Idealist Days in Chicago | Why Rose M. Pursues Dance With Her Community

Rose M. first discovered Idealist as a platform to explore and apply to nonprofit job opportunities over ten years ago. A long-term social-impact professional, Rose primarily pursued opportunities to work in affordable housing at a variety of nonprofits. After losing her most recent role due to funding cuts in the sector, she returned to Idealist to search for a new role, and discovered Idealist Days along the way.

"During a meeting with Ami, I learned anything could be an Idealist Day activity," Rose recalled. "That opened up so many possibilities."

Rose had already fallen in love with Zumba as a hobby, and experienced firsthand how music and movement brings people together. She immediately approached her local LA Fitness with a simple proposal: could they host a free community Zumba class as part of Idealist Days?

Now, Rose's Idealist Days events are filled with energy, laughter, and plenty of dancing. The latest class she helped organize welcomed 32 participants, each arriving for their own reasons but leaving the knowledge of Idealist’s mission to bring people in local communities closer together. They span languages, cultures, and neighborhoods, but they all love to try something new.

One of Rose’s favorite memories from Idealist Days came from an early event when the first song everyone learned to dance to was We Are the World.

"People are feeling pain everywhere, and I want them to leave the class feeling like they're healing," Rose said. "Music transcends language."

Forming connections with people across Chicago

Rose recently attended another Idealist Days participant's event in the suburbs of Chicago, where the two exchanged ideas and encouraged one another's projects. Now she's planning to introduce Idealist Days to even more neighborhoods, while expanding free Zumba classes to additional LA Fitness locations and parks.

"I think that everybody is yearning to connect,” Rose said.

One upcoming event will be hosted by Adela, an enthusiastic Zumba coach who has already begun offering free outdoor classes on her own because of Rose’s idea.

Idealist Days is a simple project inspired by an even simpler question—what is one thing you can do, once a month, to help build a better world in your community?

Rose's story is a reminder that creating community doesn't require a huge budget or a formal organization. Sometimes it starts with asking a local business for space, inviting a few neighbors, pressing play on a favorite song, and welcoming everyone onto the dance floor.

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If you’re wondering how to launch an Idealist Days group in your local community, here are a few steps to get started:

• Sign up to get involved in Idealist Days, and stay in touch by registering for the free Idealists in Action newsletter, sent monthly.
• Start small by gathering friends, co-workers, or family members to talk about how you can make a positive impact in your local community once a month on Idealist Days.
• As you grow, post your event on Idealist’s Global Calendar via Luma to invite others in your area to join you for projects.