Community Engagement
Fellows and Partners continue their involvement with the DCI program long after their fellowship year has ended. Many DCI alumni become involved with a number of dciX activities and special initiatives whether this be as a leader or participant. These activities are highlighted below.
dciX
In 2018, DCI launched dciX to provide impact opportunities for Fellows and Partners during their DCI year and for DCI alumni interested in continuing their involvement with the DCI program and Stanford University. These opportunities harness the expertise and talent of the DCI Fellows to benefit Stanford students and faculty, keep DCI Fellows connected with Stanford, and provide a forum for DCI Fellows to work together across cohorts to create social and economic impact.
dciX provides a range of impact opportunities for Intergenerational Engagement and Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that provide deep dives into important issues plus special initiatives and workshops.
Special Interest Groups
SIGs often take deep dives into topics and reach out to students and faculty from the various schools across the University to participate. Each SIG is aligned with a Stanford Center or Institute to help identify projects and initiatives to which DCI Fellows could contribute and add value. Current and emerging SIGs are led by a DCI Fellow or alum and address a range of topics including:
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- DCI on Boards
- DCI Speaks
- DCI Writes
- Energy and Sustainability
- Impact Investing
- Longevity Innovations
- Salon Speaker Series
Intergenerational Engagement
A range of Stanford Centers, Institutes, and Programs have identified opportunities for DCI Fellows to mentor, coach and advise Stanford students on a range of topics including career choices, life-work balance and entrepreneurial ventures. New initiatives are developed each year based on requests from these Centers, Institutes, and Programs and new connections are always welcome.
Some of the Centers, Institutes, and Programs that currently have Intergenerational Engagement opportunities with DCI can be seen to the right. View some of the impact our Intergenerational Engagement opportunities have here.
In addition to these recurring opportunities dciX has been involved in several special initiatives. For example, thought leadership partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Techstars Future of Longevity accelerator; Stanford Rebuild; Hacking for Recovery; and Mini Lean Workshops.
The dciX Caregiving Innovations Group began meeting in 2020 and will continue through 2023 to develop solutions that will address the needs of older adults and their 48 million unpaid caregivers in the U.S. With support from Pivotal Ventures, the Landscape of Caregiving Innovations review was released in September 2021, and the group will now focus on creating solutions to the barriers that caregivers and innovators often face in providing access to needed products and services for care recipients.
DCI Racial Justice and Equity Initiatives
Following the rise in police brutality and protests occurring across the country during the summer of 2020, DCI established the Racial Justice and Equity Initiative. The Initiative, identified and presented by James White (DCI 2018), quickly grew across DCI cohorts past, present and future. The DCI Racial Justice and Equity Initiative is now divided into three sub-groups – Community Initiatives, Poverty and Inequality, and Police Reform – and continues to grow and evolve. Each initiative strives to tackle not only local, but global issues in this area.
The Community Initiatives group is engaged with the XPRIZE Foundation. Highlights of their work at a recent conference that can be viewed here.
In early 2021, a colloquium, Systemic Racism in America and its Impacts on Individuals, Institutions, and Society, was held for the DCI community. Speakers included Rhea Boyd, Clarence B. Jones, Lawrence Sherman and Hannah Valentine. View: Stanford DCI Colloquium: Racial Justice and Equity.