The word twiga is Swahili for giraffe. From the beginning we recognized that we would be sticking our neck out as an organization promoting family-consciousness in the family, the workplace and in the community. So the giraffe became a symbol of that effort. The giraffe is a gentle animal that is very protective of its young. They are a symbol of love, friendship and flexibility. They often reflect a spiritual element as they rest in a yoga-like position for short periods during the day. As the tallest animal in the world the giraffe exemplifies having a vision of the past, present and future. The giraffe also has the largest heart of any land mammal. There is a tradition in parts of Africa where the symbol of a giraffe is always taken to a business meeting to remember to involve our heart as well as our heads when making important decisions.

Consciousness is defined as “the state of being conscious; awareness of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.” The mission of the Twiga Foundation is to inspire, promote and maintain a sense of family consciousness in the home, workplace and community. This mission is inspired by the realization that family is the core of our society and being fully conscious of the importance of the family structure, needs and dynamics is essential to build a workforce of the future and strengthen our communities.

Flexibility is a dynamic relationship between an employer and employee that defines how and when work gets done and how careers are organized that work for both. Ever since the term “family friendly workplaces” was coined, flexible work options (such as being able to take time off to address family matters, to work some regular hours at home, to change arrival and departure times at work, to move between part-time and full-time work, and so forth) have been thought of as benefits that employers may, or may not, choose to offer employees to help them manage their work as well as their personal or family lives.

Today, we have come to think about workplace flexibility differently. New research from the Sloan Foundation Work and Family Initiative shows that when employers and employees partner in finding flexible ways to work, both benefit. In other words, working flexibly can not only help employees manage their work and personal responsibilities, it can enhance workplace effectiveness and be a management strategy for employers as well. Aspects of workplace flexibility are measured in the Families and Work Institute’s 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce. Learn more...

The Twiga Foundation, Inc. has the exclusive license to produce and distribute BLOCK Fest™, a program designed to increase the development of pre-math and science skills through block play in children ages 8 months to 8 years. BLOCK Fest™ was developed by the University of Idaho’s Parents as Teachers program in 2005 in response to the demand for increased math and science skills in the workforce of the future. Research shows that children build math and science skills from the earliest years of life and that play provides a natural learning lab for such development. Block play offers this and a context for the development of the whole child including learning in the social, emotional, language, motor and cognitive domains.

The BLOCK Fest™ curriculum presents a blueprint for an exhibit of different blocks that provide the learning lab of block play and a parent handbook which describes the learning stages of block play. BLOCK Fest™ has enjoyed great success offering its curriculum to programs and communities in Idaho since2005. BLOCK Fest™ has Certified Trainers in California, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Washington state.

In 2006, BLOCK Fest™ was awarded the Losos Prize for Excellence by Parents as Teachers National Center. Most recently, BLOCK Fest™ was awarded the 2009 Excellence in Extension Award at their annual conference.