Supporting a group of community leaders working to renovate the old Calfee Training School in Pulaski, VA, into a community and cultural center in a way that will preserve the legacy of the once thriving African American school while meeting important needs in Pulaski County, a childcare desert. Wide Angle Strategies has supported the project through grantwriting, facilitation, communications strategies, and other project management tasks.

Building on lessons learned through the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission process, the NC-TJRC initiative is a grassroots, people-powered Process, Commission and Movement. It is designed to walk the varied segments of NC’s diverse population towards each other so that they may eventually walk together building broad “community truths.” Wide Angle Strategies has supported this initiative in a variety of ways including support in drafting initial founding documents, facilitating training sessions for statewide organizers, and grantwriting and other development strategies.

Modeled after truth and reconciliation commissions in Canada and elsewhere, this Commission was tasked with better understanding the experiences of Native American Wabanaki children in the child welfare system in Maine as well as crafting recommendations about how the state could better serve Wabanaki families going forward. Early in the Commission's work, I trained the commissioners on truth-seeking initiatives and oral history interview techniques. Later, I co-facilitated a strategic planning retreat, including drafting the strategic plan that was developed.

Facilitated the planning and implementation of a community training/fundraiser entitled "EmPOWER Yourself: A Hands-on Introduction to Solar Energy." Farmers, students, and others interested in learning about solar energy came together for a training with New River Community College instructor Keith McAllister who taught them the basics of installing solar panels. The proceeds are being used to purchase and install a photovoltaic system for Pulaski Grow.

Drafted a report on civil society truth-seeking initiatives (CSTIs), including case studies on six different CSTIs on six different continents as well as recommended best practices. Preparation included extensive interviews with CSTI leaders as well as secondary research. Facilitated focus group meeting with CSTI organizers on the report's findings and case studies.