November at CAPUP
- What’s New?
- Team Highlight
- How Can I Get Involved?
What’s New?!
That’s a wrap on our Community Listening Sessions!
Every three years, CAPUP conducts a comprehensive, asset-based Community Needs Assessment to better understand the strengths, challenges, and opportunities across our region. This process helps us evaluate how well our local service ecosystem is supporting individuals and families across six key pillars of economic mobility. We’ve spent the last month gathering insights through public data, community surveys, and local listening sessions. These conversations have grounded our understanding in real stories and lived experiences—your experiences.
We look forward to utilizing this data to create pathways that support lasting economic mobility. For everyone who came out, donated Thanksgiving Fixins, or helped us market these events, we are so GRATEFUL!
After the holidays, we look forward to connecting with our local service providers to hear their input as well! Until then, eat lots of turkey and enjoy time with your loved ones!
Team Highlight
Meet Dakota Camp, Project Discovery Coordinator
- I am a Project Discovery (PD) Coordinator. At PD, we assist students in ensuring they are college and career ready. Although I am originally from Flint, Michigan, I have been calling Richmond home since 2021. I am a Christian and this motivates me in everything I do. Currently, I’m most looking forward to getting married in February (woot, woot!). I enjoy spending time with my fiancée, competition shooting, and getting to know/serve new people. I’m always excited to learn new things and gain practical skills, such as fixer upper strategies for my new home.
- At Project Discovery, many of our students are aiming to be first generation college students while others pursue trades, military and/or direct workforce options. We focus on educating students about their opportunities and developing essential life and professional skills (i.e. public speaking, interview skills, conflict resolution, FAFSA navigation, etc). Striving to ensure that all of our students gain economic mobility, we help them build an actionable post-secondary plan to secure a living-wage job. Some of my favorite moments have been attending college tours with our students, getting to know my student’s individual career choices, networking with colleges and employers, hosting mock interviews, and facilitating fun, engaging activities that are matched with an educational component.
- One of my favorite stories is how one of our students recently expressed interest in pursuing a psychology degree. As is common for our students, she was having a hard time choosing between three colleges. I reached out to each school’s Department of Psychology, gave her their contact information, and facilitated a conversation between one school’s Chair of the Department of Psychology. The gentleman has personally offered to speak with her and educate her on their program, giving our student an exceptional opportunity to assess the feel and offerings of their college and compare them to her other options.
The best way to continue ensuring our students are connected to living-wage jobs is by emailing us with any career and educational opportunities and/or signing up to share your expertise as a mock interviewer with our students. You can reach out to Dakota at dcamp@capup.org or click the button below.