Charley thought about the box of dominoes he had received. To him they symbolized a challenge to leave a lasting legacy. He wanted to start other domino chain reactions but realized his time was short.
What he decided to do was engage 10 young people across the country in understanding what it takes to make a difference. He decided to call this program the Domino Challenge. The young people selected would be supported financially, but more importantly they would be guided by Charley and their peers in thinking about the first domino they needed to push.
There were two parts to the application:
- A description of a societal area of concern where they could make a difference
- A video of a domino chain reaction they created. Charley included this as an evaluation of the dual traits of creativity and persistence.
Charley didn’t have the full plan for how the internships would work but he envisioned both in-person and virtual gatherings. While Charley believed that one person could make a difference, he also believed that change makers have a lot they can learn from each other.
The 10 selected interns were from across the country and represented a true diversity of perspectives on societal needs. The 10 young people selected were:
Joyce: She grew up in an inner city environment and wanted to impact how mothers-to-be are cared for emotionally as well as physically.
Audra: She was raised on a farm and wanted to impact the survival rate of family farms.
Josh: He came from an affluent family and wanted to reduce the relationship gaps between those of privileged and those who lacked essential support.
Connor: He was a gifted athlete and wanted to use his athletic talent and recognition to revitalize the HBCU educational institutions across the country.
Kaylin: She came from a part of the country where neighborhoods were losing their identities. She wanted to reestablish a sense of community.
Beaux: He came from a part of the country being ravaged by climate disasters. He wanted to create a young people’s climate crusade.
Peyton: She came from a state where the rights of women were being eroded. She wanted to create a women’s bill of rights.
Alan: He came from a part of the country which had lost its manufacturing base. He wanted to create an entrepreneurial base of renewal.
Lynn: She had seen many of her classmates fail to continue their educations because of a lack of financial support. She wanted to increase access to education for all.
Austin: He had extensive experience with nursing homes and knew of the loneliness that was so devastating to residents. He wanted to create an adoption program for lonely seniors.
Charley was excited about the interns he had selected and couldn’t wait to meet them. Before they met for the first time, he wanted to see what they thought about making a difference. To do this he would share with them the stories of difference makers and engage them in discussions of what it takes to create a societal domino chain reaction for societal change.
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“The word synergy comes from the Greek sin-ergo, meaning, to work together. It describes a mutually supportive atmosphere of trust, where each individual element works towards its own goals, and where the goals may be quite varied; nevertheless, because all elements of a synergetic system support one another, they also support the whole.” – R. Buckminister Fuller (architect, futurist)