Looking out for Other People: Mooseheart

Kaboom

Chapter 1-5

 1: Looking out for other people: Mooseheart

2: Half-Full Not Half-Empty- Waubonsee Community College, Ripon, dyslexic$42,000 over 2 years, Kitty sister kill husband then self, Urban Studies Fellowship Northwestern- Asset Based Community Development institute- those of use serving and those of us who are being served that we are half full and half empty- Michelle Obama- philosophy of service and erase line between donors and recipients. Park Service- block party for all 77 neighborhoods

3: The process is as important as the Product- City Year- shared office space with Public Allies- M Obama. Sent to Columbus- service project for 1st national conference- two playgrounds (January 1994 to June 1994). Joe- bank employee who was a challenge. Local people involved so that they feel like it’s their project too. The process is as important as the product- fundamental concept of Kaboom

4: A 7-year old’s Grin- Youth Service America (YSA) DC 1995. Playground in Livingston Manor- housing project in the SE DC. If you give something away- people will sit back and accept it without really appreciating it.  Investment creates a much deeper level of ownership and pride and contributes to not only to sustainability of the physical space but to a transformative experience within the community itself. Ashley and friends design the playground. - Design Day completed in 4 days.   Incorporate Kaboom. – perfect expression of the power of aspiration and the explosive possibility of hope and opportunity. Home depot helped file incorporation paperwork- pro bono San Antonio Discover playground- 5 days

5: We’ve got a problem-Marian Wright Edelman- Children Defense Fund – offered office space and took him to meet Clinton.2nd Dc playground.  Public-private partnership. Can do, will do attitude. Project manager system to a single person who could ensure that a playground could be built in a single day. Single trip – design day and then plan for 8-10 weeks and return for construction. 2 pre days and then one build day.  5 playgrounds in a single day in DC metro on the 1st anniversary of Stand for Children march. Kimberly Clark- 125th anniversary – 37 confirmed playground sites. Fundamentals – employee handbook based on City Year. Playground Institute- Appleton WI 150 people for the 37 sites.  Praise people in public and reprimand in private. Eric attempted coup.

6: You can do routine tasks without doing them routinely- Cheese factory VP of operations- Pete D’Amelio who became board chairman. Warm up becomes specific to that project.

7:  Audacious Dreams- 5 play grounds in one day at 37 playgrounds for you- No problem. Corporate partners- Home Depot ($55 m over 14 years), Target, Ben and Jerry- playground in Key West. System- document, analyze, improve and do it constantly. KaBerry Kaboom ice cream. $15 million 3-year partnership with Dr. Pepper (Tina Barry- previous Kimberly Clark)-2000 playground =s

8: Transactions versus transformations:  Planning, designing, fund-raising, organizing, constructing and maintaining. Transaction would be efficient, but transformation is a partnership with communities- where effects resonate and extend beyond the scope of the mere transaction. HRC support and ask for playground in North Ireland (1998) work with PlayBoard- fell apart. Rwanda- one playground made of metal and 5 more built with local materials- even though the Rwandans wanted a large 20-acre resort and infusion of foreign funds (transaction). Soddert Terrace, DC playground- with poor community support and quickly went into disrepair- because it was a transaction NOT a transformation. Needed: social capital, substantial infrastructure in place and people willing to take on the project.  Even if the solution does not work, it still represents a period in which the lives of some children benefit. Some communities are entrenched in the deep lines of division that they cannot be healed. Most successful projects are grassroots up. Without deeper level of engagement, it’s not going to work. Handouts don’t work – dedicated passionate people working in their neighborhood are needed.

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