Course Outline

Module 0 - Introducing the course

An introduction to the course, themes, learning objectives and structure.

0.1 - Themes, Goals & Learning Objectives

0.2 - How to get the most out of the experience

0.3 - Team, Disclaimer and Closing

Module 1 - Wellbeing, Complexity and Systemic Change

By the end of this module you will have a clearer understanding of systems, systemic change, the importance of wellbeing for systemic change, and an understanding of your current wellbeing status, including any challenges that you would like to address.

1.1 - A Systemic Change Story

1.2 - Introduction to Complicated and Complex Systems

1.3 - Wellbeing

1.4 - The 8 Domains of Wellbeing

1.5 - The Wellbeing Wheel

1.6 - Social Determinants of Health

1.7 - Wrapping Up

Module 2 - The Nervous System and Wellbeing

Having some background about the connection between wellbeing, leadership and systemic change, we introduce you to the central role of the nervous system. By the end of this module, you will understand the role the nervous system plays in effective leadership, the importance of working with your nervous system, and how to identify and regulate the state of your nervous system. You will practice using some simple tools so that you are more consistently able to function from a settled, grounded and, therefore, more effective state.

2.1 - We all get triggered sometimes

2.2 - Safety, Threat and The Body

2.3 - How the nervous system works

2.4 - Polyvagal Theory

2.5 - Polyvagal theory part 2: The top of the ladder

2.6 - Polyvagal theory part 3: The next levels down

2.7 - When We Feel Safe

2.8 - Tools for Self-Regulation

Module 3 - Relationship & Conversation

With some understanding and tools for regulating the nervous system and cultivating greater resilience, we move into how we can bring that grounding and resilience into the substance of our work. By the end of this module, you will recognize that relationship is a core foundation of leadership, and gain tools to enhance the quality and effectiveness of those relationships. You will also understand and gain some practice in the kind of listening that supports cultivating trust, the key to working together effectively.

3.1 - Trust

3.2 - Conversations: Speaking

3.3 - Conversations: Listening

3.4 - Wrapping Up

Innovations in Financial Wellbeing, Resilience, and Freedom

To combat the economic instability facing a growing number of Americans and to empower vulnerable populations to achieve financial security, BNY Mellon and Ashoka partnered in 2018 to launch a national social innovation challenge, “Unlocking ₵hange: Innovations for Financial Wellbeing, Resilience, and Freedom.” 

The results were inspiring. People from 44 states across the U.S. shared 114 solutions for financial wellbeing from over 44 states across the U.S., providing support and services to a diverse spectrum of under-served communities.  

Submissions ranged from early-stage ideas to established programs with years of demonstrated results, but all share a commitment to expanding financial wellbeing to under-served communities and have exciting potential to scale their impact.  

After a close examination of these ideas, six distinct trends emerged among the most innovative solutions. These trends indicate a shift from the status quo and demonstrate a change in the mindsets, relationships, and resources traditionally associated with financial wellbeing:
 

  1. Prize Good Financial Behaviors
  2. School Financial Education
  3. Leverage the Local
  4. Base on Place
  5. Reimagine Community to Capital
  6. Support Small Business for Big Impact  

The purpose of this report is to celebrate the ingenuity and innovative ideas of the Challenge’s foremost social entrepreneurs, hold up their ideas as best-in-class examples for others to consider and incorporate into their work and invite collaborations that advance the field of financial wellbeing. The report also aims to be an instructive resource for practitioners, funders, and others who work in this space, highlighting the value of programs adapted for and tailored to the needs of communities and individuals in the greatest need. 

⬇️ Read the report below: