My latest Trojan Horse art project: DAE
DAE is a non-profit that provides digital-era skills and career development for systemically and historically under-resourced communities. We run High School programs, post-High School, and Adult Ed programs in computer science specializations and Full Stack Engineering, as well as Digital Content Creation, and, starting in 2022, Digital Music Production and Visual Art & Graphic Design.
That’s the horse part of the Trojan Horse, the part that’s on the outside and that everyone can see.
Inside of those programs, we develop young people in the systems change frameworks, tools, and skills that we developed in corporate executives and entrepreneurs who were looking to create industry-level change. We are committed to developing human beings who have historically and systemically been forced to the margins society into a generation of change agents who have the technical and organizational skills to enter and succeed in digital careers in organizations – and the change agent and social justice skills to fundamentally transform those organizations over the next 50 years.
Are You My Listener?
(a children’s book for adults)
I’m currently writing the closing essay for this book. It is a short work in children’s book format that is meant to convey the experience I see a lot of people have about how to find their “identity” in the world. Being totally transparent: I’ve been pushing this off for a long time. The book has been done for a couple of years but the essay I’ve meandered on – committed to finishing it for a 2Q 2022 release.
1/15/2023 Update
The book is done and printed (at least the initial / internal run). Info in Feb 2023 on where to get a copy.
2/10/2023 Update
You can get the book HERE
The future of MAOL & my legacy work
Over the past 5 years, I’ve completely redesigned the M.A. in Leadership program that Mel Toomey and I run…or ran. Mel passed away recently and I’m in an inquiry about what should be done with the work. Options I’m weighing:
- Continuing it as an M.A. program in it’s current form. For a variety of practical and philosophical reasons, I’m fairly convinced this isn’t the right course.
- Re-certifying it with a different title that more directly names what the work actually is: re-humanizing business and social institutions (and, “Leadership” is such a fundamentally corrupted term and so heavily coopted by the consulting industry). This is also unlikely as a) the work of re-certifying is not something I’m likely up for right now, and b) “humanizing”, “re-humanizing”, and all the other frames I might choose have become commodities and I’m disinclined to swim in that swamp.
- Creating a non-degree version that can be free of academic constraints and therefore open to those who haven’t followed a traditional academic path but are simply committed to the work we do.
- I’m open to suggestions for an option 4!
1/1/2023 Update
I’ve decided to launch a Young Adult version of MAOL. Piloting with a group of students in 1Q & 2Q 2023 and a full release in Fall of 2023.