{"id":739,"date":"2025-09-02T09:17:33","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T13:17:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/?page_id=739"},"modified":"2025-09-25T13:45:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T17:45:02","slug":"growing-hope","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/growing-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing Hope award"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alert has-light-green-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center arrow has-small-font-size\">Announcing the Inaugural&nbsp;<em>Growing Hope Award<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns sidebar is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"is-style-intro\">Honoring the Legacy of Professor Richard \u201cDick\u201d Ford<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each fall, the Clark University community will present the&nbsp;<em>Growing Hope Award<\/em>&nbsp;to an outstanding individual who exemplifies the values, work, integrity, and ethics of the late Professor Dick Ford. This award recognizes an individual with strong ties to Clark\u2014whether as faculty, staff, alumni, or student\u2014who carries forward Dick\u2019s mission of community-led, sustainable international development, e.g. the idea that communities themselves are in the best position to understand and address the challenges that they face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\">About Professor Dick Ford<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Joined Clark in 1968 after formative work as a visiting professor at the University of Natal, South Africa.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Co-founded Clark\u2019s International Development, Community, and Environment (IDCE) Department\u2014now called Sustainability and Social Justice\u2014a visionary interdisciplinary department that focuses on training supporting students to work in partnership with communities to solve pressing global problems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pioneered&nbsp;<em>Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)<\/em>&nbsp;\u2013 a bottom-up approach empowering rural and urban communities in Africa, Asia, and the U.S., including Worcester, MA and Lewiston, Maine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Believed \u201cthe efforts of the few can lift the circumstances of the many.\u201d His work emphasized empowering women and local leadership.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remembered personally as \u201cMutua\u201d in Kenya\u2014\u201cthe one who had come to dwell among them\u201d\u2014and admired for his humility and lasting bonds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Dick\u2019s legacy resonates through generations of Clark students, alumni and community partners around the world, including those working in youth leadership, international development, and grassroots organizing. His vision of participatory development continues to shape the mission and vision of the department of Sustainability and Social Justice and its global network of scholars and development practitioners.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\">About the Growing Hope Award<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Purpose<\/strong>: To honor and sustain the spirit of Dick Ford\u2019s life\u2019s work\u2014grounded in participatory development, cross-cultural collaboration, and community empowerment, and to recognize changemakers who are aligned with Dick\u2019s vision of global engagement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eligibility<\/strong>: Individuals with meaningful ties to Clark University (students, alumni, faculty, staff, community partners in the US or abroad) who are working to advance community-driven development, self-reliance, social justice, environmental sustainability, or education. While projects may be based anywhere in the world, special consideration is given to work with international communities\u2014particularly in African countries\u2014reflecting Dick Ford\u2019s lifelong commitment to participatory, locally led change in global contexts. Eligible nominees demonstrate a commitment to approaches that empower communities to define and lead their own solutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Criteria<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Demonstrated use of participatory or community-centered approaches that build local capacity and leadership, enabling people to shape their own development priorities and achieve lasting self-reliance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A track record of collaborating with communities that have historically had limited access to resources or voice in shaping their future\u2014including women, youth and diverse cultural groups.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commitment to sustainable, grassroots-driven change&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Embodiment of Dick Ford\u2019s humility, integrity, and global-mindedness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\">Award Timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Nominations Open<\/strong>: March 1<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Submission Deadline<\/strong>: May 30<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Selection Committee<\/strong>: Chaired by the Department of Sustainability and Social Justice and the Ford family<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Award Ceremony<\/strong>: Held at Clark each fall\u2014a celebration of hope, community, and legacy. The award winner will be invited to campus to give a Growing Hope talk, interact with students, and attend a celebratory reception.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\">Call for Nominations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We invite the Clark community\u2014students, alumni, faculty, staff\u2014to help identify exceptional role models whose work reflects Dick Ford\u2019s transformative ethos. To make a nomination, please submit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A nomination letter (maximum 2 pages) outlining how the nominee reflects Dick Ford\u2019s values and legacy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The candidate\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 or CV.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supporting documents (publications, project plans, testimonials, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Please send all materials by&nbsp;<strong>May 30<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Growing Hope Award Committee<\/strong><br>Email: <a href=\"mailto:ssj@clarku.edu\">ssj@clarku.edu<\/a><br>cc: <a href=\"mailto:efoley@clarku.edu\">Ellen Foley<\/a>, Professor and Chair, Department of Sustainability and Social Justice<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\">Keeping the Flame Alive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By celebrating individuals who champion participatory, community-driven change, the&nbsp;<em>Growing Hope Award<\/em> ensures that Dick Ford\u2019s compassionate approach continues to inspire generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For questions<\/strong>&nbsp;about the nomination process or award, please contact Ellen Foley or the Department of Sustainability and Social Justice. Alumni are also invited to share personal reflections on Dick Ford\u2019s influence by <a href=\"mailto:efoley@clarku.edu\">emailing Professor Foley<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-group boxout has-light-warm-gray-background-color has-background is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-12dd3699 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>The Growing Hope Award<\/strong>\u2014honoring the legacy of a man whose belief in the power of the many to transform the world lives on in each nominee and honoree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.givecampus.com\/campaigns\/59762\/donations\/new?designation=departmentofsustainabilityandsocialjustice&amp;a=10926556\">Give to support the award<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"767\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/dick-ford-767x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Dick Ford with colleagues\" class=\"wp-image-832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/dick-ford-767x1024.jpg 767w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/dick-ford-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/dick-ford-768x1026.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/dick-ford-1150x1536.jpg 1150w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/84\/dick-ford.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Professor Dick Ford, photographed in 2010.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Announcing the Inaugural&nbsp;Growing Hope Award Honoring the Legacy of Professor Richard \u201cDick\u201d Ford Each fall, the Clark University community will present the&nbsp;Growing Hope Award&nbsp;to an outstanding individual who exemplifies the values, work, integrity, and ethics of the late Professor Dick Ford. This award recognizes an individual with strong ties to Clark\u2014whether as faculty, staff, alumni, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-739","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Growing Hope award | Sustainability and Social Justice | Clark University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/sustainability-social-justice\/growing-hope\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Growing Hope award\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Announcing the Inaugural&nbsp;Growing Hope Award Honoring the Legacy of Professor Richard \u201cDick\u201d Ford Each fall, the Clark University community will present the&nbsp;Growing Hope Award&nbsp;to an outstanding individual who exemplifies the values, work, integrity, and ethics of the late Professor Dick Ford. 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