SPARK

Discoveries, innovations, and insights that illuminate the future of the built environment

Bounded optimism

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Back in 2014, in a move that delighted reporters, bloggers and railfans alike, Amtrak started to offer free traveling residencies to writers. I’ll admit to the temptation to apply. I, too, love what writer Jessica Gross, on Amtrak’s “trial run” for the program, described as the “sense of safety, borne of boundaries” that comes from train travel, finding myself calmed by the erasure of uncertainty.

What to make of boundaries? Read any advice column and you’ll learn that boundaries are set to wall us off from the intrusions of others. Healthy relationships require you to respect your own boundaries, they write, and those of others.

But boundaries are more than ramparts for our hearts. They can also connect us and, in the case of a recent community engagement program, allow us to serve others.

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Mission statements

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Pictured at center and at right during McKinstry community service projects, Kevin Lynn is McKinstry’s community relations specialist.

I recently hosted an Airbnb guest who aimed to visit all 59 national parks by the time she turned 25. She knocked off another three during her stay with us, bringing her total to well over half by age 21.

When I asked why, she explained that she felt a deep sense of awe every time she sat in one of our national parks. It was almost a religious experience, she said. Her journey was a pilgrimage.

All missions are deeply personal. Excellence, power, family, the environment—our private Polaris guides us through the tangle of choices we must make each day.

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Supporting students, STEM and our communities

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It’s no surprise to educators that providing a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) creates long-term positive benefits for students as they prepare to join the workforce.

In the past 10 years alone, STEM jobs have grown three times faster than non-STEM jobs. A strong workforce, in turn, strengthens local communities. McKinstry believes that the private sector has an important role to play in supporting these advancements in education, and we have a long history of putting that commitment into action in our communities through investments of our time, talents and resources.

We care about the future of today’s students, and we want to see the next generation succeed. That’s why we’re dedicated to creating opportunities for students from all backgrounds. So, what do we do?

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