- Community Matters

Community Matters

8/6/2012

August 6, 2012

Mars landing highlights Curiosity's legacy

John H. Rau

As NASA celebrates today's successful landing of the 1-ton Curiosity rover on Mars, we remember John H. Rau - a philanthropist and a space enthusiast.

John believed the exploration of space must be an eternal human quest. Despite the shuttering of the space shuttle program, John continues to invest in the education of those who will build on the shuttle program and Curiosity's discoveries.

Curiosity has landed

John's passion for space exploration found expression when it came time to create his estate plan.

After assuring that his wife would be cared for during her lifetime, he created the John H. Rau Space Education Fund of the Community Foundation of Broward. The Fund supports the NASA space camp and other programs designed to educate the next generation of astronauts and scientists who will explore space.

Learn more about our Community Builders - philanthropists who have established endowed Funds with $1 million or more.

Harnessing the power of art

Citizens Inspired by Art, Coral Springs

"I just met my neighbor Farrah for the first time - she lived in the same German town I visited 20 years ago," said Piero Falci, one of hundreds of Coral Springs residents working on Citizens Inspired by Art, a project celebrating diversity and bringing previously unconnected residents together.
The project will culminate in the creation of a local water tower mural, designed and painted by residents. The project is one of several underway across Broward in partnership with the Community Foundation's Art of Community initiative. An additional 100 community representatives will attend this month's Foundation workshops to learn how they too can harness the power of art for civic engagement. Learn more about Art of Community here.

Why?

Art of Community Engagement Challenge video

Broward's population of 1.7m culturally and ethnically diverse residents makes it larger than 13 states, and prone to fragmentation and isolation. Broward's future depends on connecting these individuals to our county and each other. Art is a universal language that connects people, regardless of ethnicity, gender, orientation or age and provides a non-threatening way to involve them in collective efforts to address Broward's important issues. Learn more here.

School is Cool gains partners

Third School is Cool Community Education Workgroup hosted in partnership with
the Broward Workshop

On July18, key partners in education convened to discuss current Broward County School performance and next steps to advance the Community Foundation's School is Cool initiative. The initiative seeks to raise graduation rates to 90% by focusing on middle school students' success. New partners include:

The Children's Services Council - which will help to map out the new System of Success for Broward middle schools and help to capture specific data relative to middle school resources in order to execute appropriate strategies.
The Broward County School District - which is holding EdTalk on September 8 at the Broward Convention Center to deepen connections with business and community leaders and solicit feedback on its new school district strategic plan.
The Broward Workshop, which will work to elevate the education agenda within the business sector. For more information visit School is Cool.

Unleashing your city's brain trust

In the next 36 months, the fastest growing age group in the nation, Baby Boomers, will grow by 15%. Already, every municipality in Broward except one has a boomer population between 12% and 20.5%.

The Community Foundation's City Challenge is currently reviewing proposals from across the county that will assist municipalities to design sustainable ways to connect Baby Boomers with opportunities to tackle key city issues as the oldest boomers begin to retire. Does your city have an idea? Apply here.

Be the first to name Broward's only city with less than a 12% Baby Boomer population and win a copy of Forces for Good by Leslie Crutchfield.

HIV/AIDS tools are out there

"We must accept once and for all that we have the tools to change the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic if we implement the evidence-based solutions we know work," that's the message Michele Rosiere brought back from the International AIDS Society Conference held this month in Washington D.C.

Michele is the Division Director of Broward Regional Health Planning Council's HIV/AIDS program efforts which are funded by a $300,000 Community Foundation grant. The partnership gives Broward a sustained central command from which a comprehensive, community-wide strategic campaign against HIV can be orchestrated.

For more information visit BRHPC or download a copy of the Community Foundation's HIV/AIDS Community Update.

Almost in the zone

Wonder what that hammering noise was in the

Community Innovation Zone then...

background when on the phone with us?
Well, that's the sound of your new Community Innovation Zone being built. In a few short weeks Broward will have a new town square where philanthropic, civic, nonprofit and corporate leaders will come together to achieve more than they ever could alone. Take a look at the photos - it's almost ready!
For more information on how you can support
the Community Innovation Zone, please contact
Barbara Witte, V.P. of Philanthropic
Services at 954.761.9503.

Community Innovation Zone after

Remodeled lobby entrance