In its work around the world, the Aspen Institute strives to promote a free, just, and equitable society. The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia threatens that vision and the values we hold dear. We stand with our friends, colleagues, and the Aspen Institute community in Ukraine and support their right to live peacefully in a sovereign, free country without the threat of coercion. Today, we join those calling for Russia to end its aggression in Ukraine and withdraw its troops immediately.

Throughout the pandemic, school schedules have been disrupted, student milestones have been missed, and basic health measures have been politicized. But caring relationships with responsible adults can help stabilize kids who are struggling both with the instability of Covid and the widening achievement gap. The Institute's Education & Society Program works to help educators create supportive environments for students and the adults they interact with. In their years of researching social and emotional learning in the schools, they’ve gathered hard data and plenty of success stories. Read up on the strategies they recommend.

In February, the Institute celebrates Black History Month, which also gives us an opportunity to share our work addressing systemic inequity. Highlights from the last few weeks include an in-depth and data-rich report on Why Debt is a Driver in the Racial Wealth Gap published by the Financial Security Program. On the Aspen Ideas to Go podcast, our Vice President of People and Culture Miecha Ranea Forbes spoke with business leader and author Dr. Rohini Anand on “How to Build Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that Sticks.” And for the Ascend program, James White wrote about how purposeful and thoughtful reckoning with past injustices is the foundation for a future that overflows with a new generation of Black heroes.

The pandemic upturned the lives of families with young children. In a country where only one in five workers has access to paid leave, many parents—mothers in particular—are forced to make tradeoffs between their wallets and their well-being. Though millions of caregivers left the workforce altogether, some employers are embracing new policies and practices that create spaces for these workers and their families to thrive. The Ascend program shares examples of these family-informed workplaces.

The relationship between the United States and its European allies has been stressed over the last several years. The NextGen Network, launched by the Institute’s International Partners in collaboration with Microsoft, says that we need to look to a new crop of leaders to address challenges such as climate change and threats to democracy. Their latest report brings millennial and Gen Z perspectives to the table and includes recommendations for a vibrant transatlantic partnership.

For decades, the US agriculture industry has relied on underpaid labor to ensure it turns a profit without passing on high costs to consumers. This created an uneven, exploitative power dynamic—exacerbated by the fact that nearly 50% of the laborers are undocumented. While advocates push for legislation and economic incentives that offer protection, a panel convened by the Food & Society Program argued that consumers hold the most power to change conditions for farm workers.

SOF members enjoy unparalleled access to Aspen Institute programs, including discussion receptions, luncheons, intimate dialogues, half-day forums, and multi-day symposia featuring experts on policy and current affairs. They are the first to know about Institute events, and receive special invitations to member-exclusive programs in locations across the country. Join today.

Recent articles in NPR and Psychology Today profiled the Institute’s work on the neuroarts, “an emerging field that studies how the arts and aesthetic experiences change the brain, body, and behavior.” The Institute’s Health, Medicine & Society Program, in partnership with the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine built a roadmap for the future of the neuroarts field. This group of leading researchers, artists, and clinicians envision a world in which the arts, like regular exercise and a healthy diet, are essential to human health.

A Call for Future Leaders

With deadlines ranging from February 28 through March 31, this is the time to nominate someone or apply for many Aspen Institute fellowships. Learn more about all open opportunities.

Future of College Sports: Athletes as University Employees

Friday, February 25, 12pm ET

The athlete-university relationship is changing. It’s conceivable that college athletes could eventually be declared employees. If that happens, what are the implications for the college sports industry, athletes, and Title IX compliance? The Sports & Society Program answers those questions and more at this virtual discussion.

Who is Giving? Who is Getting? Giving Trends in the Pandemic Era

Tuesday, March 1, 1pm ET

In the period between the Great Recession and the pandemic, more money was given in America but by far fewer donors. How concerned should we be if the longtime American tradition of giving becomes the sole province of the ultra-wealthy? Join the Institute’s Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation for a discussion on the state of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy across the US.

Conversations on Food Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Barriers to Accessing Social Benefit Programs

Tuesday, March 8, 1:30pm ET

Join the Food and Society Program to examine the history of social welfare programs in the United States and explore how institutionalized racism and stereotyping of marginalized communities has shaped public policy and economic opportunity for communities of color.

Reimagining School Sports: A New Playbook for High School Sports

Thursday, March 10, 12pm ET

Principals and school leaders need a new template for youth sports—one that’s tailored to the interests of its students and assets of its community. As schools grapple with changes to high school sports due to the pandemic and a more commercialized landscape, the Sports & Society Program believes now is the time to reimagine the model.

Join us in Miami Beach for Aspen Ideas: Climate, an inaugural, in-person event from May 9-12. We will feature conversations, tours, and workshops on the most innovative climate solutions, policies, and technology today. Purchase your pass today.

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