Recapping the 2024 Week of HOPE [positiveexperience.org/blog]

This year, the HOPE National Resource Center hosted its Annual Week of HOPE from March 18-22, 2024. During the Week of HOPE, we hosted events and shared new resources that honor and promote the widespread use of positive childhood experiences including:

• Anti-racism training and a new model
• The first-ever HOPE Awards ceremony, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
• Sneak preview of HOPE’s upcoming children’s book, presented by the Red Sox Foundation
• Mini Summit of HOPE Innovation Network (HIN) members

Anti-racism training

Anti-racism is a core part of practicing the HOPE framework. We started the Week of HOPE with our new anti-racism training created in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Social Policy’s Strengthening Families and a member from our Family and Community Experts (FACEs) of HOPE Council. During this training, Allison Stephens, PhD, Director of Networks and Policy, shared a new way of utilizing the HOPE framework to strengthen anti-racist practices.

The training started with an overview of race, racism, and anti-racism. Showing the effects of racism from the individual, community, and policy levels, Dr. Stephens further shared how racism affects the children and families we serve and within our organizations. By implementing anti-racism into our PCEs practices, we can intentionally work toward creating more equitable spaces for children, families, and staff members. Dr. Stephens shared new tools that can help us look beyond the biases we may hold on other individuals and groups.

The HOPE National Resource Center plans to incorporate this anti-racism training into a self-paced, online course.

New model | Anti-racism model reveal press conference

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, awarded FAAITH, a new Trenton-based NGO, Tufts Medical Center, and the Shiloh Community Development Corporation a one-year planning grant to expand a congregationally based, faith-infused home visiting program to address racial disparities and inequities. The project, FAAITH and HOPE for equitable systems alignment, supports Reverend Darrell Armstrong, Founder of FAAITH and Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, and his efforts to integrate the HOPE framework into his ministry work and that of other faith leaders.

Together the team worked to create the REAL Impact survey that assesses a series of topics gathered from research to understand the impact of racism on people’s daily lives. These questions were reviewed by a panel of FACEs experts, researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Chicago, and six doulas. This group helped the research team determine the questions and draft language for them. This tool will be used in two upcoming projects for systems simulation research and another on health equity and the patient-clinician relationship. This new tool will further our understanding of lived experiences and how racism affects people on the individual level.

HOPE Awards Ceremony – Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

We concluded the first night of the Fourth Annual HOPE Summit – The HOPE Transformation with our first HOPE Awards Ceremony. Earlier this year, we sent a call for nominations and received over 20 nomination submissions. Each nomination selected one Building Block of HOPE that an individual or organization shows great dedication and care in exemplifying. Throughout the ceremony, we honored all who were nominated and announced the winners from each category. We also revealed two additional categories and winners for Lifetime Achievement Award and HOPE Policy Award.

We are amazed by all the hard work and dedication that these nominees displayed and their commitment to spreading the HOPE framework and positive childhood experiences. People were nominated from many sectors that serve children and families from community resources to family support and pediatric palliative care. This event shared the many ways that HOPE and PCEs can be used to create positive impact. It was difficult to choose just one winner per category!