By Parisa Parsa, CEO

As the US finds its way to a ‘new normal’ in this seemingly endless pandemic, at Cortico we’ve been reflecting on what we’ve learned in our conversations over the past year. Many such reflections have been shared in real time as the public health situation unfolded – such as these posts from our Medium blog:

• Building the Empathy Muscle: Conversations with Early Childhood Educators
• Listening to Essential Workers in Reimagine Arkansas 
• How We Hear the World 
• We Can’t Return to Normal: Cortico Digital Town Hall

So much still needs to be heard, really listened to, and changed: reckoning with the legacy of racial injustice; the need for equitable access to quality health care, housing, education; continued concerns about the climate and mental health… the list is long. 

As we somewhat cautiously resume in-person gatherings, there is also so much to celebrate: the resiliency of our communities, the ways we found to stay connected and act on shared concerns, the possibilities for human flourishing that became urgent and pushed us to new innovations. 

We’re preparing with great enthusiasm for gathering conversations in person again, and we’re especially eager to continue the deep listening that has taken place over the past 18 months, surfacing priorities and possibilities for reimagining education, housing, community programs, civic engagement, oral history and holistic health outcomes. 

As we listen and learn, it is an honor to continue this work together.