today, as new generations face new challenges and an ever more complex and uncertain world, Frankl’s classic work continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living, in spite of all obstacles.

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Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right, or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most. Jonathan Haidt studies how -- and why -- we evolved to be moral. By understanding more about our moral roots, his hope is that we can learn to be civil and open-minded.

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The moral roots of liberals and conservatives - Jonathan Haidt

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When stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong, you have three choices: Avoid a crucial conversation and suffer the consequences; handle the conversation badly and suffer the consequences; or read Crucial Conversations and discover how to communicate best when it matters most. Crucial Conversations gives you the tools you need to step up to life's most difficult and important conversations, say what's on your mind, and achieve the positive resolutions you want. You'll learn how to:

Prepare for high-impact situations with a six-minute mastery technique

Make it safe to talk about almost anything

Be persuasive, not abrasive

Keep listening when others blow up or clam up

Turn crucial conversations into the action and results you want
Whether they take place at work or at home, with your neighbors or your spouse, crucial conversations can have a profound impact on your career, your happiness, and your future. With the skills you learn in this book, you'll never have to worry about the outcome of a crucial conversation again.

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Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

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Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High [Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Stephen R. Covey] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

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"Connolly and Rianoshek refocus our attention on what technology-crazed management has often forgotten: business transformation is accelerated and achieved through effective communication. Conversation bonds and propels organizations. This book provides a roadmap for structuring conversation to bring people together and to drive toward mutual goals. Whether you are promoting a new corporate culture, implementing reengineered business processes, or planning the company picnic, the insight contained in these pages is invaluable."
—Joseph B. Rubin, Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

"Every day, business leaders are involved in a thousand conversations. Connolly and Rianoshek teach us how to turn them into results. A must read."
—Boyd L. Clarke, CEO, tompeterscompany!

"Working with Conversant for the last two years, I have learned that communications can alter conduct and unleash unprecedented value. I'm now using the conversation technology at HP to transform every leadership action into value for customers, partners, and shareowners. The Communication Catalyst explores the normally taken-for-granted world of conversation with insight, action research, and pragmatic tools. It's a must read for any person who wants to exponentially grow his or her ability to change the world through valuable conversations!"
—Susan Burnett, Vice President, HP Workforce Development and Organization Effectiveness

"High performance conversations are the 'keys to the kingdom' in today's chaotic business environment. In The Communication Catalyst, Richard and Mickey show you how to unlock the vast potential that exists inside every company and have fun doing it. Great storytelling!"
—Mike Case, CEO, Gulf States Paper Corporation

"Anyone who believes that conversation is merely talking needs to read this book. Mickey and Richard take us deeply into the source of relational power as executives, managers, and coworkers. This book is a boat to cross the sea of miscommunication, useless meetings, and wasteful memos. Their brilliant ten principles give us a strong rudder, even when the tide is against us."
—Daniel Bowling, JD, Director, Duke Law School Conflict Resolution Center

"It seems that at the root of most business problems is communication. The stories in The Communication Catalyst made me laugh with recognition, and the solutions are surefire every time. I want to tape the Ten Natural Laws to my forehead, because they are so on the money. The coaching perspective in this book is a wonderfully fresh approach, and I want all of our clients to have this book!"
—Madeleine Homan, MCC, Chief Coaching Officer, Coaching.com

"The Communication Catalyst is an essential guide for every leader's personal and organizational effectiveness. You will find dozens of tried-and-true approaches to communication that I've seen work 'miracles' both inside and outside of work."
—Rayona Sharpnack, President, Institute for Women's Leadership, Inc.

"Connolly and Rianoshek lend a fresh perspective, sound advice, and insightful stories to help us turn to one another and learn from all we do."
—Marcia L. Conner, Executive Director, Learnativity

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The fast (but not stupid) track to value for customers, investors, and employees. By doing the wrong things fast in business, waste is all that is accelerated, and value is sacrificed. Two leading consultants offer entrepreneurs and business leaders speed-guaranteed communication skills that can ...

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Kathy Arnett (has shareable copy available)

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Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership -- starting with a golden circle and the question: "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright brothers.

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Session 4 - Modify Message, Motivation,Finding Common Ground (Dec 2024)

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Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership -- starting with a golden circle and the question: “Why?” His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Wright brothers…

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Crystal Williams climbs the ladder of higher education, aided by secret admirers.

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Session 4 - Modify Message, Motivation,Finding Common Ground (Dec 2024)

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A series worth checking out as mentioned by Brian Raison in our Dec 2024 meeting.

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Sharing extraordinary tales of what it means to be human.

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Portraits of Peace: Searching for Hope in a Divided America

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Portraits of Peace: Searching for Hope in a Divided America

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Frustrated with an increasingly polarized social landscape, award-winning photographer John Noltner set out on a 40,000-mile road trip across the United States to rediscover the common humanity that connects us. He did so by asking people one simple question: "What does peace mean to you?"

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John Noltner (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator), Tantor Audio (Publisher) & 0 more

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Portraits of Peace: Searching for Hope in a Divided America

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Amazon.com: Portraits of Peace: Searching for Hope in a Divided America (Audible Audio Edition): John Noltner, Rick Adamson, Tantor Audio: Audible Books & Originals

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The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

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The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

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The occasion was a big birthday. And it inspired two close friends to get together in Dharamsala for a talk about something very important to them. The friends were His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The subject was joy. Both winners of the Nobel Prize, both great spiritual masters and moral leaders of our time, they are also known for being among the most infectiously happy people on the planet.

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The occasion was a big birthday. And it inspired two close friends to get together in Dharamsala for a talk about something very important to them. The friends were His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The subject was joy. Both winners of the Nobel Prize, both great spiritual masters and moral leaders of our time, they are also known for being among the most infectiously happy people on the planet.

From the beginning the book was envisioned as a three-layer birthday cake: their own stories and teachings about joy, the most recent findings in the science of deep happiness, and the daily practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. Both the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu have been tested by great personal and national adversity, and here they share their personal stories of struggle and renewal. Now that they are both in their 80s, they especially want to spread the core message that to have joy yourself, you must bring joy to others.

Most of all, during that landmark week in Dharamsala, they demonstrated by their own exuberance, compassion, and humor how joy can be transformed from a fleeting emotion into an enduring way of life.

Narration credits:

Douglas Carlton Abrams, read by the author

Dalai Lama, read by Francois Chau

Desmond Tutu, read by Peter Francis James

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The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World

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Amazon.com: The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World (Audible Audio Edition): His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Douglas Carlton Abrams, Douglas Carlton Abrams, full cast, Francois Chau, Peter Francis James, Penguin Audio: Audible Books & Originals

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Montgomery County Environmental Learning Center

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REACH with its key speakers from across the country and the local region is dedicated to addressing each letter; R – Reconciliation & Representation, E – Educational Equity, A- Advocacy & Ally-ship, C – Ceremony & Community, H – Healing & Health. The silent “H” for human trafficking. The platform reinforces the importance of community building and interagency commitment. One of the five tenets of R.E.A.C.H(h), A for advocacy, focuses on sharing longstanding Indigenous practices in water, land and air protection while addressing environmental injustice.

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Community Health Assessment - Montgomery County

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Community Health Assessment - Montgomery County

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Session 6 - American Justice & Disparities (Feb 2025)

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Session 6: American Justice & Disparities (2/20/2025)

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Session 6: American Justice & Disparities (2/20/2025)

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Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Captial 

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Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Captial 

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Robert Putnam examines the critical role of civil society in fostering democracy and the decline of civic engagement in the United States.

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Session 9 - Climate Change, Differing Views

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As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.”

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A practical, heartfelt guide to the art of truly knowing another person in order to foster deeper connections at home, at work, and throughout our lives-from the author of The Road to Character and The Second Mountain

"More than a guide to better conversations, it's a blueprint for a more connected and humane way of living. It's a must-read for anyone looking to deepen their relationships and broaden their perspectives."-Bill Gates, GatesNotes (Summer Reading Pick)

As David Brooks observes, "There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen-to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood." Brooks sets out to help us do better, posing questions that are essential for all of us: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them? What kind of conversations should you have? What parts of a person's story should you pay attention to? helps readers become more understanding and considerate toward others, and to find the joy that comes from being seen. Along the way it offers a possible remedy for a society that is riven by fragmentation, hostility, and misperception.

And yet we humans don't do this well. All around us are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. In How to Know a Person,

Driven by his trademark sense of curiosity and his determination to grow as a person, Brooks draws from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and from the worlds of theater, philosophy, history, and education to present a welcoming, hopeful, integrated approach to human connection. How to Know a Person

The act of seeing another person, Brooks argues, is profoundly creative: How can we look somebody in the eye and see something large in them, and in turn, see something larger in ourselves? How to Know a Person is for anyone searching for connection, and yearning to be understood.

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How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen

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Amazon.com: How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen (Audible Audio Edition): David Brooks, David Brooks, Random House Audio: Audible Books & Originals

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As Derek Sivers shares, "It was the first follower that transformed a lone nut into a leader.

There is no movement without the first follower.

We’re told we all need to be leaders, but that would be really ineffective.

The best way to make a movement, if you really care, is to courageously follow and show others how to follow.

When you find a lone nut doing something great, have the guts to be the first person to stand up and join in."

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Session 6 - American Justice & Disparities (Feb 2025)

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Bread for the World Institute

Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation

What is the Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation?

The simulation is an interactive tool that helps people understand the connections among racial equity, hunger, poverty, and wealth. It is a good first step for people unaware of structural inequality, a support tool for those who want a deeper understanding of structural inequality, and a source of information for experts who want to know the quantifiable economic impact of each policy that has widened today's racial hunger, income, and wealth divides.

The simulation helps people understand the connections among racial equity, hunger, poverty, and wealth.

In the simulation, participants learn how federal policies created structural inequalities-property ownership and education are just two among many areas affected-and how these policies increase hunger and poverty in communities of color.

The simulation guides participants to an understanding of why racial equity is so important to ending hunger and poverty in the United States. Our hope is that participants, in becoming more aware of structural inequality, can support policies that undo and/or reduce disparities.

Since the simulation emphasizes the importance of racial equity, it can be a helpful companion tool for churches, organizations, agencies, schools, and communities that have begun working on race and want to learn more about the role that public policy has had, over time, in creating structural divides based on race.

What is the simulation's impact?

Bring the simulation to your community.

How does the simulation break down barriers?

There are many ways of talking or thinking about race. Feeling uncomfortable with the topic can be a barrier to engaging in conversation.

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Yet these conversations are essential, especially if we are going to end U.S. hunger and poverty. This is one reason the simulation calls for participants to randomly select cards that assign them a racial identity that may be different from their own. This helps break down some of the barriers.

At Bread for the Word, we have seen the simulation change people's hearts and minds and inspire them to become committed to applying a racial equity lens to their work.

Ready to get started? Watch Bringing the Simulation to Your Community and learn how.

How did the simulation come to be and where can it be used?

The Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation was a joint effort from Bread for the World and NETWORK. The concept and design of the simulation was co-created by Marlysa D. Gamblin, a policy expert on the racial hunger, income, and wealth divide. Marlysa worked closely with Emma Tacke and Catherine Guerrier with NETWORK to pilot the simulation at Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) in April 2017.

Achieving racial equity means that all people, regardless of race, have fair opportunities to enjoy equal outcomes.

After the initial pilot, Bread dedicated a full year to piloting the simulation in the field and making adjustments to ensure the tool is helpful to a wide variety of communities in different settings.

This tool can be used at home, Bible study, churches, larger gatherings, and schools, and among staff at nonprofits, advocacy organizations, service providers, government agencies, and private entities.

If you are interested in using the simulation, watch Bringing This to Your Community. The video gives further details about the simulation. We recommend using the Facilitator's Guide. The guide offers tips on preparing for and facilitating the simulation in various settings. We also have a Virtual Facilitator's Guide, if you're unable to meet in person. If you want to bring this tool to your church or Bible study, please also download the Biblical Activity Sheet below.

Want to facilitate the simulation virtually? Download these resources:

Want to facilitate the simulation in person? Download these resources:

Additional Reading on Race and Hunger

What can I do next to promote racial equity and dismantle racism?

Now that you have completed the Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation, there are many things that you can do. First and foremost, we want to encourage you to engage in the work of understand how to reverse what has created racial inequities-racial equity. Racial equity is a process that focuses on centering the needs, leadership and power of Black, Indigenous and Other People of Color, as well as a goal of achieving equal, and ultimately optimal, outcomes for BIPOC relative to their white counterparts. Go to bread.org/racialequity to learn more about this term, read key reports to understand how racial equity can be applied to policy to end hunger and address racism, and learn about important tools to help you promote racial equity in your work!

We thank the many organizations that share the simulation with their networks and use it in their work. Email us to learn about becoming a partner.

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Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation - Bread for the World

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Bread for the World Institute Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation What is the Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation? The simulation is an interactive tool that helps people understand the connections among racial equity, hunger, poverty, and wealth.

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Session 6 - American Justice & Disparities (Feb 2025)

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Racial Wealth Gap - Native American Statistics

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Racial Wealth Gap - Native American Statistics

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Racial Wealth Gap -Native American stats

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Statistics for Environmental Issues Facing Native Americans

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Statistics for Environmental Issues Facing Native Americans

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Statistics for Environmental Issues Facing Native Americans

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Native Women Won't Reach Pay Equity Until 2022

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Native Women Won't Reach Pay Equity Until 2022

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The Wage Gap Between Native American Women and White Men by State presented in the Insitute for Women's Policy Research, Nov. 2024

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Redlining Maps - Reseach guides from Ohio State University

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Redlining Maps - Reseach guides from Ohio State University

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Maps and area descriptions for about 15 Ohio areas.

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Session 6 - American Justice & Disparities (Feb 2025)

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Resources related to finding information resources for maps and cartography

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Project and People Management (Slides from Jan 2025 Session)

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Project and People Management (Slides from Jan 2025 Session)

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Slides presented to support project and people management presentation and discussion.

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Session 5 - People/Project Management (Jan 2025)

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Partners Environmental Leaders- Project Management 250115

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Racial Wealth Simulation (Slides from Feb 2025 Session by Mark Willis)

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Racial Wealth Simulation (Slides from Feb 2025 Session by Mark Willis)

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Session 6 - American Justice & Disparities (Feb 2025)

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PFE  Racial Wealth Gap Simulation Feb 2025

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Educate yourself with Resources from local Native collective

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Educate yourself with Resources from local Native collective

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Environmental Justice - Separate yet NOT Equal (Slides from Feb 2025 Session by Gayle Covington Fowler)

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Environmental Justice - Separate yet NOT Equal (Slides from Feb 2025 Session by Gayle Covington Fowler)

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Session 6 - American Justice & Disparities (Feb 2025)

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2025.02.20 PFE COHORT HANDOUT Gayle Covington Fowler

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City of Dayton Water Reclamation Facility

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Work presentinf how to determine the value of outdoor recreation in the Little Miami River corridor. A good study to present valuation of natural areas.

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Session 8: Climate Change, Differing Views

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Session 8: Climate Change, Differing Views

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Aullwood's Marie S Aull Education Center

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Ultra-Processed People, Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food

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Ultra-Processed People, Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food

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The Omnivore's Dilemma meets Fast Food Nation from a global perspective in this game-changing look at the science, economics, and history of ultra-processed food and the industry's effect on our health and planet.

It's not you, it's the food.

How much of our daily caloric intake comes from ingesting substances that, technically speaking, do not meet traditional definitions of "food"? Chances are, if you're eating something that came wrapped in plastic and contains a funky ingredient you don't have in your kitchen, it's most likely-almost definitely-ultra-processed food, or UPF. More than the principal obstacle to "eating right," UPF has been linked to metabolic disease, depression, inflammation, anxiety, and cancer, while the production, distribution, and disposal of UPF and related products globally is known to cause devastating environmental damage. At the same time, UPF represents the dominant, nigh-unavoidable food culture for millions upon millions of eaters.

Medical doctor and broadcaster Chris van Tulleken has spent his career trying to reframe the conversation around eating right, balancing the hard (and sometimes shocking) facts about what we're putting into our bodies with empathy for the natural desire to keep eating what we like, have time for, and can afford. As he argues in this book, we are all participants in an experiment we didn't consent to, one to determine how to get us to buy as much ultra-processed food as possible. It's not as simple as stumbling across the right diet trend, finding time to meal plan, or avoiding over-indulging in sugar, fat, or carbs or any other culprit. Nor is it a matter of individual will. It's about learning to live in "the third age of eating"-defined by the overwhelming abundance of ultra-processed eating options-and arming yourself with the simple and not-so-simple facts that will help you make the choices that are right for you.

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Ultra-Processed People: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food

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Amazon.com: Ultra-Processed People: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food (Audible Audio Edition): Chris van Tulleken, Chris van Tulleken, Dr. Xand van Tulleken, Knopf Canada: Books

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Climate Pollution Reduction Program by MVRPC

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Climate Pollution Reduction Program by MVRPC

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Session 9 - Climate Change, Differing Views

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CPRG for PFE Leadership Program April 17 2025r

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The Association of Fundraising Professionals is a member-based group that empowers individuals and organizations to practice ethical fundraising through professional education, networking, research and advocacy.

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AFP President and CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA, announces AFP's official requirement for salary ranges on all positions posted on our job board, as well as the launch of the all-new AFP Career Center.

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Home | Association of Fundraising Professionals

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AFP President and CEO Mike Geiger, MBA, CPA, announces AFP's official requirement for salary ranges on all positions posted on our job board, as well as the launch of the all-new AFP Career Center.

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Session 9 Volunteers, Fundraising (5/15/2025)

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Session 9 Volunteers, Fundraising (5/15/2025)

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Session 10 Politics at Planning/Zoning Level

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Session 10 Politics at Planning/Zoning Level

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Good reminders to help everyone gain the most from each Program session.

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C-Change Conversations | Building Consensus About Climate Change

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C-Change Conversations improves understanding about the science, effects, and risks of climate change through discussion and engagement.

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Preaching Beyond the Choir: Reaching Conservative/Moderate Audiences with Climate Change Education

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How do we get community members who are skeptical about climate change into the room? What can we say to help people hear our message -- and how do we encour…

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Session 8 - Climate Change, Differing Views

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Partners for the Environment Listening Session Notes

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Session 8 - Climate Change, Differing Views

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Partners for the Environment Listening Session Dot Voting