This week was mainly about getting familiar with the Moving Forward Upstate New York project.
We three interns got to know the program staff better in several meetings. We also reviewed training materials, such as recorded lectures and Q&A sessions about the implementation of the Stoplight tool. One highlight was the talk given by Paraguayan academic and entrepreneur Martin Burt, who created the Poverty Stoplight. His ideas about the importance of human motivation, family, and community involvement in the tackling of poverty were fascinating and clarified my understanding of the issues.
We also researched background information on relevant areas like Tompkins, Chemung, and Jefferson counties. Getting a better idea of the demographics, economies, and histories of these places gave us more perspective to help address the challenges faced by communities there.