Henry M Jackson Foundation

It was a great trip! Thanks so much!

Thanks Michele, this has been a wonderful journey we all have been on since your first cohort.

I am eternally grateful for the friends I gained through participating in The Henry M Jackson Foundation Leadership Fellows Program (way back in 2016! 👀). They are receiving applications for the next cohort and I highly recommend checking it out ⬇️. A cohort of 9 civic minded leaders (under 40 years old) are selected each year. Applications are due on June 21! ⏰ https://lnkd.in/gzxySE8P #ScoopsTroops

The culmination of the most impactful leadership program from the Henry M Jackson Foundation that was a trip to Washington DC left me feeling energized, in awe and with many deep insights. Meeting with the leadership at The Center for Climate and Security, Human Rights First and Freedom House made it amply clear that the biggest issues facing humanity today are global in nature. The effects of climate change are intertwined with geopolitical and economic tensions which in turn lead to violence and immigration. Resource concentration like those needed to turn economies into greener ones is leading to a ‘resource arms race’ and the most marginalized populations are sometimes treated as pawns in this game. Talking with Blair Ruble showed that there are many lessons to learn from history, especially from the Cold War era and beyond. Meeting the Washington delegation opened my eyes to the inner workings of the Congress and I heard a clear clarion call that the first step is to strengthen our democracy and build bridges across communities, locally, nationally and globally! And how do we build bridges? ➡️ It begins with a rich solid educational ecosystem - starting from early childhood through higher education. Thank you to Sen. Patty Murray for making this a priority. ➡️ By learning to listen, negotiate and make compromises in good faith. Thank you to Sen. Maria Cantwell for championing this. ➡️ By leading with equity and taking into consideration all sides of any issue. Thank you to the Washington State Representatives for making this part of their ethos. And most importantly, for each of us, to seek diverse perspectives and learning to collaborate across sectors and issues. ⭐️ The #JacksonFellows program is absolutely the perfect platform to nurture these next gen skills. My cohort has folks focused on climate issues, human rights issues, education policies and de-polarization strategies! When we get together, we are thinking of strengthening democracy from the grassroots level and systems change at the global level all grounded in data, science, evidence AND arts, culture and humanity!! Huge THANKS to Carol and Kathryn for giving me this opportunity. And so much love to Jonathan, Jessica, Hannah, Charlotte, Jillian, Stasha, Chelsea and Michael!!

What a total joy to travel with and learn from this year's Henry M Jackson Foundation Leadership Fellows on their program-culminating trip to the other Washington. We met with grant partners ( 👋 The Center for Climate and Security, Future Caucus (formerly Millennial Action Project), Freedom House, Human Rights First), almost all of the Washington congressional delegation, and spoke with leaders including Blair Ruble and Mike Evans, and I came away with a full notebook, a full brain, and immense gratitude for getting to know these Fellows. And bonus, two celebrity sightings: the physical 19th Amendment, on the 105th anniversary of its ratification (well, almost--it had just been packed away but we saw the briefcase in which it was stored, counting it!), and personal hero Elizabeth Warren, speed walking at DCA. Huge thanks to the Jackson Foundation staff, particularly Carol Vipperman and Kathryn (Katy) Terry, for making this trip such a rich and productive experience.

Take a look at the recent Seattle Times editorial about our work with the Project for Civic Health. https://lnkd.in/gh7Wuv3A

We are accepting applications for our 2025 Jackson Fellows Leadership Cohort now through June 21, 2024. Join our growing community of leaders who are changing how our region leads. We are looking for 9 civic-minded leaders aged 40 and under in the Greater Seattle area to participate in the fellowship. If you’d like to learn more, please join us for a one-hour online informational session for interested candidates. We’ll share details and answer your questions about the program and application process. May 22 at 5:30 pm (open to BIPOC candidates) May 23 at noon (open to everyone) May 29 at noon (open to BIPOC candidates) May 29 at 5:30 pm (open to everyone) Please contact Carol Vipperman at vipperman(at)hmjackson.org to register.