Nashua, NH, April 10, 2023 – Well-Being and Equity (WE) in the World, together with Wellville and Communities RISE Together, are convening “WIN Week 2023: Springing Forward To Long Term Change,” a four-day community-building gathering in which 200+ in-person changemakers will join virtual participants to take long-term action to advance intergenerational health, well-being, and equity. The Spring 2023 WIN Week sessions will address ways to reconcile, reclaim and renew communities -–all of which have experienced racial and economic injustice -– from April 24 to April 27, 2023, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

“Our host community of Spartanburg, SC, is one of the hundreds of places around the county where residents, government, and supporting organizations are coming together to create a better future for all,” says Rick Brush, Chief Executive Officer, of Wellville. “If we want to change our outcomes, we need to dig deep into the underlying conditions for equitable health and wellbeing – and to work together in new ways that cultivate these conditions.”

The past shapes the present and the present informs the future.  “By reconciling with our past history and understanding how this history shapes the present-day reality of our communities, we will chart a path forward to shape communities that create the conditions everyone needs to thrive,” says Somava Saha, executive lead, Well-Being In the Nation (WIN) Network and president and chief executive officer,  WE in the World.

“Springing Forward To Long Term Change” conference will bring speakers and attendees together to exchange ideas and solutions to change the narrative and bring about real change as it pertains to health, well-being, and equity.

The events (see below) are FREE and available to all social impact changemakers across the country to attend virtually.

• Monday, April 24 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. – RISE Communities Gathering: Communities RISE Together, which has worked to keep hundreds of thousands of their community members safe in the context of the pandemic, will reflect, celebrate and chart a path forward for their journey.
• Tuesday, April 25 from 2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Wednesday, April 26 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. In the Neighborhood Site visits – Residents from three Spartanburg neighborhoods share their intergenerational stories to help us all deepen our understanding of what it means to belong — the experiences that support it and those that interfere with it.
• Tuesday, April 25 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: “Reclaiming the Past To Chart a Path To the Future” (Part I)

Discussion: The city of Spartanburg, a Wellville community, will explore its history of racism and current efforts to publicly acknowledge and reconcile harms caused by policies such as urban renewal, especially on Black and poor communities. Communities across the country will reflect on their own history of racial inequities.  Indigenous and state leaders from Washington State will describe their work to eradicate poverty and chart a path toward renewal based on a shared understanding of their history.

• Tuesday, April 25 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: “Reclaiming the Past To Chart a Path To the Future” (Part II)

Workshops will address the following topics:

• Applying a Strategic Approach to Advance Health Equity facilitated by Dr. Somava Saha, president, and chief executive officer, WE in the World. Communities across the country will share their experiences of addressing well-being and the underlying causes of health inequities, including community vital conditions and root causes. Featured communities will include Sioux City, South Dakota; Fresno, California; the Urban League in St. Louis Missouri; and Kent Washington
• Holding Dialogues and Spaces for Real Talk, Racial Healing, and Belonging – Communities across the country, including Lake County Black and Brown Coalition, Multicultural Coalition of Northeast Wisconsin, Manchester Community Action Coalition, and the Washington State workgroup to Eradicate Poverty will share their work on building communities that center belonging for everyone
• The Meaning-Making Machine: How Stories and Myths Shape Our Personal and Collective Identities with Abeni Bloodworth, chief executive officer, writer, and artist activist, black will lead a workshop about how our stories shape our identities.
• Wednesday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: “Leaning Into The Opportunities of Today To Chart a Path To the Future” (Part I)

Discussions: Social impact leaders will engage in an exchange about how to advance real “multi solver solutions” for food security, an equitable democracy, climate and digital equity, workforce and a restorative economy, structural racism in health care and public health, and much more. This session will be driven based on the interests and suggestions of communities.

• Wednesday, April 26 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: “Leaning Into The Opportunities of Today To Chart a Path To the Future” (Part II)

Workshops will bring about real change:

• Communication and Narrative Change: Josh Gryniewicz at Odd Duck Communications will lead a session focusing on misinformation and disinformation in the media and in social media. From Central Florida to San Bernardino, California, movement leaders will share their work of addressing misinformation and disinformation through trusted messengers.

The Keep Black Love Alive() campaign will share how the non-profit has worked to shift the narrative to build trust and promote vaccinations in the context of the pandemic.  A new toolkit for addressing misinformation and disinformation will be released.

• Data for Power: Changing Ourselves – Elizabeth Romero at Well-being and Equity (WE) in the World and Jonathan Scaccia of the Dawn Chorus Group will lead a session focusing on data strategies that help us understand how to change ourselves.
• Moving the Money Track Part I: Karen Minyard at the Georgia Health Policy Center and Well Being In the Nation (WIN) Network and Rosalinda Natividad at the Incite Network will highlight ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) and how infrastructure funds could be used to improve vital conditions in underserved communities impacted by Covid-19 pandemic.
• Shifting Policy Track: Todd Belcore at Social Change will lead a workshop together with movement leaders in Eastern rural North Carolina and Manchester, New Hampshire about how to work with our elected officials to advance equity through policy initiatives
• Wednesday, April 26 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.: “Leaning Into The Opportunities of Today To Chart a Path To the Future” (Part III)

Workshops will bring about real change:

• Building a Narrative Strategy: Abeni Bloodworth, chief executive officer, writer, and artist activist, chromatic black will help communities build a narrative change strategy in their community.
• Moving the Money Track Part II: Jennifer Fassenbender, Reinvestment Fund, and the Intermediary Learning Network will discuss ways to build equitable and restorative communities through long-term change.
• Data for Power Track: Elizabeth Romero at WE in the World will lead a session focusing on community conditions and data to drive change and investment in underserved communities.
• Shifting Policy for Long Term Change: Jennifer Flynn Walker and Arkesia Jackson from the Center for Popular Democracy will work with change makers and communities across the country to train them to create policy shifts for long-term change.
• Thursday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.: “Changing the System Together” Part I

Discussions:  There is strength in working together from the grassroots to the grasstops to bring about real change.  Social impact leaders will engage in a thought provoking discussion focusing on how to work together to bring about lasting change.

• Building a Grassroots to Grasstops Movement Dialogue: Movement leaders, community leaders and federal leaders will explore how we might work together to transform the system.  Featured speakers include Rear Admiral Paul Reed who will discuss the Equitable Plan for Long Term Recovery and Renewal; Wellville founder Esther Dyson; Abeni Bloodworth, chief executive officer, writer, and artist activist,  chromatic black; and Somava Saha, president, and chief executive officer, WE in the World and executive lead, WIN Network.
• The Role of Artists in Creating Social Change – Jeff Campbell from Emancipation Theater will lead a workshop on how communities can use the theater and the arts to build belonging and civic muscle for lasting change.
• Equitable Economies Policy Delphi: Community residents and BIPOC organizations have proposed 150 policies to advance a well-being economy.  Vote on what policies to build an equitable well-being economy matter most to you.  Your vote will determine the policy development priorities for the WIN Network.
• Measures That Matter: Well Being In the Nation (WIN) Measures – Facilitated by WE in the World, the WIN Measures bridges communities and national initiatives and federal agencies to advance measures that matter to communities and can shape national strategy. Community residents and BIPOC led organizations have proposed measures for racial justice and intergenerational well-being.  They will have the opportunity to vote for the measures that matter most to them.  Leaders from Healthy People 2030 will be in attendance to discuss how these measures will be used as input to a national process to set goals for our nation’s health and well-being.  In addition, the newest version of WIN measures data will be released.
• Structural Racism in Health and Healthcare – Facilitated by Yolanda Roary and Robert Sanchez from WE in the World and black, this session will give communities a chance to vote on 12 critical shifts to address structural racism in our health care and public health systems.

Since its inception in 2018, WIN Week has provided a platform for leading community members to gather and bring about real change as it pertains to health, well-being, and equity. The annual WIN Week has allowed a path for measures, policies, investments and infrastructure to improve health and well-being in the United States.

Today, there are more than 2000 communities, agencies, people and organizations from the grassroots to the grasstops, across generations, places, sectors and political affiliations who have come together to improve the well-being of people and places with equity as the foundation.  Spring 2023 WIN Week “Springing Forward to Long-Term Change” is sponsored by Win Network, Communities RISE Together, and Wellville and is facilitated by WE in the World.

Visit Spring 2023 WIN Week to register for the FREE events.

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About The WIN Network

The Well Being In the Nation (WIN) Network is a growing strategic network of organizations, communities, and federal agencies working together to advance intergenerational well-being and equity.

WIN Network is building an intersectional, multiracial, transpolitical, grassroots to grasstops movement that stands in solidarity:

• those who have been leading movements for Black, Latino, Indigenous, migrant, and other lives of communities of color
• those who have been leading intersectional movements to build a more equitable and just democracy,
• those who have been creating the conditions for well-being and equity in economy, health, business, housing, and other sectors.

The WIN Network is stewarded by chromatic black, Community Initiatives, Institute for People, Place and Possibility, ReThink Health/Rippel Foundation, and Well-Being and Equity (WE) in the World.

Well Being and Equity (WE) in the World (WE in the World) is a diverse team of well-being and equity architects who advance intergenerational well-being and equity on a foundation of racial and economic justice. WE in the World leads the Core Implementation Team of the WIN Network.

Communities RISE Together

Communities RISE (Reach, Immunizations, System Change for Equity) Together is a grassroots initiative for communities to promote vaccinations in Black, Asian-American/ Pacific Islanders, Latinx, Native American, rural, immigrant/migrant and low-income older adult populations in more than 500+ communities in 31 states and territories with high equity gaps and low vaccination rates.  Together, we are transforming our relationships and systems to create the conditions for everyone to thrive.

Communities RISE Together is an initiative funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services.  RISE partners are calling the civic capacities of 2,400 community-based organizations in communities experiencing inequities who reach more than 100 million Black, indigenous, Latinx, Asian-Americans/Pacific Islanders, and low income people across the nation.

Communities RISE Together partners include:  chromatic black, The Center for Popular Democracy, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Latino Health Access, Meals on Wheels America, Migrant Clinical Network, National Council on Aging, US Aging, National Indian Health Board, WIN Network, WE in the World, PCHI and Public Health Institute.

Wellville

Wellville is a 10-year national non-profit project to improve long-term, equitable health, and wellbeing through community-centered collaboration. Founded in 2014 by Esther Dyson, Wellville acts as a catalyst, supporting the efforts of five U.S. communities  – North Hartford, CT, Lake County, CA, Clatsop County, OR, Muskegon County, MI, and Spartanburg, SC, – while partnering nationally to change the way our country invests in the wellbeing of all Americans for generations to come.

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