August

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy

We are coming to the end of July and there seems to be no end in sight for all the work that needs to be completed.  I have been busy revising the guidebook and collaborating with community leaders on the workbooks for Activism@Work (YouthPlatform) and Embodied Presence (Platform).  Most of the legwork will hopefully be finished by the end of August so that everything will be set.  For what you may ask.  We will be running two distinct programs, one for youth and another for womxn, this upcoming Fall.  Luckily, the facilitators for the programs have been selected so that the focus will again be on the rigorous task of marketing.  Oh, my least favorite word in the English dictionary.  And you probably thought I was on extended vacation from Platform when I skipped July’s newsletter.  I wish.  I just couldn’t muster enough energy to write the newsletter and conduct an interview in addition to all the work I needed to complete by the end of summer.

To kick off marketing for our events, Platform and YouthPlatform will be sponsoring a picnic at the Aurora Reservoir on Thursday, August 5th.  The idea is to gather all the participants and their friends for fun while promoting Activism@Work.  Will it work?  We will see but if we don’t get the support, at least we would have had fun in the process.  I really enjoy a great barbecue with people on whom I can test my recipes.  I rarely know what anything will taste like until the day of the event.  It is risky but the thrill of hitting the mark is quite exhilarating and also nerve-racking because it can potentially be off the mark.

This all sounds exciting but how will we be able fund these projects?  My other least favorite word is fundraising.  I plan to reach out to parents of students who participate in Activism@Work to make a donation of $150 if they are able and charge womxn $150 for Embodied Presence.  While we have not been able to raise enough money historically or been able to get enough participants when we charge a fee, I am hopeful that we will be more effective this year.  Why?  It is not because I am optimistic.  If anything, I am realistic.  No, I am not basing my hope in my momentary, enthusiastic fervor.  God, no. That is definitely not me.  Rather I believe that we have been making small strides to earn the trust of our community base.  We have a solid curriculum which we will be continuously building and reaching out to more people.  So I believe we will be more successful this year.  Also, since we will be spending less time on zoom and in real physical spaces, our virtual programs may be more appealing.  I think.

Will there be a guarantee that everything will go as planned?  Like I said, I am realistic and the chances are still high that we may not get the numbers or the money.  When that happens, I will reassess and figure out what to do next.  Aside from being realistic, I am also very practical.  I will not kill myself to force a vision, an ideal that is just not possible.  This is the way I preserve myself.  I am old enough, thankfully, to accept life’s obstacles rather than force an agenda.  

To start my week off from my day job (yes, I will be on ‘vacation’), I plan to take a few short trips this weekend.  

Samantha Joo

CEO and Founder

July 29, 2021