At SweetRush, helping people learn new skills is our craft, and it’s also the way we can be of service. It’s how we can do our part to “help the helpers” and support organizations that are doing so much good in the world.
This was the genesis of launching our Good Things service years ago. We’ve now partnered with an ever-growing list of incredible nonprofits and foundations, over 35 to date, helping them create learning programs to support their missions and amplify their voice and impact.
All the dedicated people at the nonprofits we partner with are passionate and doing good, but right now the pandemic is front and center. In this post, we’d like to share some of our recent Good Things work focused on combating COVID-19, along with some internal initiatives that are fostering good things.
If you are in the nonprofit space and interested in learning more about SweetRush’s services, we would love for you to get in touch with us.
Partnering to Provide COVID-19 Vaccine Learning Programs for Healthcare Workers
Since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve been fortunate to get connected with organizations providing life-saving information to frontline workers. Our team has been energized by supporting this mission and have adjusted our processes to rapidly produce infographics, eLearning, and even a custom web app.
As part of an ongoing partnership with Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation, Project Hope, DisasterReady.org, and Brown University, SweetRush helped design and develop COVID-19 training courses that have been completed by over 100,000 healthcare workers. The most recent series of courses is designed to combat vaccine hesitancy with evidence-based information and protocols.
To learn more about this work, we invite you to read this update from Tina Bolding, Director of DisasterReady.org.
La Maestra, SweetRush’s Carbon-Neutral Initiative, Grows Up
On Earth Day we announced our intention to work toward carbon neutrality through reforestation, in partnership with Green My Experience, led by the wonderful Cristina Calvo.
To date, through the La Maestra (which means “the teacher” in Spanish) initiative, SweetRush has planted over 375 trees, and is on target to raise that number to nearly 700 trees by the end of 2021. And next year, we anticipate planting over 1,000 additional trees. The new forest is located in the Limon Province in Costa Rica.
La Maestra is just taking root and we’re exploring exciting future possibilities connected to reforestation research and education. Our new website provides information about the reforestation and learning initiative, including an interactive map that allows you to explore photos and names of the trees, some of which honor beloved family members of our SweetRushians.
Discover more at lamaestra.life.
Partners in Pride Supporting the LGBTQ Community
SweetRush’s Partners in Pride ERG is a dedicated group of talented SweetRush teammates working together to positively impact the LGBTQ community and its allies through a variety of programs. Here’s a quick snapshot of some of their recent accomplishments!
- Casa Rara: The team partnered with this Costa Rican foster house foundation that provides care and shelter to LGBTQ+ children, revamping their website to enable greater reach for funding and support. Learn more at casarara.org.
- Beyond the Binary: This job aid created by Partners in Pride educates SweetRush teammates on how best to communicate with nonbinary people. The current version is already in use at SweetRush internally—a publically available version is coming soon!
- LGBTQ+ Timeline: A multi-year effort, this interactive website highlights important milestones and heroes who have impacted the community’s journey. Check it out!
- Consultative power: Partners in Pride has stepped up to consult on our clients’ learning programs and the global representation and inclusion of the LGBTQ community. Working with one client, the team helped them create a global course that will impact the lives of community members who reside in Islamic countries.
Partners in Pride is continuing to drive these conversations, educate themselves and others, and push boundaries for diversity. In their own words, “Partners in Pride is the result of love for one another and our community, and the desire to make things right and better.”
Instructional Design Internship Promoting Diversity in L&D
Recognizing several barriers to entry to the ID profession, Clare Dygert, SweetRush’s Director of Instructional Design and Learning Experience Design, worked with Ann Cathers, Talent Solutions Consultant, to create a program to introduce people of color to what Clare calls “the best profession in the world.”
Clare and Ann partnered with the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), a historically Black university, to create the paid ID Internship Program. The program features an intensive orientation, including how to work at SweetRush, ID fundamentals, and a practicum capstone project. The first cohort is in happening now!
If you’re interested in learning how we have structured this program to help you in creating something similar, connect with Clare! She’s happy to share our findings so far and generally advise students on the ID profession. LinkedIn: /in/claredygert/
More Good Things on the Horizon
Doing good at SweetRush is not a side activity; it’s woven into our way of doing business, and we strongly believe that doing good is good for business. Business can and should be drivers of social change. We’ve adopted a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) to positively affect the lives of a billion people, and every day we are striving to achieve that goal!
If you’d like to learn more about these programs and gain insights into how we work together at SweetRush, we invite you to read our eBook, It’s All About Your People: Embracing Human-Centered Business, Culture, and Learning Design.
Wishing good things to you and yours!
