Anja Thiessen calls the Mississippi Delta region "a place of perseverance and grit and resilience." As co-director of Spring Initiative in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Anja works to "empower young people to beat the odds, access the opportunities they deserve, and build successful, hopeful, and happy lives."
Mark 'River' Peoples believes in the Mississippi River’s power to heal, teach and inspire. It's why the Clarksdale, Mississippi canoe guide shares the river with underserved youth in the Delta region of Mississippi and Arkansas.
Utah's Escalante River is a place of respite for outfitter Nathan Waggoner. “It really recharges the soul to be out on the river and fishing," Nathan says. "It's a nice, calming place to be." Nathan's appreciation for the Escalante's natural beauty drives his concern about the environmental threat posed by the invasive Russian olive tree, which overtakes native riparian species and alters water flow and temperature on the river.
In just over 20 years, the global seafood sustainability movement has helped turn the tide against overfishing that has damaged or destroyed fisheries. Teresa Ish of the Walton Family Foundation explains how seafood companies that once paid little heed to sustainability are embracing the pressing need for fisheries reforms, recognizing they can’t sell fish if there are none to catch.
Performance measures play an important role in grantmaking – to help grantees and the Walton Family Foundation understand if goals have been achieved during the grant period. In this video, grantees will learn how to establish performance measures, which can determine the success of project and provide valuable learnings along the way.
