The Power of Focus

Happy Summer Solstice!

This week I was reminded over and over again how powerful it is when we focus on inclusion. All of us have attended workplace training, and those sessions have likely increased our professional skills and developed us personally. But, think about all the work training you have been to in your career. How many times have you felt moved to tears during them? In hearing multiple stories this week where our learners experienced strong emotions, I spent a little time reflecting on the power of inclusion.

When we are intentional about inclusion, we are becoming whole. We are connecting to our shared humanity, and I think we are repairing something broken. By doing that as individuals, we also help bring our communities into a place of wholeness. People may not even realize that this dis-connection exists, but when they spend a little time with our inspiring KIT trainers & specialists, the invisible becomes visible. We call it the “ah-ha moment” in a training where the learner becomes an advocate and a champion. Learners enter the room one way, and the leave having experienced a powerful shift in perspective and practice.

This week, Jennifer was the keynote speaker at the Transforming Care & Experience Conference, hosted by Gillette Children’s Hospital, Family Voices of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Department of Health. The event was attended by doctors, nurses, parents, and other care providers. She emphasized the opportunity for collaboration in helping children realize their full potential. Her powerful real-life examples moved this audience to tears, and hopefully to new ways of working on behalf of children!

Alissa spent her 13th anniversary as a KIT Inclusionista leading training for the Children’s Trust of Massachusetts. Her audience was also a diverse mix of parents, family advocates, home visitors, college professors, and child care center directors from Head Start, and family child care providers. Alissa was so pleased with how they connected to each other and the content.

Kat helped the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore dive into inclusive practices this week. She facilitated training for the day camp staff and then led strategic visioning sessions with leaders from the Early Childhood Center and the Aquatics and Membership divisions. Kat called it one of the most rewarding days she’s had at KIT.

Also this week, we had Laura Jenks at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho, Melissa at Fort Leavenworth, Brooke at Robins AFB, and Anna, Jeremy and Jen McCool with the Army Youth Leadership Program.

While our work often elicits strong emotion in our learners, we must recognize the emotions we feel as Inclusionistas. It’s powerful to see communities take on this work. It fuels our passion when we see the efforts our clients make to ensure inclusiveness.

This week I had the pleasure of spending a day with our biggest and best champions, the KIT Board of Directors. They left their families and jobs to come to San Diego and spend the day working on how we can ensure that many more people and organizations can benefit from KIT. This is an award-winning board for a reason (actually, many reasons!). We are so grateful to have such a committed and talented group steering the ship.

What a week!!  Until next time…