WKKF Dialogue - Why are we here?



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Invitation letter

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Why are we here? Gail McClure Phyllis Meadows

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Holly Carter

Larry Kirkman

Mario Morino

Breakout discussions

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Why are we here?
Gail McClure and Phyllis Meadows
Full Text

Gail McClure is Vice President for Programs at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan.

We at Kellogg are very aware and supportive of communities of interest, of the Black diaspora, of academic communities, of people who want to pursue certain things and find value in that. More and more, there's an opportunity for virtual communities of all kinds to emerge. So what we mean by community is the power of people to get together to help themselves, to decide what they want to do to make their lives better.

Digital technology in general is driving the merger of all sorts of technologies. The computer has had a big place in it, but we're entering an era of whole new devices. All kinds of things will be coming out. The computer itself may become obsolete. We consider all technology if it's helping to reach young people, to empower communities, and to make things better in that larger structural sense of giving people equity, access.

Phyllis Meadows is Program Director, Youth and Education, at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

Through all of our programming that we do, irrespective of the area, health, education, food systems/ rural development , and volunteerism and philanthropy, we think that technology and information systems technology is on the cutting edge of everything that is going to happen and will be a natural part of our lives in the future. And so the foundation is looking for ways to figure out how do we best make sure that the work that we do in communities are supported with the right tools and that we make the best investment.

Our goal, if I have to say it really succinctly is to really understand not just about what the technologies are but how do we use IT as a tool to get some meaningful results from young people. How do we make an investment that focuses not around technology, but how do we make an investment in such a way that we can enhance the quality of life of young people. That's the bottom line for us.

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