May 2020
The Mel King Institute Annual Breakfast is going virtual for our 11th Anniversary! While we are sad we will not get to break bread together in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited to explore celebrating with you all in a new way. Join the us as we celebrate our 11th year of learning, innovating, and networking across the Massachusetts community development field. 

After two successful semesters of our MKI Network we are excited to announce that will be having a summer session! If your organization is hosting interns, fellows, AmeriCorps Members, or young professionals for the summer we would love for them to join our network. The network is designed to expose entry level professionals in any concentration area to the field of community development through access to MKI trainings and workshops, network building opportunities, partner events, and other activities.
Application Deadline: June 1, 2020
Summer Virtual Orientation: June 3, 2020

~ Mel King Institute Fellowships ~
JOIN OUR TEAM!
The Mel King Institute is hiring! The Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) and the Mel King Institute have a strong commitment to building the community development pipeline with young people who have a natural passion for the work. We support other's in this work and also seek young people to enrich our own staff. Register today for positions at MKI that will offer a deep dive into the world of community development.
Community Building Resources
The Mel King Institute is here to support all Community Building efforts, especially during the current global pandemic that is impacting all of us in various ways.

Check out the list of resources we've gathered that may help you or your organization continue to cling to what life was like a month ago as you meet over Zoom, or reply in long email chains. There are also resources that will provide you with general information about COVID-19.

Please let us know what we can add to this list and be sure to share how you feel the Mel King Institute can support you during these difficult times.

Featured Event

~ Instructor ~
Todd Fry , T eacher, Leader & Social Entrepreneur 
Building community requires us to speak to groups of people! Sooner or later, you find yourself in front of others trying to engage them with your ideas and with each other.

Let’s get on our feet and learn how to be more effective as persuasive, engaging speakers! This training is not “one size fits all.” T he goal is to equip you with methods for increasing the impact of your own particular voice and communication style. Using a highly interactive approach, the workshop will address key strategies for:

  • managing nervousness
  • preparing effectively
  • structuring content to be persuasive and motivational
  • delivering presentations with confidence and animation
Upcoming MKI Events
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Housing Training Program is focusing on information-sharing and fostering connections among residents to address isolation. We will continue to offer online versions of our Resident Leader and Resident Board Member trainings.

The Resident Leader Training is a free training for any  resident of public housing who would like to enhance their leadership skills, learn about new state regulations, or get involved in a tenant group. Leaders of Local Tenant Organizations, “Task Forces” and other tenant groups are highly encouraged to attend.


This training helps participants handle challenges unique to their particular role as both a resident and a  Board Member of a public housing authority.  Participants learn about the role of the Board Member, take an in-depth look at budgets and capital improvement plans, and receive a free resource binder. 

Upcoming Training Opportunities:
Partner Events
Please check our calendar to see the events specifically marked postponed and check out the events happening online or later in the Spring & Summer below. As we hear about new program dates, we will update the MKI Calendar.

Community Organizing & Planning





Nonprofit Governance








Racial Equity






Economic Development


Real Estate Development







Application Deadlines








Conferences
Share Your Programming with Us!
Do you have a training, conference, or program application you'd like us to promote in our next Newsletter? Send it our way to melkinginstitute@macdc.org .
In the subject line please include: MKI Newsletter Programming
Join us for our annual Stand Against Racism event this Friday!

The MKI Alliance for Racial Equity , presents a panel and presentation about the importance of engaging youth in our efforts to advance racial equity in our communities and nurture a pipeline of professionals for the field. We’ll look at youth and young professionals of color and their accomplishments in community development.

Featured Resource
The Arts and Planning Toolkit has been given a reboot to become better aligned with the needs of municipal planners who are doing arts and culture-related work. Each page now follows a consistent outline of tools, resources, and examples to show how ideas may be put into action.
~ What We're Reading ~

We're back with another great reading list that includes Housing focused books for adults, young adults, and children. It's never too early to start learning about the history of Housing in the United States.