Seeding Change in our Communities through Innovative Thinking
In December, ALF Fellows Class XLIII was hosted by Fellow Consuelo Hernandez at Quetzal Gardens Apartments in San Jose. The Fellows participated in a learning session facilitated by Consuelo, Director of the SCC Office of Supportive Housing, along with classmates Katia McLain, Partner & Chief People Officer at Steinberg, Hart Architects, and Tamara Alvarado, Packard Foundation and former Executive Director at School of Arts & Culture.
Guest Faculty Member Jenny Niklaus facilitated the session Seeding Change in our Communities through Innovative Thinking, engaging Fellows in design activities around the questions: How might we broaden the narrative around attainable housing and its benefits and impact in a community and a city? How might affordable housing become the anchor for a cultural district? And how might we resource/finance attainable housing solutions using a ”think again” (differently) approach?
The Fellows contributed diverse insights and unique leadership experiences to the session. They entered the new year inspired by their inter-group learnings, motivated to collaborate to support each other’s leadership and for the common good.
Taking Stock
In January of the new year, Class XLIII gathered at the San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville for their two-day Taking Stock retreat. The session allows Fellows to reflect on their journeys over the past year within their professional, personal, and Fellows Class communities. Fellows are also encouraged to consider how they want to move forward, especially in the next few months before graduation in March.
Members of Class XLIII experienced an Embodying Resilience somatic workshop with Guest Faculty Dr. Amanda Blake, author of Your Body is Your Brain, and the ALF Inquiry Circle process. The retreat also included unstructured time for fun relationship-building and taking in the beautiful views of Mount Diablo.
Finally, in case you missed it in earlier posts, a recent article in the Half Moon Bay Review, several notable partnerships between current Class XLIII Fellows, ALF Senior Fellows, and other community partners are spotlighted in this piece about the work to build community around housing. You can read the article here.
