"Yes, And": How Rules of Acting Improve Collaboration (1:45 PM - 2:05 PM)

Speaker: Jessica Blaisus - Resounding Joy

Strategies for actors offer a surprising insight into creating healthy nonprofit collaborations. This 20-minute exploration will delve into how specific rules can be applied to partnerships. For example, actors doing improvisation follow the "Yes, And" rule – never saying no. We can do the same in the nonprofit world; instead of telling other agencies 'no', we can tell them 'yes, and we will need some funding to make that happen' or 'yes, and we will need a location closer to our clients. Other lessons we can learn are deep breathing, intentional listening (rather than waiting for our 'cue' to say our line), and examining our own actions by understanding what we want for our organizations, why we want it, how we will get it by working in partnership, and what we need to overcome any obstacles. 

Based on years of experience in theatre, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, Jess Blaisus will discuss how these rules of acting have supported Resounding Joy's sustainable model of collaboration, reducing inefficiencies, and building community throughout San Diego. Participants will review funding models, clinic-to-community service continuity, and how we should always say "yes, and" instead of "no" and make sure we make our partners look as good as (or better!) than ourselves to best support our clients.

Learning Objective(s)

1. Develop strategies for promoting healthier and stronger collaborations with other agencies

Crafting Programs that Fuel Childhood Curiosity and Learning (2:20 PM - 2:40 PM)

Speaker: Krishna Kabra - San Diego Children's Discovery Museum

At San Diego Children's Discovery Museum , we provide countless opportunities for young learners to nurture essential social-emotional skills, build fluencies in STEM education, and offer forms of play that build creativity, curiosity, and essential gross and fine motor skills. By investing in our youngest learners, our community gains a more capable, productive, and valuable workforce.  

During this session, we'll take a look at the programs the Museum currently offers to children across the county and how each one sets children up for future success:  

Mobile Children's Museum: Providing accessible education to children across the county  

Parenting Classes: Encouraging parents to take a leading role in their child's education  

Incorporating Social-Emotional Learning: Creating a community of individuals who are empathetic, caring, and curious   

Scaffolded Learning: Meeting children where they are to increase their learning potential 

Attendees will learn how many of the tools we use can be implemented in their own work. We'll highlight the impact of early childhood education and how creating a thriving community of individuals begins the moment a child is born.

Learning Objective(s)    

1. Understand the importance of early childhood education
2. Learn how to incorporate early childhood education into programs and events