Pando Populus Inc

TO CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, FOCUSING ON LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND GUIDED BY ITS SUSTAINABILITY PLAN THE MOST AMBITIOUS REGIONAL PLAN IN THE COUNTRY.

IN 2021, OUR FOCUS REMAINED ON LOS ANGELES COUNTY WITH EDUCATION PROGRAMS TARGETING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOR SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, AND ALIGNED WITH THE LA COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY PLAN (OURCOUNTY LA). WE ADDRESSED THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF FORMAL LEARNERS IN HIGHER ED AND K-12, INFORMAL LEARNERS, AND PROFESSIONALS. OUR AIM IS TO RESTORE COMMUNITY TO THE HEART OF EDUCATION, AND REINVIGORATE IT INTELLECTUALLY. THIS, WE BELIEVE, WILL GALVANIZE CIVIC PARTICIPATION AND INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE TALENT POOL THATS WILLING AND ABLE TO TAKE UP LOCAL CHALLENGES, RESULTING IN REAL-WORLD IMPACT, CAN-DO SPIRIT, AND HOPE.THROUGHOUT 2021, WE CONTINUED TO WORK VIGOROUSLY WITH A BROAD RANGE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (HIGHER ED AND K-12), PUBLIC AGENCIES, BUSINESSES, NGOS, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS. OUR WEB-BASED PRESENCE (WWW.PANDOPOPULUS.COM) REMAINED AN ACTIVE INFORMATION AND EDUCATION HUB; WE CONTINUED A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE OVER FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM. OUR NEWSLETTER, ROOTBALL, INFORMED OUR COMMUNITY OF PROGRAM EVENTS AND NEWS UPDATES, AND SOLICITED INVOLVEMENT. OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL HAS CONTINUED TO BE ACTIVE WITH OUR OWN CONTENT. THE ART AND DESIGN COMMUNITY FROM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY REMAINED DEEPLY ENGAGED IN SUPPORT OF OUR WORK. SPECIAL AREAS OF PROGRAM FOCUS FOR 2021 INCLUDED:- PANDO DAYS: A PROGRAM THAT BRINGS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TOGETHER FROM THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHLAND TO IMPLEMENT THE GOALS OF LA COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY. THE 2021 PROGRAM SAW 11 HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CREATING FALL-TERM COURSES, STUDIOS, OR LABS WITH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING DELIVERING REAL-WORLD AND IMPACTFUL PROJECTS FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE PROGRAM LAUNCHED WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CONRAD N. HILTON FOUNDATION AND INDIVIDUAL DONORS. SEE HTTPS://PANDOPOPULUS.COM/PROGRAMS/PANDODAYSSERIES.- MAGENTA HOUSE: A PROGRAM ON WATER AND POWER CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, INCLUDING A SCIENCE FAIR-LIKE EXPO TO SHOWCASE STUDENT PROJECTS DEVELOPED AROUND THIS THEME AND A FULL-RANGE PROJECT ACCELERATOR PROVIDING STUDENTS THE RESOURCES THEY NEEDED TO DEVELOP THEIR BEST WORK FOR THE EXPO. THE PROGRAM WAS CREATED FOR LA COUNCIL DISTRICT 5 IMPLEMENTATION BUT SOON SPREAD ACROSS A NUMBER OF DISTRICTS, AND WAS FUNDED BY THE LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER. SEE HTTPS://PANDOPOPULUS.COM/PROGRAMS/MAGENTAHOUSESERIES. - CSO STRATEGIC TASKFORCE: A PROGRAM THAT BRINGS THE COUNTYS CSOS (CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICERS) TOGETHER TO FOCUS ON BROAD, REGIONAL MATTERS RELATED TO THE SOUTHLAND AS A WHOLE. DEVELOPMENT OF AND SUPPORT FOR THE TASKFORCE CONTINUED OVER COVID WITH BOTH VIRTUAL AND SMALL-GROUP OUTDOOR MEETINGS AND ACTIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING. MANY MEMBERS REMAINED DEEPLY INVOLVED IN PANDO DAYS, WHICH THE TASKFORCE HELPED ORIGINALLY TO CONCEIVE. SEE HTTPS://PANDOPOPULUS.COM/NETWORKS/CSO-STRATEGIC-TASKFORCE. - CAMPUS HUB FOR DIVERSE, INTERGENERATIONAL COLLABORATION: A PROGRAM THAT AIMS TO DEVELOP A HUB OF BROAD COMMUNITY COLLABORATION ON THE PROPERTY OF THE SISTERS OF SOCIAL SERVICE IN ENCINO TO HELP MEET THE GOALS OF INTEGRAL ECOLOGY AND THE LA COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY PLAN. THIS SUPPLANTS OUR ACTIVITY WITH MARYKNOLL IN MONROVIA AND EXTENDS THE LEARNINGS WE HAD DEVELOPED THERE. CAMPUS-BASED PROJECTS IN 2021 INCLUDED WORK WITH THE LA CLEANTECH INCUBATOR, PLACE/BRINGING THEORY TO PRACTICE (SUPPORTED BY THE MELLON FOUNDATION), AND THE UCLA COUNTERFORCE LAB.