I am excited to be writing about the rollout and my contributions to the new way of working and expansion at East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI) in Durham North Carolina- called the Family Success Model. It has also been great to be building upon the previous work done by Jennifer and Megan who were GSK […]
Category Archives: East Durham Children’s Initiative
August
06
East Durham Children’s Initiative
posted by Renu Jain
Its summer of 2018 and summer time is a big deal and super busy for the staff at the East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI) in Durham North Carolina. They are responsible for running/overseeing/staffing 4 summer camps and summer lunch program open to any community member and their family. Food insecurity is a huge issue in this area of Durham North Carolina, […]
November
02
Problem Solve Galore!!
posted by meganlperry
A lot has happened since my last blog post and EDCI is moving full steam ahead on their project! They have been divided up into four teams: Data, Framework, Strategy, and Implementation all tasked with the common goal of reworking the organizations strategies and goals of EDCI to focus on Family Success. EDCI has worked […]
September
06
Back to School
posted by meganlperry
Hi everyone! I know it has been awhile since my last blog post, but that is only because it has been so busy here at EDCI! The EDCI STEAM Summer Camp program has wrapped up and all the children are back in school! Every summer EDCI always hosts their End of Summer Celebration and this […]
July
24
Be the Change.
posted by Jennifer Gottsegen
I would like to share with you my journey of change. I have stepped out of my comfort zone. I have stepped away from the job I’ve known for nearly 10 years – and a profession I’ve known for over 15 years – to serve my community. And I’m thrilled! A little over 8 months […]
STEAM Summer Camp
posted by meganlperry
Well, it has officially been 1 month since I started my PULSE assignment at EDCI and I can easily say I love every minute of it. I have started off my assignment on the ground level helping with their STEAM(Science,Technology,Engineering,Art,Math) summer camp program. They average 50-60 kids in attendance every day. During camp the kids focus on […]
June
06
Grateful. Empowered. Excited.
posted by meganlperry
Grateful.Empowered. Excited. Those were just 3 of many words generated by my fellow PULSE volunteers during the US training session when we were asked to described how we were feeling at the at the end of our 3 day PULSE training session. I was able to meet 9 other inspiring GSK employees all of which are […]
December
05
Chapter 4: Heart of a Warrior
posted by Shaun Venable
By definition, a warrior is a courageous person engaged in battle; a soldier. A warrior perseveres to the end, fearless and relentless in their pursuit of victory. Over the past 5 months, I’ve had the opportunity to work with such champions…whether it was an EDCI staff member, loving parent in the community, or a child with […]
October
26
Chapter 3: Be the change you wish to see
posted by Shaun Venable
“In between a place called history and destiny, you discover life has prepared you for greater. All of your experiences, coupled with trials and triumph, demonstrate resilience. You suddenly realize that one defining moment, one supporting voice, one courageous move sets you apart from others. You transform into a trailblazer and blossom into a better […]
October
25
Chapter 2: Teamwork makes dream work!
posted by Shaun Venable
The phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words” was recently brought to life when 55 GSK volunteers from across the US came together for an Orange Day at East Durham Children’s Initiative. How it all got started… EDCI is in the fifth year of implementation. Known for their mission to “create a pipeline […]
September
28
Chapter 1: The Little Engine That Could!
posted by Shaun Venable
Two months ago, I started a local GSK PULSE assignment at East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI) . I can honestly say it’s been an incredible journey so far. In this blog post, I will reflect on the evolution of my assignment…so get ready, hold on tight, and let me tell you a story about A LITTLE […]
March
18
I am Experiencing My Pulse Every Moment – Kindling Hope ♣ & Happiness Around ♥
posted by neerajgarg1
“Hands Raised to Serve are More Blissful then Hands Raised to Pray”.
November
02
Problem solving tools put to the test by small non-profit EDCI
posted by leviarodriguezshepherd
During my first few weeks at EDCI as a GSK Pulse Volunteer I did a lot of observing. Coming from highly structured GSK to a small, casual non-profit offered many lessons. However, I quickly saw the opportunity to introduce them to some basic organizational effectiveness tools and concepts that they could put to use right away. […]
August
24
Small Non-Profit Experiences Transformation and Sponsors End-of-Summer Fun
posted by leviarodriguezshepherd
By Levia Rodriguez Shepherd In a big global company, sometimes the word “transformation” gets a bad rap; employees may start to get nervous about reorganizations and culture changes that usually come under that umbrella term. However, transformation usually brings with it enhanced ways of working, gains in efficiencies, and cost savings. And it does not […]
July
17
What do oranges, markers and bicycles have in common?
posted by leviarodriguezshepherd
Perhaps you are thinking they are all “round” which is somewhat true. However, it’s what the many kids and their families experienced at yesterday’s Summer Lunch Program sponsored by EDCI (East Durham Children’s Initiative, http://www.edci.org). Summer Lunch is a 9-week program based on a collaborative effort by EDCI, Maureen Joy Charter School (where the program is based), Inter-Faith […]
