What is Inspiring Involvement about?
This is a joint effort of two women to share inspiring ways to meet the needs of people & global issues.👩👧
As a four-year-old, Karin aspired to be a pirate. Seeking far-away lands in search of hidden treasures seemed to be the ideal life. Karin was motivated to discover and create with a deep interest in other cultures and foreign lands. As an adult, Karin has lived 20+ years internationally.🎨 Through many career endeavors, Karin has found joy when she can be creative and make a difference.
Years later, young Elena answered, “A garden,” when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. 🌱Today she grows ideas & solutions in the garden of her mind, motivated to use her life to improve the lives of others. As a third-culture-kid, Elena has grown up in Asia and has the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with people from around the world. 🌏
For Karin (Mama) and Elena (妹妹, mèimei, “little sister” in Mandarin), they find joy in finding creative solutions, like design thinking, to address needs and opportunities both near and far. 🌈 They currently call the dynamic city of Shanghai, China “home.”
Our “Why”
⭐ Our mission
To encourage change-maker families to use their talents and interests to creatively serve others and address the deep needs of the world in love.
We believe that each person, young and old, is uniquely created with a purpose to engage in the deep needs of the world in transformational ways. 🦋
Micah 6:8 (NIV) “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Proverbs 3:27 (NIV) “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.“
Mark 12:30-31 (NIV) “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Karin
With a passion for cross-cultural experiences, Karin has lived and worked in Norway, Japan, Indonesia, and China and has traveled internationally to nearly 40 countries.
She has worked in a variety of roles and leadership positions, including teaching English, writing mission education materials, coordinating service learning and educational travel, facilitating creative solutions, and executive coaching. She earned a MS in Educational Psychology and holds a number of professional certifications. Karin and her husband, Eric, are proud parents to two children and felt led to raise them internationally. Karin is motivated by her Christian faith and is inspired by creative activities and exploring new ideas through which she seeks to make a difference in the world. This website and social enterprise venture with her daughter is a dream come true.
Elena
Elena is a true “third-culture kid” or TCK, with her first passport photo taken at 11 days old and moving overseas at two months old!
Through attending an international school, Elena has enjoyed educators from many countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines, the United States, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Canada, Australia, Greece & China. She counts her friends from these places and more.
Elena enjoys all subjects and is active in school activities–basketball, softball, playing double bass in orchestra, as a student ambassador, and in various service projects.
She’s been inducted into the National Honor Society and the Chinese (language) Honor Society. Elena is keen to apply learning to real-world endeavors and is interested in pursuing a career in social entrepreneurship.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s true, we all have struggles that can feel overwhelming. Don’t underestimate the power of small acts of kindness that you can offer to others. You can make someone’s day in simple ways. Your unique perspective and abilities can be a blessing to others when you reach out in kindness. You matter and you can make a difference!
No hands are too small to make a difference. Your children can gain empathy in a variety of ways. Your conversations help little ones understand the perspective of others. When you read stories together, try to understand the feelings of the characters. Affirm your child’s desire to respond in love when seeing someone in need.
Not at all. Concern and care for the needs of humanity is an awareness and worldview, that can shape decisions and actions right at home. “Think globally, act locally.” Patrick Geddes
In 2015, the United Nations identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to “end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere” by the year 2030. These 17 goals provide a framework for understanding and addressing the challenges of today without compromising future generations.
Why get involved with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals?
Love your neighbor. Be kind. Sharing is caring…. There are many ways in which we can think about making a positive difference. Some problems are obvious and the solutions are clear or easily accomplished. Other problems are too large for one person to solve or the problem is widespread.
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) provides a framework for understanding, and responding to, global issues to “end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere.”
For younger changemakers, the “Good Life Goals” provides the concepts in easier-to-understand language and examples. The SDGs help us to identify the problems that exist, which is a starting place for being able to bring our ideas, talents, and skills needed to make a difference.