The ASCEND Journey to Family Well-being in a Digital Age

ASCEND is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing family well-being in the digital age. Together we learn, to connect and rehumanize.

ASCEND fundamentally shifts how we approach the learning, unlearning and relearning required to achieve family well-being in a digital age. We put families, and the experience of each family member (early childhood to grandparents), at the center of all we do.

Real transformation happens through direct, shared experience, which happens within individual families, among groups of families and at community level events to celebrate the rehumanizing needed to balance technology and whole-human well-being. The learning fuels the practice, and the practice brings the learning to life, in three integrated domains of life, work and learning.

Putting parents in charge is brave. Learning together is joyful. We’re starting with “how can we use AI to become better parents?”

Our core program, AI Parent Empowerment fosters social connectedness through simple, meaningful actions that strengthen relationships and improve health. Among Family Events are gatherings where groups of 8-10 families learn together over a 12-week period. These are led by ASCEND and Lead4Tomorrow. Within Family Activities take place in parents’ homes in between the Among Family Events.

A significant challenge motivating ASCEND’s work is parental anxiety about children’s futures amid rapid technological changes, especially AI. Surveys show 3 out of 4 of parents are worried about their child’s future with AI , and many feel schools aren’t adequately preparing their children, contributing to widespread stress that negatively affects employee productivity. Wellness programs addressing such stress show strong returns on investment.

The Power of Small Parent/Guardian Groups Engaged in Cultural and Creative Activities

Establishing small groups of parents and guardians who host cultural and creative activities in their homes and at community events outside of school can be a transformative strategy for overcoming barriers to participation, strengthening communication, and fostering meaningful engagement in the school alignment process.

ASCEND Community Events

Community events are celebrations, sharing what families have created, to build awareness and recruit new families to join. These two-day events take place four times a year and include public performances and workshops providing shared experiences that allow people to connect with the joy of creation and sharing of cultures.

Our work began as New Mexico FaCES (Family and Community Engagement Solutions) at the Taos Fandango in December 2022, shown in the video below:

Among family events involve 8-10 families who gather in homes on a regular basis for 12 week programs – Family Hui, learning positive parenting together; AI Parent Life, learning how to use AI to become better parents; Academy for Community Action, learning parent leadership to advocate for their children/families’ well-being. Like “book clubs” these take place in people’s homes as “pot-luck” dinners with childcare available.

Within family activities take place in each parent’s home, in between events. Every family will have access to software and online activities appropriate for all ages from early childhood to adult, including Together We Learn literacy (in English and Spanish), Artful Intelligence for creative expression and storytelling, and Workforce Words (in English and Spanish) for economic mobility in the trades (electrical, welding, carpentry, plumbing, automotive and others).

it is like a Green fire-triangle, within which the fires of creativity can be harnessed as beneficial fires. Being afraid of AI is like being afraid of fire rather than learning to use it safely, with respect and care.

By nurturing these parent-led groups, schools can transform engagement from passive attendance to active, empowered partnership – laying foundations for stronger alignment and greater student success that we call Green Spots.

Water the Green Spots

What are the green spots? Thirty years ago, Kurt Steinhaus gave me the best advice of any I’ve heard before or since:

“Water the green spots…those are places surrounded by harsh conditions that have worked together to grow. Water those places.”

We know that parents and their families are the beginning and foundation for community well-being. Connections among and within families become Green Spots. We learn together in groups of 8 to 10 people, on a regular basis, at various locations, including homes, libraries and other participating hosts.

We provide:

Small, culturally grounded parent groups to create safe, welcoming spaces that lower barriers to engagement and communication.
Creative activities to provide meaningful entry points for families who may not otherwise participate in traditional school events.
These groups amplify parent voices in the alignment process, ensuring that school initiatives reflect the real needs, strengths, and aspirations of the community.

Family and community engagement through shared experiences – Residencies, workshops, community projects, events, celebrations

ASCEND is launching in five communities to support parent empowerment. Activities rooted in local traditions and cultures validate families’ identities, making them feel seen and valued by the school community. This expands parent leadership and voice, as small groups empower parents to take on leadership roles, organize activities, and contribute to decision-making, which is essential for inclusive leadership and genuine alignment with community needs. This strengthens networks and partnerships, as creative and cultural gatherings build strong social networks among families, increasing collective efficacy and the capacity to advocate for shared goals.

We seek communities who are already developing partnerships across and inclusive of 100% of the community, and to begin conversations with interested partners to learn of their needs. In this way, we sustain and grow the Green Spots.

Our efforts are inspired by Kunal Dalal, a father who asked “how can I use AI to become a better parent?” and everything else grew from there.

Well-being and the Community Schools Six Pillars

While not every school is officially a “Community School” as recognized and supported by special funding, we believe every child should be in a school that lives up to the promises of the six pillars. The video below shows how ASCEND helps parents connect with these powerful practices.

Learning by DOing: Digital Opportunities

Durable Life Skills: STEAM for Life, Work, Learning

ASCEND is an example of Whole Human Learning, which harnesses the universal power of storytelling, connecting the full range of Social Emotional Life Skills (SELS) with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

Our place-based learning programs use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through storymaps, to help teams solve locally identified problems, in order to both Survive and Thrive in a digital age. Save Our Seniors is the immediate challenge we’re working on.

ASCEND connects SELS and STEAM for the entire community. We work as co-creators with the Human Intelligence Movement, maximizing human benefits from AI and digital technologies while protecting from its dangers.

The primary human threat we face (loss of connection) is why we begin with Unforgetting – Three Sisters Gratitude Project.

Our STEAM programs CARE

Connect, Activate, Recognize and Engage the talents of our communities to strengthen personal, family and community well-being and resilience

Our Family and Community Engagement work began in Taos supporting the Visiting Artists program, using storytelling to sustain language and culture.

Connect through Creating

Your Story is your Superpower – Social Emotional Life Skills bring stories to life, with power to:

Activate

Provide experiential learning opportunities to strengthen capacity for well-being in a digital age.

Recognize

the Power in Your Hands. Identify and explore how ASCEND can improve economic mobility and help reduce barriers to 10 vital services.

Engage

Collaborate with community schools’ families in “Learning by Doing” projects to reduce barriers to 10 vital community services

What we do:

ADVANCE Brave Spaces for communities of belonging, safety and care

BALANCE human and digital experiences and impacts to protect well-being

BRAID cultural wisdom, modern society and digital empowerment

CONNECT for intercultural, intergenerational creative expression and exchange

ELEVATE learners’ resilience, self-efficacy and well-earned confidence

MAKE meaning through storytelling, connecting people, place and purpose

CO-CREATE to Enact a world we want to live in.