SV2 launched our first California Equity Journey in June 2024. Sixteen Partners, Board members, and staff took a week-long journey through different parts of the state to gain a deeper understanding of our history, listen deeply to the stories of community members, and understand challenges and solutions at the local and policy level. It was amazing! We are excited about the transformational power of this model of immersive learning.
Our journey began with two days in the East Bay, understanding the different people groups and histories in our state. We then spent time in Watsonville, Pajaro, Stockton, and Modesto, taking a deeper dive into issues like immigration, farmworker experience, and water policy. The journey culminated with two days at the state capitol in Sacramento, helping us integrate what we’d learned on the ground with the efforts taking place at the legislative and policy levels.
The itinerary was packed with rich experiences, from sharing a meal of indigenous foods at the Intertribal Friendship House, to standing in a migrant farmworker camp as strawberry pickers shared their stories with us, to touring an almond farm to learn about sustainable agriculture and aquifer recharge practices, to meeting with the Governor’s Social Innovation team as they told us about their housing and employment policy work.
Partners loved the experience and expressed how transformational it was for them.
This trip was awesome. I really enjoyed it and was enriched by it. As I think about the portions that stood out, the farmworker meetings were tremendously impactful. I have never had a more powerful personal experience via SV2.
It was an awesome and amazing learning trip. The balance of get-proximate interactions and learning (presentations) sessions makes the trip effective and is aligned with immersive learning. I love traveling and learning with SV2 Partners and staff.
I find myself continually thinking about our journey, what we saw and heard. I think the overall experience has had a generative effect on my learning and expect that it will have the same effect for my giving.
We are thrilled that this first year was such a successful and impactful experience. We are already busy planning for our next Journey, and we hope you’ll join us. Stay tuned for more details coming later this year!