All of us who love the Janeway Statue should take a moment to mark the sudden passing of Bill Burke. Bill was the first person we worked with at CBS, before we had any idea if they would be interested in the project. Bill was supportive from the start, had a good sense of humor, and guided us through the steps needed to get CBS onboard.
Bill left CBS before we finished, causing some unwarranted anxiety, but his early guidance made this all possible. Another person to whom we all owe so much.
Today we publicly announce that the Janeway Collective is its own, federally recognized, 501c3! While we have operated as a non-profit under our fiscal sponsors Artisan Alley, who we thank elsewhere, we are now independent and ready to carry on our mission: to maintain the monument, continue to promote the teaching of STEM, and to support and honor the achievements of all women in science and beyond.
Pursuing our mission in 2021 has been a challenge. Between all the work involved in this transition, social media problems that had to be resolved, cicadas everywhere for 6 weeks, and of course covid, The Collective has not been as active as we hoped to be. The monument stands, and as your pictures attest it has been enjoyed and appreciated by hundreds. We want it to be more than just a static tribute to a great person.
We will soon begin our the long hinted at membership system. We want to involve you more, and give away some swag, so for a small donation anyone can become a member of The Collective and get a voice in our decisions.
We have also put together an agreement with the Harmony School to collaborate on educational programming and related projects. Harmony’s mission is “prepare young people to live in and contribute to a heterogeneous democratic country … teach critical thinking and academic skills, nurture each student’s unique voice, all while promoting physical, social, emotional, and creative growth.” They are a natural partner.
Will there be activities or gatherings, such as an annual birthday party? We hope so, but that is something our Board, with the input of members, will decide in the coming months. And finally, did I mention swag? We will have a whole new selection of Janeway Monument items available that we know you will all love.
Onward we go. The Janeway Collective is reborn. Thank you all for joining us on the adventure so far, we look forward to being with you for years to come.
