Accomplishments

Our Future Alliance Accomplishments Timeline – Newest to oldest

 

Currently identified areas of focus for Our Future in March and April 2018:

  • Continue to expand and strengthen the Lane County Regional Hub.
  • Establish Portland Metro and Mid Willamette Valley (Salem, Corvallis, Albany) area Regional Hubs.
  • Hold the first Our Future “Leadership in Action” Conference on March 6th, 2018, and identify attendees that want to continue working with the alliance.
  • Further develop tools for all (schools and clubs, individual students, regional hubs, adult and organizational allies, etc.) including an action alert system, online resources, leadership development training, and (likely in the new year) supplemental classroom curriculum.

 

December 2017 – February 2018

  • Continuation of bimonthly meetings with students leaders of the Our Future – Lane County hub
  • Ongoing promotion and development of the Leadership in Action conference scheduled for March 6th. Between January and February, approximately 90 students registered to attend the conference.

 

November 2017

  • Presented a workshop Introducing the Our Future Alliance at the annual NorthWest PeaceJam Fall Slam youth conference.
  • Conducted monthly conference call check-in with Lane County Regional hub leaders. The next all-schools meeting for this hub is scheduled for November 29th. Currently working with both youth and adults contacts to pursue club formation and Our Future participation at A3, Cottage Grove, Marist, Network Charter, Pleasant Hill, and Willamette high schools.
  • Developed support materials for club use in goal setting and planning..
  • Began new partnership with HELP (High School Environmental Leadership Project) focused on organizing Portland area Regional Hub.
  • Began focused outreach efforts in the Salem area.
  • Established a statewide Adult Allies Advisory Council for the Our Future Initiative. The first meeting of the Council is set for November 21st, 2017
  • Developed Our Future Alliance website with searchable resources and profile pages for high school club/teams participating in the alliance. Created other social media platforms (facebook- page & groups and twitter) to support Our Future outreach and communications.
  • Began exploring sustainability strategies including development of a business sponsorship campaign and possible foundation grant resources for the alliance.

 

October 2017

  • Presented a workshop introducing the Our Future Alliance at the Be the Change Environmental Youth Leadership Summit.
  • Held 1st conference call check-in and monthly all school meeting and two meetings in October. Hub has identified two regional projects (Oregon Youth Legislative Initiative, upcoming OCT trial activities) all teams want to support
  • Began conducting concentrated outreach in the Portland Metro area. Established particularly strong connections with Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, International School of Beaverton, Sam Barlow, and Jesuit high schools.
  • Began contacting targeted list of Multnomah County high schools Counselors provided by our Oregon Outdoor School partner.

 

September 2017

  • Identified and began reaching out to approximately 40 high schools with Oregon Green School certification and/or existing green teams, science clubs, and/or environmental/social justice clubs in all of those same geographic areas. Began compiling a Our Future database with adult and student leader contacts and information by school about club status, projects, and activities. Currently continue to build on those connections.
  • Began statewide outreach to key stakeholders. Attended Environmental Education Association of Oregon (EEAO) annual soirée and announced the launch of the Alliance. Received endorsement and began partnerships with EEAO, as well as with Mark Lewis, Oregon State STEM Hub Coordinator, and Oregon Outdoor School.
  • Began beta testing the process for the formation of regional hubs in the Lane County region:
  1. Conducted outreach to 15 Lane County (public, alternative, and private) high schools. Offered presentations to existing clubs/teams, and in Science, Civics, and Leadership classes where no clubs existed.
  2. Held countywide kick-off event attended by 15 youth from 6 Lane County schools
  3. Formed Regional Leaders Hub for Lane County. Current members- South Eugene, Al Kennedy (current active clubs), Sheldon, Churchill (clubs re-starting after hiatus), North Eugene, Springfield, and Kalapuya (newly forming clubs). Began providing direct support to all teams in identifying and achieving team development goals

 

August 2017

  • PSS staff (the OF Project Coordinator along with the Executive Director and OGS/GPS Program Coordinator) held internal strategic planning sessions to determine initial goals, timeline, and structure (memberships for students/adult allies, organizational partners, and school clubs/teams, as well as the organization of regional hubs, and statewide collaborations for communications, resource development, and direct actions) for the Our Future Alliance Initiative. This team continues to meet regularly to guide the ongoing strategic development of the Our Future Alliance.
  • Conducted outreach to all high school principals in Eugene/Springfield, the Portland Metro area, Salem, Corvallis, Bend/Southern Oregon, and Ashland- announcing the launch of Our Future. Sent a mailer and followed up through phone and/or email contacts.
  • Established an ongoing partnership with Our Children’s Trust. Continue to meet and communicate regularly to coordinate strategies in anticipation of trial date in February 2018.
  • Began outreach statewide to educators and other key stakeholders in environmental/social justice work throughout the state of Oregon.