CommuniCare is spearheading its first annual Winter Leadership Retreat on Thursday, March 1 at the Portland Art Museum. The retreat’s theme is “Empathy: How Great Leaders Build Common Ground” with 120 students, from 9 schools across 4 districts, expected to be in attendance.
The retreat’s agenda explores questions such as why is empathy a leadership skill and how do we find the shared humanity in other people? A performance by Joaquin Lopez, Arts & Culture Program Manager of the Latino Network, will energize the morning’s program and help amplify the Latino Network’s work to positively transform the lives of Latino youth, families, and communities.
Additionally, Manuel Padilla, Executive Director of Portland Meet Portland, will facilitate a skill building workshop for the students. Portland Meets Portland connects immigrants and refugees to mentors providing English ESL classes, professional development, and youth leadership opportunities.
The attending students will also visit the “Common Ground” exhibition as well as have time to visit the LAIKA exhibition, “Animating Life”.
“We wanted to figure out a way to help high school students learn about their community, learn about need, learn about opportunities in the nonprofit and philanthropic world. To try to teach that, you can talk about it all you want, but in the end it’s experiences that resonate and touch our hearts and souls,” said philanthropist and businessman Jordan D. Schnitzer.
Specific details for the day include:
- 9:45-10:00am: Welcome remarks by Jordan D. Schnitzer
- 10:00-10:40am: Performance/presentation by Joaquín Lopez (Arts & Culture Program Manager of Latino Network)
- 10:40-11:40am: Workshop Part 1, facilitated by Manuel Padilla (Executive Director of Portland Meet Portland)
- 11:40-12:10pm: LAIKA exhibition, “Animating Life”
- 12:40-1:10pm: Workshop Part 2
