Newsletter: July 2020

FutureMakers Partner Spotlight:

Nicole King-Smith, Ph.D

Dr. Nicole King-Smith is a FutureMaker who is constantly involved in our SWFL community and wears many hats as a passionate servant leader. Through her commitments, she currently serves on the Future Makers Equity Action team and Co-Chairs the Hospitality team. Dr. Nicole King-Smith currently trains hospitality professionals and organizations on how to achieve their desired customer service results as the Tourism Education Director for Lee County Visitor Convention Bureau. Dr. Nicole King-Smith is also the CEO and founder of NK Enterprise Consulting, LLC in which she trains professionals and consults organizations on how to achieve their desired results and overcome generational differences in their workplace culture. As an expert in her field, education is one of the many driving forces of Dr. King-Smith’s success; she is the first to successfully develop Keiser University’s Associates of Arts hospitality curriculum expanding it to four campuses throughout the state of Florida within three years.
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Upcoming FutureMakers Events

In-Person Conversations About Structural Racism and
Implicit Bias:

Virtual Equity & COVID-19 Conversation Series :

  • When racism goes viral: AAPI & COVID-19 – July 9, 12 pm Register
  • Current Issues in Higher Education – July 30, 2 pm Register

Courageous Conversations

Being part of our Equity conversations is a great way to engage with other FutureMakers in your community and learn about the effects of racism in our region. Learn more about these conversations by watching the recording of our most recent virtual conversation here .

Data

Education and Training After High School Key to Florida’s COVID-19 Recovery
Florida College Access Network conducted a survey to find more information on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Florida jobs. Since March, hundreds of thousands of workers in Florida have suffered from job loss, cut wages, or less hours. This data also shows how adults are affected differently based on their level of education. Not only has the employment of working age adults been affected, 25 percent of parents of high school students say their children’s plans after graduation have changed as a result of COVID-19.

Small Business Financial Outcomes During the Onset of COVID-19

In the weeks following the mandatory stay-at-home order that was put in place for states all over the country, people with nonessential jobs were unable to work and small businesses were closing. The businesses that were unable to reduce expenses facing the loss in revenue were adversely affected and forced to temporarily shut down. JPMorgan Chase & Co. conducted research on the economic downturn faced by many small businesses in America; four main findings regarding the financial health of these businesses are highlighted in this article, showing that small businesses throughout the country have been negatively affected by COVID-19.

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Looking for something to watch?

13th

This Netflix film explores the history of slavery and racial inequality in the United States. Although the 13 th amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery, there is a loophole within the amendment that legalizes forced labor as punishment of a crime. This documentary examines the effects this provision has had on people of color and how it has led to an unjust legal system.

Watch the trailer

What We Are Reading

Career Services that Students, and Employers, Need

Providing students with information they need about jobs, network access, résumé evaluation, and other services is incredibly important. The University of Maryland Global Campus has implemented these services into a program that could be very beneficial for students and their futures.

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What Anti-racist Teachers Do Differently

Teacher-student relationships are crucial to children’s success and development. This article examines how anti-racist educators recognize their Black students’ strengths and help them feel valued and recognized in the classroom.

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