What We Believe

At the core of our philosophy is the notion that the power to make impact lives equally in small changes made by so-called ordinary people as it does in structural change made by those with power and position; what matters most is voice, equity, growth, and joy.

VOICE

Voice includes ALL stakeholders engaged in collectivity and collaboration.  We believe that there is power and wisdom in numbers and that everyone has the capacity to lead when given the opportunity. When working with imPACT, all stakeholders’ perspectives are critical to the process, including the youth we serve.  We believe that long-term and deep impact is only possible when all stakeholders have true ownership of the work. It is our goal to get to know our partners and grow the work from within, so that when we leave the impact is lasting and authentic. 

Exploring, finding, and using our voices is the ultimate educational journey; so if we are to learn anything, we must have the opportunity to exercise our voice.

Voice is not just what is spoken.  It is our choices, actions, agency, power, and perspective.  We seek to collect and listen to all voices – spoken or unspoken – with equal respect and credence.  

EQUITY

As a special educator in inclusion settings, “fair isn’t always equal” is a very real statement, and we believe this is just as true in all of life.  What one needs in order to thrive is not the same as the next person.  If we want impactful change and justice in our world, we must center the voices of those with the least power to uplift everyone.  In all our work, we strive to leverage stakeholder voices and experiences to define outcomes rooted in equity and justice so that everyone is fully included in ultimate success.

GROWTH

You cannot know where you are going without knowing where you are. You cannot celebrate progress if it is not meaningful and tangible to those it impacts.  We believe in working smarter, not harder because making systemic change is hard enough as it is.  Assessment, analysis, and strategic response are at the core of everything we do.  Building habits of reflection in our partner organizations inevitably leads to building those same habits in the people they serve, so they are better equipped to fulfill their own life goals.  Finally, progress can be incremental or monumental; all progress is significant because we can learn from it. Celebrating that progress is critical to a joyful pursuit of success.

JOY

If you are working to make a great impact in your world and beyond, it will inevitably be hard work.  Hard work can, and must be joyful work.  Joy is what makes hard work worth it, but it is also in the process as well.  It is in the celebration of milestones and achievements, as well as in the solidarity we find in struggle. Joy is the ability to feel connected to each other and to something greater than ourselves.  Joy comes in moments and waves, and makes so much of the rest of the range of emotions and experiences worthwhile.  We believe that when setting outcomes, we must imagine what would bring us the most joy.  When reflecting on benchmarks, we must celebrate progress and lessons learned as equally valuable.  We believe that the best learning happens when we feel connected, thus learning must be joyful.