by Kirsten McHugh
As we gear up for a long holiday weekend in the U.S. and the unofficial kick-off to summer, our team at The Good Project would like to share content that has inspired discussion and deeper thinking amongst our group in recent weeks. We hope you find these ideas a compelling way to wrap up your month.
As the end of this very strange academic year draws to a close, many graduates will leave their institutions to join their respective professional ranks in a bit of a fog. Earlier this month, Harvard Law Today published a piece on the 2021 Last Lecture Series (link here). Select faculty were asked to share their words of wisdom with the graduating class in this annual tradition. This year’s group of faculty did not disappoint in their offerings of hope and motivation for the future.
In more of a “listen” than “read” mood? Check out this recent podcast episode from NYT’s The Ezra Klein Show in which Ezra interviews Anna Sale of Death, Sex, and Money (link here). The two discuss how to best approach “difficult conversations”—how to be a good listener and a good communicator.
In case you missed it, our colleagues at The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues recently hosted a panel discussion on “Virtues in the Professions” (link here). The panel featured Dr. Sabena Jameel from the University of Birmingham, Professor David Bogle from the University College London, and Major Dr. Scott Parsons from the United States Military Academy West Point. Together, the group discussed ethics and dilemmas across engineering, the military, and medicine. Want more? Don’t miss the upcoming conference “Character and Virtues in the Professions” (link here).
An unprecedented number of American women made the difficult decision to leave work during the pandemic in order to care for their families. Now that the country is starting to reopen, how do these women return to the workplace? Check out this short segment from NPR to learn how one group aims to help women reverse course and get back to the office (link here).
When we talk about supporting our outermost Rings of Responsibility (link here), we often find ourselves discussing civics and citizenship. The Good Project Director Lynn Barendsen has thought a lot about this sector over the years. In her most recent blog (link here), Barendsen describes her connection to the Civic Collaboratory (link here), shares highlights of the impressive work being done in this realm by some Collaboratory members, and announces The Good Project’s Good Civics series (link here).