IT TAKES A VILLAGE … OR A COMMITTEE
Words and photographs by Ján Michalko With large classes, not enough teaching materials and a mountain of caring responsibilities, teachers in low-resourced schools often find it difficult to dedicate time to support alumni engagement. As Ján writes in this blog, our approach to building networks of former students therefore relies on setting up committees at each school to make alumni engagement a success. I must admit, I never wondered where the saying, ‘it takes a village’ came from. To me, it has become ago-to phrase which I often use to recognize that some challenges are simply beyond the possibilities of …
Small Charity Week 2020: Different Paths & Diverse Experiences
It’s the start of Small Charity Week 2020 in the UK, and we thought we’d celebrate by putting the spotlight on the diverse experience of one staff member of our small (but mighty) expert team in London, UK. In this blog, our Senior Project Lead, Madeleine, shares her thoughts on being part of an alumni panel at University College London, why she believes in unconventional career paths, and how being able to move forward in adversity is crucial to the future world of work … In late January, on the International Day of Education, I was invited to speak on …
Networks are no longer a nice-to-have
Quite rightly, COVID-19 is the top of all of our agendas. I’m sure I’m not the only one whose news feeds on all fronts are dominated by two particular narratives: The first of these is the scale of its impact, particularly the horrifying predictions, and already frightening realities for so many across the globe. The second is the flood of solutions. Toolkits, webinars, opinion pieces, repurposed curricula and trainings aplenty. It is incredible that so much innovation and generosity has emerged from this crisis (and goodness, I am the first to admit that this was my first go-to as well). …
Who is in charge here?
As more and more organisations have been relocating their teams into the virtual space to deal with COVID-19 in mid-March, we hosted our first global webinar. Zooming in on alumni-led networks, we brought together organisations keen to learn from one another about the ways to engage their former students, beneficiaries and participants. As Ján writes, the discussion showed the benefits of having a community to share experiences and get support from each other, as many people responsible for alumni engagement find themselves working in isolation, not only during the time of COVID-19 pandemic. Written by Ján Michalko If you work with volunteers, I bet that at some point in your …
Alumni Engagement Down Under: Connect Futures New Zealand Trust
This week we are fortunate to have a special guest contribution to our blog by Vicki Fowler, Executive Director, Tāwai Takapiri Connect Futures NZ Trust, a New Zealand based organisation supporting state schools to build thriving alumni engagement programmes. Vicki shares with us the key learnings from the first year of this inspirational initiative. Tāwai Takapiri Connect Futures NZ was founded with the view to inspire ambition and self-belief in young people of Aotearoa New Zealand by supporting schools in low socio-economic areas to establish thriving, sustainable alumni engagement programmes. Through these programmes, we enable current students to connect with …
The ‘soft’ barriers to networking
Written by Prerna Aswani It doesn’t come as news that networks are crucial for professional success- it’s often not about what you know, but who you know. Some estimates show in fact that 80% of jobs are filled through networking.[1] Yet, as we at inHive know all too well, young people’s access to networks are highly unequal and those at the bottom of the income pyramid simply do not have the same access to ‘social capital’- whether this be their parents’ connections or contacts from elite university experiences. But the barriers to effective networking can go far beyond institutional obstacles. …
‘Decolonizing Wealth’: What I learnt
At inHive we always like to share what we’re reading. It’s usually articles or reports, but this month we’ve all read ‘Decolonizing Wealth’ by Edgar Villanueva, a book that explores power dynamics within the not-for-profit sector. Our Project Lead, Prerna Aswani, shares her take-aways. Reading Decolonizing Wealth, a book on face value about philanthropy and finance, was a surprisingly personal experience. Villanueva contends that colonialism is not just a thing of the past but continues through the power dynamics within our social, financial, political and economic institutions. This book has encouraged me to reflect on my own experience, what can …
inHive Launch: How Networks Work
“It is the impact of our alumni that is most important to our mission”- Alex Beard, Director of Learning and Strategy at Teach for All To celebrate the launch of inHive over the festive period, we hosted our first event with our new brand name, inviting experts from the field to demystify the thinking and process around prioritising alumni networks within their work in education. With wine and mince pies aplenty, our attendees came from across sectors, from education NGOs to consultancies and foundations, bringing with them a fantastic opportunity for each to connect with leaders from diverse backgrounds. With …
Connecting Against Climate Change
Around the world, young people have been at the forefront in the fight against climate change. They are building alliances across borders and identity lines in order to protect the environment – their future inheritance. And as Ján found out from students in Lahore, alumni networks can provide support for these efforts too. Seatbelt fastened. Tray table in the upright position. Window blinds open. Then, within minutes, our flight leaves Islamabad and on a clear November day, we are lucky to see a beautiful scenery of mountain ranges and distant peaks covered in snow. But as the plane starts to descend, the …
Why Future First Global has rebranded to inHive
Abi Nokes, CEO of inHive, explains in this letter the practical and values-based reasons for the decision to rebrand from Future First Global to inHive. Dear Friends I’m thrilled to finally announce that Future First Global will now be known as ‘inHive’. It’s been a long time coming behind the scenes and now is the right time to make the shift. There are three main reasons why we’ve decided to undergo this change. Firstly, on a practical level, we shared our old “Future First” name origins with three other organisations: Future First in the UK (the parent to both the organisation and me as I spent three …
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