Orbit
Welcome to Orbit
The latest news and events aligned with our mission and values. Orbit will keep you informed about current happenings and opportunities.
While The Collective focuses on deeper strategic conversations and collaborative work, Orbit serves as your go-to for essential upcoming public events.
Explore Orbit to stay connected on the ground.
Improving Access to State Tax Credits through Research to Action
Join Maryland comptroller Brooke Lierman, Urban Institute president Sarah Rosen Wartell, and leading experts as we discuss how changemakers can get income-boosting state tax benefits into the hands of all eligible residents. Speakers will share where they see gaps between policy and practice, what has changed in 2025, and which outreach, community engagement, and tax filing supports may be most promising going forward.
This event, hosted by the Urban Institute in collaboration with the Comptroller of Maryland, will serve as a capstone to the Helping Maryland Connect Underserved Residents to Crucial State Tax Credits initiative, a research and policy project aimed at connecting underserved residents to Maryland’s largest income tax credits.
To register for this hybrid event, please click here.
Event Details:
Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET
Check-in and lunch at 12:00 p.m. ETKeynote Conversation: Brooke Lierman, Comptroller of Maryland and Sarah Rosen Wartell, President, Urban Institute (moderator)
Speakers:
Aravind Boddupalli, Senior Research Associate, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
Simone Brody, Special Projects Fellow, New Practice Lab, New America
Luisa Godinez-Puig, Senior Research Associate, Urban Institute
Robin McKinney, Cofounder and CEO, CASH Campaign of Maryland
2026 PolicyLink Summit - We Are The Founders | Writing the Unfinished Story of Our Democracy
This nation was founded under the revolutionary idea that all are created equal. It is now, when the limitations of our nearly 250 years of governing are coming to a breaking point, that we must take up the unfulfilled promise of the nation, and redesign our country to truly serve all. In 2026, PolicyLink will bring people together to write this next chapter of our democracy—and to declare with our voices and our actions: We Are the Founders.
At this critical moment, we will come together to stake our claim to a future where all people can thrive—boldly advancing a blueprint for a nation that at last serves all. From our legal and regulatory systems to federal agencies, state and local governments, and beyond, we will reimagine and redesign how this nation serves its people. And we will do it the way we always have—through an unforgettable experience of building community, sharing wisdom, and being lifted by joy.
Baratunde Thurston, an Emmy-nominated storyteller, producer, and thought leader, will emcee this event.
To register, please click here.
When: August 24, 2026 to August 28, 2026
Where: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center | 201 Waterfront Street, Oxon Hill, MD 20745
Home of the Brave: a compilation of documentary shorts on urgent social issues
Join us to celebrate DOC NYC’s first ever collaboration! DOC NYC is partnering with Creatively Speaking, a program of the New School’s Institute on Race, Power & Political Economy to present HOME OF THE BRAVE, a powerful program of five documentary shorts exploring urgent social issues shaping America today.
From legal justice and life after incarceration to progressive education and compassionate healthcare, these stories of grassroot activism showcase individuals and communities working to create meaningful change.
To RSVP for this free event, please click here.
Address: Tishman Auditorium at The New School - 63 Fifth Ave at 14th Street
Backsliding on Child Protections: The Return of Child Labor in the U.S.
In a wave of rollbacks, at least 10 states have passed laws to restrict child labor protections in the last couple of years. Today, children as young as 13 are working grueling jobs that put their health, safety, and development at risk — in meatpacking plants, warehouses, and tobacco fields instead of schools. Migrant children especially are at risk of being exploited. Over the last several years, there have been numerous reports about children being seriously injured or killed working in incredibly dangerous conditions.
In this discussion — hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program on November 19 — we’ll explore how we arrived at the current landscape of child labor; what it means in the current context; and how we can protect children moving forward and explore what policymakers, child advocates, and labor advocates can do to address weakening child protections.
Speakers: Yesenia Cuello (NC Field), Ron Estrada (Farmworker Justice), Reid Maki (National Consumers League), Jennifer Sherer (Economic Policy Institute), Charlie Wishman (AFL-CIO), Kristina Cooke (Reuters)
To rsvp for this webinar on November 19, from 2 to 3:30 pm, please click here.
Marking 90 Years of Unemployment Insurance
Join the National Academy of Social Insurance and friends for a reception and programming to mark the 90th anniversary of Unemployment Insurance! Together, we'll reflect on the program's origins, its essential role in stabilizing the economy and supporting workers, and the opportunities ahead to strengthen UI for the next generation.
Speakers: Michele Evermore, Senior Fellow, National Academy of Social Insurance | Rachet West, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation | Rebecca Dixon, President & CEO, National Employment Law Project | Amy Simon, Head, Labor & Workforce Solutions, LexisNexis Risk Solutions | Portia Wu, Maryland Secretary of Labor
To get tickets for this free event, please click here.
Address: National Press Club, 529 14th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20045
A Road-Map for Ensuring Workers' Economic Security and Expanding the Middle Class
Join us for a conversation led by Community Advocates Public Policy Institute Senior Fellow David Reimer as he discusses his recently released research report, “How a Work-Based Policy Package Can Reduce US Poverty.”
In this presentation, sponsored by Community Advocates Public Policy Institute’s Member Network, Reimer will explore how the policy package can greatly increase employment, earnings, and income, thus ensuring workers’ and retirees’ economic security and expanding the middle class. A Q&A will follow.
This discussion is free and all are welcome to attend in person or via Zoom. Registration is required at the link HERE.
Greater Milwaukee Foundation | 2153 N. Dr. MLK Jr Drive, #4000, Milwaukee, WI 53212
Cradle to Capital: Philanthropy's Role in Advancing Baby Bonds and Early Wealth-Building Tools
Baby bonds—publicly funded, race-conscious trust accounts for children—are gaining momentum as a powerful tool to help families build assets from birth and chart more self-determined, prosperous futures. Join the Asset Funders Network and The New School's Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy as we debut the release of Cradle to Capital: A Case for Philanthropy to Invest in Baby Bonds.
To register for this webinar, please click here.
Speakers:
Joseph Antolin, President and CEO, Asset Funders Network
Darrick Hamilton, Henry Cohen Professor of Economics and Urban Policy, The New School Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy, AFL-CIO
Megan Elkins, Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Kate Reeves, Director, The Connecticut Project
Aspen Ideas: Economy
Aspen Ideas: Economy is an essential forum designed to bring the public into direct conversation with leaders, scholars, and innovators whose perspectives and decisions are shaping our economic future.
The Thing About Falling by Tarriona "Tank" Ball
Join us at Lost City Books as Tarriona “Tank” Ball, New Orleans-based slam poet and Grammy-winning recording artist, as she discusses her book, The Thing About Falling.
After getting “vulnerable AF” on her 2021 book tour, Tank realized she was truly ready to move on from her first love. In The Thing About Falling, she writes about that experience as well as what followed—a period of shallow comfort, followed by a much deeper transformation.
To RSVP for this free event, please click here.
Lost City Books | 2467 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Writing an Op-Ed | Aspen Institute
In the Aspen Institute’s Writing an Op-Ed instructional webinar, participants will learn how to draft an op-ed — or any kind of opinion piece, whether in print or digital media — in order to advance a broader goal of policy change. An effective op-ed requires having a clear point, an understanding of your audience, and the unique voice of the writer. This webinar will go into the basics for achieving all of those points, as well as discuss strategies for pitching an op-ed to media stakeholders to reach the audiences that matter most for impacting policy.
To register for this event, please click here.
October 15, 2025 | 12pm - 1pm EST
22nd Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference
The conference will feature thoughtful policy and legal analysis and discussion from leading experts, policymakers, attorneys, advocates, and more.
Policy 101 from the Aspen Institute
Join the Aspen Institute’s webinar to learn the basics of the policy process. This program will teach you how to think about policy expansively, and introduce you to a framework for understanding how to change policy on the issues you care about. It also gives an overview of the six steps of policy impact.
To register, please click here.
October 8, 2025 | 2pm - 3pm EST
Advancing Callin In: A Four Week Course
Advancing Calling In is a four week course, meeting twice a week to dive deeper into Calling In; loosely themed chats with Loretta J. Ross and team that establish community through experiences, stories, and questions.
Advancing Calling In will build on Calling In with a deeper emphasis on interactivity and focus on technique, as well as solid grounding within the context of the human rights movement.
To sign up for this course, please click here.
Course Schedule ($20 total for all four weeks; $5 for the first week only):
FOUR Tuesdays | 7pm-9pm EST | October 7, 14, 21, and 28
FOUR Thursdays | 7pm-9pm EST | October 9, 16, 23, and 30
Financial Well-Being and Wealth Among Young Adults
To help policymakers and practitioners better understand the challenges and opportunities for young adults, the Urban Institute’s Early Life Wealth Building Learning Community is inviting researchers, implementation partners, and experts from existing programs to come together.
The event will focus on understanding the financial health and wealth of young adults in America. We will uplift research across Urban related to young adults’ financial health and well-being, including intergenerational wealth transfers, debt, barriers to wealth building, and long-term projections for national changes in household wealth.
Check-in begins at 1:30 p.m. A networking reception will follow the program, concluding at 5:00 p.m.
To register for this hybrid event, please click here.
Urban Institute (500 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC, 20024)
How to Tell Governments What You Think | Aspen Institute
Governments work for the people, so it’s important for government officials to hear from ordinary citizens what we think about what they are doing. Yet most of us don’t know how to effectively share our opinions with governments.
Join the Aspen Policy Academy from the Aspen Institute to learn how to tell government actors across all branches of government what you think about their ideas. This program will teach you broad principles for communicating to policymakers, as well as specific tips for sharing your opinions with Congress, executive branch officials, and even the courts.
To register, please click for this virtual event, please click here.
September 24, 2025 | 12pm - 1pm EST
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 54th Annual Legislative Conference
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 54th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) is the leading policy conference on issues impacting African Americans and the diaspora.
Book Launch: The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid
Award-winning researcher, speaker, and writer Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyemen is releasing her new book, The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid, at a critical moment when research and advocacy on the advancement of women of color are needed more than ever.
Book Talk with Professor Royal C. Gardner
Join Professor Royal Gardner as he discusses his new book, Waters of the United States: POTUS, SCOTUS, WOTUS, and the Politics of a National Resource, published by the Island Press.
Opening Reception for "Solace & Sisterhood"
Join us at the David C. Driskell Center for the opening reception of the “Solace & Sisterhood” exhibition which brings the powerful dynamic of sisterhood to the forefront by showcasing the work of three contemporary Black female artists: Lavett Ballard, Amber Robles-Gordon, and Evita Tezeno. Guest curated by Dr. Lauren Davidson, this show explores the depth of Black sisterhood, highlighting the strength, resilience, and bond that unite these women.
To register for this free event, please click here.
The David C. Driskell Center | 4095 Union Lane #1214 College Park, MD 20742
Thursday, September 11 | 3pm - 6pm
Fixing the Immigration System to Strengthen the United States
The Trump administration’s cruel assaults against immigration and the rule of law have been turbocharged by congressional Republicans’ recently passed reconciliation bill—the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—gifting the administration dramatically increased funding to further weaponize their harmful immigration agenda.
Join CAP for a timely conversation with Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) and CAP President and CEO Neera Tanden on solutions to actually fix our immigration system and strengthen border security.
To RSVP for this online and in-person event, please click here.
Event Details:
Center for American Progress (1333 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20005)
9:30am - 9:35am: Opening remarks by Debu Gandhi, Senior Director
9:35am - 10:30am: Panel Discussion with Neera Tanden, President and CEO, and Reps. Escobar, Suozzi, and Fernández.
The Future of Equal Opportunity, featuring Stacey Abrams
Join us to hear our esteemed panel to explore the implementation of equal opportunity, emerging challenges, and the strategies needed to protect and strengthen opportunity in the American workplace.
Why Gender-Based Violence Is an Economic Issue
Gender-based abuse and violence has a deep impact on the economic security and financial prosperity of women and their families. Join us to learn how we can uplift both challenges and solutions.
The Algorithm Will See You Now: Policy Essentials for AI in Healthcare
Health policy leaders will convene to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on healthcare.
Future of R&D Infrastructure
Hear from experts assessing the future of research and development infrastructure.
What Does Well-Being Mean for Black Men and Boys in the US?
Presenting key experiences and research findings from communities across the country.
Future of Automation Workshop
Sharing key insights outlining potential trends, disruptions, and opportunities to inform and guide science and technology policy at both state and federal levels.
Healing Traumatic Stress Through Embodied AwarenessA Workshop With Licia Sky
Join somatic educator and Co-founder and Global Ambassador of the Trauma Research Foundation, Licia Sky, to learn a gentle process of listening to bodily sensations that incorporates orienting, focusing attention, breath, sound, and movement.
The Juneteenth Celebration - DC (Volunteer)
DPR is excited to invite you to volunteer at our annual Juneteenth Celebration event, taking place on Saturday, June 21st at Franklin Park (address: 1332 I St NW, Washington, DC 20005).
2025 AMA Marketing and Public Policy Conference
Join leaders in academia and government to explore evidence-based knowledge and co-create impactful policy solutions through marketing innovation.
Children’s Legacy Theatre presents: “Fannie Lou Hamer - Until I’m Free” play
Children’s Legacy Theatre, Inc. creates theater experiences that educate and challenge young people and their communities. Our mission is to inspire teens to explore, think and connect, through imaginative theater, to other people and ideas using inductive reasoning. Come join us to celebrate Juneteenth.
2nd Annual Juneteenth Community Day - VA
Honor and celebrate the strength, determination, resilience and integrity of those who weathered in the pursuit of liberation and freedom!
Located in Arlington, VA.
What’s Next? Discover Meaningful Work in Financial Services
If you’re navigating a career transition or looking to connect with high level professionals in the DMV - this event is designed with you in mind.