Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning

I hope everyone is on the distribution list for the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning (an incredible organization operating within Monroe County). If you’re not already signed up, go to theleadcoalition.org and scroll down to the footer for NEWSLETTER SIGNUP.

Anyway, in their most recent newsletter the Coalition did an exemplary job of contextualizing data:

“Monroe County recently released the number of children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels in 2023 (read the press release here). Unfortunately, 241 children had elevated blood lead levels which is an increase of 100 individuals from 2022. There may be several explanations for the increase, including a continued rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic during which many families skipped routine doctor’s visits and a 6% increase in overall testing. 2023’s numbers will not discourage the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning and our partners. We will continue our efforts to eliminate lead poisoning, because every kid in Monroe County deserves to be safe from lead!” ~ Newsletter 11/15/2024

The Coalition reported the increase in children with elevated blood levels, sharing necessary information without fear and with a firm grasp on possible explanations. This newsletter is a brilliant example of embracing facts and communicating data in context (one of ACT’s 4 Cs!).

May we all approach data with an eye toward improvement, without fear, and with an understanding of the bigger picture!

UPDATE: Esteemed colleague and fellow RACF Initiative Director Elizabeth McDade sent along a study that highlights the extraordinary work of the Coalition. The research highlights incredible achievements in Monroe County, “Notably, this study found that in Monroe County, the absolute rate of decline in childhood lead poisoning…occurred much faster than those in the U.S. and New York State” (Kennedy et al., 2014, p.2620)

Source: Kennedy, B. S., Doniger, A. S., Painting, S., Houston, L., Slaunwhite, M., Mirabella, F., ... & Stich, E. (2014). Declines in elevated blood lead levels among children, 1997− 2011. American journal of preventive medicine, 46(3), 259-264.

Young People + Civic Participation

In the flurry of conversations about voter turnout and participation, consider this article about how to engage young people beyond elections/voting. It is excellent Brain Food, without the partisanship!

The article provides some very interesting case studies of youth engagement in cities across the US. Remember: voter participation is highly aligned with the upward mobility pillars that drive RMAPI’s work, as voting is key for both a feeling of autonomy and for a sense of belonging. (If you need a reminder of the Upward Mobility Framework, click here.)

Enjoy your weekend and GO BILLS!

RENEW Website!

We’re thrilled to share that RENEW has officially launched their website! This site is a useful tool to learn more about the importance of energy-efficiency and other environmental justice efforts in our region. Rochester ENergy Efficiency and Weatherization (RENEW) works with community partners to help make the homes of income-eligible residents more energy-efficient, healthier, and safer. They’re proud to have been doing this work for 9 years, and celebrated with an anniversary party in August, where this site was first previewed by longtime friends and partners in the work.

The website features a comprehensive list of community partners, client stories, photos, and more. Try using the Carbon Offset Calculator to calculate your total carbon emissions and the amount to donate to “offset” your footprint to the RENEW Climate Fund. This tool will help support our neighbors, and all contributions will stay local to help clean the air we all breathe.

We love to lift up the work of our fellow initiatives at the Community Foundation and invite you to explore this new website at your leisure!

Here’s a bit of a scavenger hunt to get you started: which award did RENEW win in July 2024?  

Eviction Diversion Resource Center

On October 15th, colleagues from fellow RACF initiative RENEW (Rochester ENergy Efficiency and Weatherization), passed along a memo to members from the National Low Income Housing Coalition about Monroe County’s new resource center.

The memo - found here - references ACT Rochester data and explains the utility of this important public service. The Eviction Diversion Resource Center (EDRC) is located within the Hall of Justice and is associated with Housing Court. In fact, the EDRC appears to be a nexus point for many housing-related organizations in Monroe County.

Housing has been a hot button issue and the EDRC and the article provide critical information to inform community members in need, as well as the stories we are telling about housing in Monroe County. Consider this some significant Brain Food!

Election Day

I hope that all friends of ACT Rochester got out the vote! Voter participation is such a key part of community, so much so that voter participation is a metric in the Upward Mobility Framework that RMAPI has adopted.

When we vote, we directly participate in our government and it helps us feel like we belong in our community, that we have a voice. And all our voices are needed!

At ACT Rochester, and our parent institution Rochester Area Community Foundation, we strive toward a more equitable, inclusive, and vital community - and voting is CRUCIAL. So, if you haven’t already please make time to fill out a ballot.

If you need to figure out your voting location or if you don’t know whether you’re registered, you can use this site. Most sites are open until 9pm!

How is it already November?

It’s November 1st!

We are nearing the end of the calendar year for 2024 - what are you focusing on? Is there a storyline you’ve been stuck in that you need to change? Is there an old statistic that you rely on in conversation that needs updating? There are two months of 2024 left to execute our resolutions before we make some more for 2025. Please consider adding ACT to your reflection - if you have any feedback, please feel free to send it to actrochester@racf.org and please fill out the pop-up survey when you visit the website!

November is also a celebration month for a whole range of things, including:

• National Adoption Month

• American Diabetes Month

• Aviation History Month

• Banana Pudding Lovers Month

• Bereaved Siblings Month, Worldwide

• Diabetic Eye Disease Month

• National Epilepsy Awareness Month

• Eye Donation Month

• National Family Caregivers Month

• National Georgia Pecan Month

• National Inspirational Role Models Month

• National Long-Term Care Awareness Month

• Lung Cancer Awareness Month

• National Marrow Awareness Month

• Movember

• National Memoir Writing Month

• National Native-American Heritage Month

• National Novel Writing Month

• Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month

• Picture Book Month

• Prematurity Awareness Month

• National Runaway Prevention Month

• Vegan Month, Worldwide

What are you going to celebrate this November?

Happy Halloween!

Wishing everyone a fun, safe, and delicious October 31st!

In addition to candy and costumes, Halloween often brings up public safety concerns for parents. Here are some resources toward a fun, safe night:

• In an article from 2021, police offered guidance for parents including to not engage if you witness vandalism (instead, flash your lights and call 9-1-1), plan your trick-or-treating route in advance, and pay attention when crossing the street. Find the full article here.

• For Halloween celebrators over 21, the University of Rochester Department of Public Safety posted tips for a safe Halloween here.

Speaking of public safety, on July 18, 2024 the Rochester Beacon posted an excellent, data-informed article about Rochester’s overall crime rate that is worth a read! Let’s call this one Brain Candy :-)

Early Voting

I’m voting this weekend! In New York State, we have a voting window in case life gets busy and you can’t make it on November 5th. The window starts tomorrow, October 26th.

I received information in the mail about my voting location, the voting window dates, and the hours that my location is open. If you haven’t received this, you can look up your voting location and the details at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/

Please make sure you take the time to vote!

The Science of Failing Well

There’s such a thing as failing well? Yep, and Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson’s 2023 book Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well provides the detailed formula for productive failure and the circumstances to turn failure into innovation.

You may recognize the author’s name, as Dr. Edmondson coined the term psychological safety from her research about the dynamics behind successful teams. Psychological safety is an environment that encourages candor and reframes mistakes as learning opportunities. From this work, Dr. Edmondson turns to the idea of good failures.

If you read the book with a lens toward social change, it is a prescription for continuous improvement, intentional iterative action, and rigorous problem-solving. As Dr. Edmondson says, “Intelligent failures provide valuable new knowledge. They bring discovery. They occur when experimentation is necessary simply because answers are not knowable in advance” (p.11). Social transformation requires new knowledge and discovery precisely because we are asking hard, complicated questions.

Particularly poignant is the second part of the book: practicing the science of failing well. The three chapters in part two focus on self-awareness, situation awareness, and system awareness and how each intersect with failure. Dr. Edmondson highlights how our biases, contexts, and system dynamics influence how we frame (and our tolerance of) failure.

The overarching argument in the book is that fear of failure stifles innovation, so we need to take the fear away and be open to the good failures. Page 63 even poses some questions that would help us design a smart pilot program/intervention (spoiler: the goal of the pilot should be to learn as much as possible, not to prove the success of the innovation to funders)! Chapter 7: Appreciating Systems (p.227) is particularly relevant for our collective impact efforts.

The last chapter of the book begins with a quote from tennis legend Billie Jean King: “For me, losing a tennis match isn’t failure. It’s research.” Food for thought!

Source: Edmondson, A. C. (2023). Right kind of wrong: The science of failing well. Simon and Schuster.

Register to vote!

Voter registration is due October 26th, which is next Saturday.

If you are not sure whether you are registered, fill out this form.

If you are not registered, here is what you need to know:

Qualifications to Register

To qualify for voter registration in New York State, you must:

• be a United States Citizen;

• be 18 years old (you may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until you are 18);

• be a resident of this state and the county, city or village for at least 30 days before the election;

• not be in prison for a felony conviction (click here to learn more about voting after incarceration);

• not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court;

• not claim the right to vote elsewhere

Registration Forms

You may register to vote using the New York State Voter Registration Form found at the links below. You can complete a PDF version of the New York State Voter Registration Form on-line by clicking on the link below, typing the necessary information and selecting the appropriate boxes. Alternatively, you can print the form to complete by hand.

New York State Voter Registration Form English

New York State Voter Registration Form Spanish

Once the form is completed, you need to print the form and sign it. We cannot accept any kind of digital or Adobe-generated signature. Then, mail the form to your local county board of elections (select your county and find address here ) or return the form in person to your county board of elections, a local DMV, or any of the following agencies:

• Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services

• City Universities of New York(CUNY)

• Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired

• Department of Health - WIC Program

• Department of Labor

• Department of Social Services

• Department of State

• Division of Veterans’ Services

• Military Recruiting Offices

• Office for the Aging

• Office of Mental Health

• Office For People With Developmental Disabilities

• State Universities of New York(SUNY)

• Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation(ACCES-VR)

• Workers’ Compensation Board

Again, the voter registration deadline is October 26th, so registration forms need to be returned by mail (received by 10/26) or in person by the end of the day on October 26th.

Absentee ballots also need to be requested by October 26th. For more information click here.

National Zoning Atlas + Local Update

I attended Reconnect Rochester’s film event - “The Sprawl Effect” - last week, and it was fantastic! Information, important conversation, and inspiration were plentiful.

At the event, I was introduced to a new resource that is relevant to zoning conversations that I know are happening across our community. Reminder: zoning codes were highlighted in Poverty, by America as a key area to focus on for poverty abolitionist work.

The resources is the National Zoning Atlas, an effort to digitize, demystify, and democratize (the 3 Ds!) zoning codes across urban counties in the US. Of particular interest is an interactive map, that includes zoning information about much of Monroe County. In addition to the map, the website includes a section called ‘Atlases in Action’ that provides snapshots, examples of advocacy, analysis, and some curated research on the topic. It is worth perusing!

Note: the project’s focus seems to be urban areas and therefore only areas within Monroe County are included at this stage, and even within Monroe County there are some gaps (Irondequoit is not available, for example). The project is in building mode so we hope that their good work expands into the other 7 counties of our region.

Consider using the National Zoning Atlas to check your facts and inform your conversations about zoning codes in Monroe County! The link is also included on the National Data Sources and Services page under Resources (a great reference list!).

UPDATE: In a brilliant example of communicating and connecting, Shane Wiegand (of Our Local History at CCSI) alerted me to a local project done in collaboration with Dr. Stu Jordan at the University of Rochester on zoning regulations and city planning. Please find an excellent story map here and a map specific to exclusionary zoning in Monroe County (with 2018 data) here.

Press Play!

Quick reminder for the Community Indicators dashboard that many of the visualizations are interactive and have a ‘play’ button on the bottom left. Don’t forget to press play! And you can always download the data to Excel.

We will have a how-to video coming soon, and please do not hesitate to email Meg or Maddie with any questions at actrochester@racf.org.

3 Excellent Short Reads on Public Safety

The issues of crime and public safety have been top-of-mind since before COVID, and then the circumstances of the pandemic made everything worse. So, communities across the country have been struggling with crime statistics, identifying trends, and attempting to intervene effectively.

Chicago and the University of Chicago Crime Lab have been center stage. The Crime Lab is nationally recognized for its applied research and is often seen as the gold standard for evidence-based intervention toward public safety.

On September 23rd, 2023, three articles came out that highlight the work of Chicago’s Crime Lab and provide high quality food for thought:

1. An article about the difference between data and personal experience, and what the experience gap tells us about the reality behind the numbers. I know that I have heard friends and colleagues talk about the confusion of data trends that show reduced crime while at the same time feeling less safe downtown than we can remember. This article provides approachable insight. Highly recommend!

2. An article about an approach to gun violence prevention that has been successful in high risk neighborhoods in Chicago

3. Commentary directly from staff at UChicago Crime Lab and insight into some of the work that the Crime Lab has done that shows promise and innovation, including the establishment of Strategic Decision Support Centers (SDSCs) for data-driven decision-making

Please consider reading all three articles, particularly as you engage in conversations about public safety in the city of Rochester. We need to learn from Chicago and see what we can customize for the Rochester context.

Brain food for evidence-based decision making around public safety!

Guest Post: Child Poverty

Reminder: let’s be poverty abolitionists! Particularly for the sake of children.

To meaningfully address childhood poverty, we need to adopt a poverty abolitionist framework. This means rejecting short-term, individual-level interventions and focusing on dismantling the capitalist and racist systems that reproduce poverty. It’s not enough to offer after-school programs or meals; we need systemic change that includes reparative justice, universal basic income, and equitable school funding.

Educators, policymakers, and communities must collaborate to push for policies that dismantle poverty at its root. This includes advocating for increased funding for public schools, particularly those serving low-income and marginalized students, as well as broader social policies that address housing, healthcare, and employment inequities.

If you haven’t yet, consider reading Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond!

The poverty we see in Rochester—and in cities across the U.S.—is not inevitable. It is a policy choice, perpetuated by systems that prioritize profit over people. Childhood poverty is not a byproduct of individual failure, but of systemic neglect. If we are to create classrooms where every child can thrive, we must first dismantle the systems that ensure some children will never have that opportunity. The path forward is one of abolition, equity, and justice.

Dr. Tyana Velazquez-Smith is the Director of Early Childhood at Rochester Area Community Foundation. With a doctorate in Teaching and Curriculum from the University of Rochester, Dr. Velazquez-Smith is an adjunct instructor at U of R, teaching courses like Race, Class, Gender & Disability in American Schools. She is the Founder and CEO of Sensational Inclusion, dedicated to building equitable educational ecosystems. Dr. Velazquez-Smith is a native Rochesterian, passionate activist, educator, and dedicated researcher.

Football Season

It’s football season!

Whether you like the NFL, college football, or soccer (called football in the rest of the world!), you’ll notice how often sports use statistics. Announcers are always citing average yards and indicators that put quarterback statistics in context of their current or historical quarterback peers. Data is everywhere!

The point is, that indicators and statistics are commonly used in sports as part of the story. Sports data has been normalized. Sports fans tend to know statistics of their teams, even if they don’t consider themselves data savvy. They know the numbers that are important for their team’s performance.

Football season is a reminder that data, statistics, and indicators are just part of the story you are trying to tell. Adding numbers does not mean you’re adding complication, or that you need an advanced degree to understand.

How can we normalize data in the stories we tell about our community? How can we get as comfortable with statistics about child poverty as we are with Josh Allen’s player stats?

We should be comfortable including numbers in the important stories we are trying to tell. Please know that ACT Rochester is here to help!

GO BILLS!

Connections LIVE from RMAPI

Happy October!

On September 19th, the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI) hosted a summit and Evan Dawson broadcasted two hours of Connections live on site. The first hour was a discussion of local efforts to address poverty, and the second hour was a panel of Rochester’s leaders including RACF’s President & CEO Simeon Banister.

If you haven’t already, please tune in to both hours. Both discussions are quality nutrition for healthy thought.

What did you learn that you can bring into your next conversation about poverty in the city of Rochester?

NNIP

Did you know that there are community indicator projects like ACT Rochester across the country? There are! And some of those organizations belong to this incredible partnership called the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP), supported and convened by Urban Institute.

I spent the first half of this week attending the NNIP Partnership Meeting in Detroit, Michigan. I learned so much from peers in this space about how data can support arts and culture efforts, potential for relationships with local media, and was inspired by the host organization, Data Driven Detroit. I was also energized by a session using data to guide strategies to close the racial wealth gap - organizations in Atlanta and New Orleans have brilliant projects and the session was moderated by the Black Wealth Data Center.

Keep an eye out on social media for some photos of my favorite part of the conference - a local tour!

Knowing that there are similar organizations to ACT Rochester across the country paves the road for where we go! If you’re curious about these peer organizations, consider diving in to the partner profile list here. ACT is hoping to gain membership in the near future.

The conference was my own Brain Food, nourishing the future of ACT and inspiring future projects!

Creatives Rebuild New York

Did you know that New York state has an investment and relief program dedicated to the financial stability of artists and the organizations that employ them? The program is called Creatives Rebuild New York. Find out more here.

Next City posted an article on September 18, 2024 that tells individual artists’ stories about their experience with the program. It provides a bit of background and then beautiful pictures and stories. Find it here and enjoy some arts and culture brain food!

Guest Post: Climate Week!

Happy (almost) Climate Week - September 22 to 29 this year! Curious about climate? We have some brain food for you.

Climate Week started in 2009 in New York City, as a side dish, if you will, to the United Nations General Assembly that attracts participation from heads of state, business leaders, and civil society. It has evolved to include activities and events across New York City and the globe. This year’s theme is “It’s Time” and we couldn’t agree more!

Many think of climate change as highly politicized, but the majority of individuals in our region (and the nation) agree that climate change is worrisome and that we need to do something about it. The odd thing is, despite these shared concerns, few Americans regularly talk about climate change with their friends, family, or colleagues. Take some time to check out these cool maps (down to the county level) from Yale’s Program on Climate Change Communication to better understand how people feel about climate change and what Americans think we should be doing to address it. You might be surprised!

For some locally-sourced brain food, check out our region’s progress on environmental justice and sustainability on the ACT Rochester site. The ACT site not only includes information about the adoption of climate solutions (e.g., renewable energy capacity and EV infrastructure), but also about broader indicators of community health and vitality (e.g., lower asthma hospitalizations, energy burden) that can be improved by taking climate action. We are lucky to have a lot happening locally, but there’s more to be done and lots of ways to get involved. Climate Week is a great time to start!

If you want to celebrate Climate Week with your neighbors, join the Rochester Climate March on September 27th at 4pm. If that’s not your thing, check to see if there is a Color Your Community Green team near you or start your own. Looking to offset your carbon emissions from a recent trip? Check out the work of our friends at RENEW. Wondering what the local government is up to? Take a peek at the recently released Monroe County Climate Action Plan. If you still aren’t full after all that, there’s plenty more brain food here and more ways to become involved here. Now that’s some (sustainably produced) food for thought!

Contributed by Kristen VanHooreweghe, Senior Director of Programs at Climate Solutions Accelerator. Kristen has a PhD in Environmental Sociology and worked in academia for many years before joining the non-profit sector.

Curated Book: The Way Out

ACT Rochester Advisory Committee member Sharon Stiller attended a presentation by Columbia professor of psychology and education Dr. Peter T Coleman and recommended his book, The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization.

Instead of pitching the book, let me provide some quotes to whet your appetite:

“We don’t process new information neutrally, instead we are motivated to make sense of it in ways that are consistent with our existing worldview…” (pg. 30)

“After a sufficient reset, the next order of business is to locate what is already working. This practice is based on research findings that change-resistant problems are often most responsive to positive deviance or bright spots, existing remedies that have already arisen and proven useful and sustainable within the context of the problem.” (pg. 77)

“when feedback on the result of our actions come in it is time to pay more attention, not less; to make more decisions, not fewer. It involves starting wisely, making corrections in midcourse, and learning from our mistakes.” (pg. 203)

ACT Rochester followers should find these quotes familiar and while the topic for Dr. Coleman is the political polarization, the points made in the book are very applicable to our community’s struggles with social change.

The good thing to know is that the way of thinking that ACT Rochester has been promoting - the scientific method, embracing complexity, continuous improvement - are based in science! Peter Coleman’s The Way Out is a great resource as we continue toward social transformation.

Source: Coleman, P. T. (2021). The way out: How to overcome toxic polarization. Columbia University Press.