Maximizing Community Engagement

Maximizing Community Engagement was the title of our tele-learning event with host Donna Jean Forster from Tamarack Institute last week. Much to our shock and delight - we broke the record with the highest registrations to date.  So what is it about Community Engagement that has struck a chord with people across North America? Why are people so eager to connect and learn about this topic?  Is there something about where we are socially that calls out for a renewed interest or deeper learning about how to engage with others?

Let's start with a few definitions of what community engagement is...

Put simply, community engagement is the process of involving people in decisions that affect them. This can mean involving communities in the planning, development and management of services.   - from a great how-to guide by The Scottish Government.

Loosely defined, community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people. It is a powerful vehicle for bringing about environmental and behavioral changes that will improve the health of the community and its members. It often involves partnerships and coalitions that help mobilize resources and influence systems, change relationships among partners, and serve as catalysts for changing policies, programs, and practices (Fawcett et al., 1995). - by the Centre for Disease Control

 Based on our research, we understand community engagement to be “people working collaboratively, through inspired action and learning, to create and realize bold visions for their common future.” - by Tamarack Institute, who have done considerable work gathering resources on the topic.



From our interview in Donna Jean, there were a number of questions that we believe get to the heart of people's interest. We were asked;

1.  If we want to improve engagement in our communities we need to understand what personally engages us. How do we uncover that and what benefits does that bring to the engagement process?

2.  Communities are groups of people. What are some of the best ways to understand this group, engage them and move forward in addressing complex issues?

3.  What are some of the traps to avoid when we are working with or living in community?

All great questions!  How would you answer them?

See the Tamarack website for an audio recording of the interview - and check here back next week as we begin to answer them within our blog.

RTV #20 - Support and be Supported by a Service Club.

A Year of Raising the Village -- Week #20.  Service Clubs Support.


"An association of business or professional people with the aims of promoting community welfare and goodwill."  Sounds like the work you do?  It also aptly describes the role of service clubs around the world.  Service clubs have a long, long history..for example, Rotary International has been around for over a century, not to mention the really old ones steeped in mystery and intrigue thanks to author Dan Brown!


Many people automatically think of service clubs as a source of money.  Yes, they fundraise, but consider the influence and momentum that could be leveraged by having access to a group of willing people "to promote community welfare." That priviledge of access, like everything else, means more than asking for money...it means developing a relationship.


Here are a few of the major ones, along with their missions.  Match your needs and their needs for big impact!  OR consider joining up.
Rotary International:  What would it take to change the world? Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.


Kin Canada (formerly Kinsmen and Kinettes - way to evolve!!):  Kin Canada is a dynamic volunteer organization enriching communities through service while embracing national pride, positive values, personal development and lasting friendships. Each club operates autonomously when determining how it fundraises and distributes those funds within the local community.


Lions Club International:  In 206 countries, in hospitals and senior centers, in regions battered by natural disaster, in schools and eyeglass recycling centers, Lions are doing community volunteer work, helping, leading, planning and supporting. Because they're local, they can serve the unique needs of the communities they live in. And because they're global, they can address challenges that go beyond borders. Specific areas of interest include VISION, HEALTH, YOUTH and ENVIRONMENT.


Fraternal Order of Eagles:  The Fraternal Order of Eagles is an international non-profit organization uniting fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills and promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope.  The Fraternal Order of Eagles uphold and nourish the values of home, family and community "that are so necessary and it seems so often get ignored and trampled in today's society."


Soroptomist International: Soroptimist International is a vibrant, dynamic organisation for today's professional and business women. They are committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide.  Soroptimists inspire action and create opportunities to transform the lives of women and girls through a global network of members and international partnerships. Club projects range from renovating domestic violence shelters and providing mammograms to low-income women, 
to sponsoring self-esteem workshops for teenage girls. 


Village Raising Question:

Service Clubs vary in focus and strength from community to community.  Which groups have you had experience with or have been partners with in your village raising/community building processes?

RTV #18 Chase new friends - using the golden rules of outreach.

A Year of Raising the Village. Week #18 The golden rules of outreach.

Outreach efforts are one sided attempts to "chase new friends." Done with the golden rules of outreach in mind, these efforts can go a long way in strengthening connections within a community. Done without consideration, these efforts can literally chase people away and, in the long run, make building relationships harder. Often, relationships have to be built from scratch and sometimes the process can be tenuous. Is there trust, knowledge or interest to work with? Here are 3 things to keep in mind as you plan and implement outreach efforts.


Golden Rule #1 Know who you are outreaching to. And we're not talking about the stereotypes and assumptions that are held about "those people" who need to hear what we have to say!!!! Find out about the real needs and values of your target audience. Be clear about the issues that matter to them (rather than the issues that you think should matter to them). Ask questions and be prepared to listen. Questions are a stellar way to learn and they also are a non-threatening first conversation. If you come bearing information - you will be perceived in a very different way than if you come open, with questions.


Golden Rule #2 Know what your own agenda is. It would be false to convince yourself that you didn't have an ulterior motive for outreach. If you name it and claim it, you become more authentic. A dose of honesty will go along way to build trust. Ask yourself, why is outreach important? What do we want out of these efforts? What are we willing to "give" in order to "get?" By finding clarity around your agenda, you can also more objectively evaluate your efforts. How are you coming across to your potential "new friends?"


Golden Rule #3 Know your stuff and know what part of your stuff has value for others. Be ready to communicate what you have to offer in a way that will be well received (this is where golden rules #1 and 2 come in!). Always be prepared - which means that consistency plays a big role. Consistency with your messaging, consistency with your intentions and consistency with your generosity. Be ready to exceed expectations.


Village Raising Tip: Making new friends takes work and heart. Take the time to consider the golden rules of outreach.

RTV #17 Unite Families with a Group Garage Sale

Mothers United Community Garage Sale

A Year of Raising the Village: Week #17.  Baby gear for sale!


Recycling baby stuff is good for our environment. Recycling ideas is great for building community!

A mother from a local parent 'n' tot group attended a "Mothers United"Garage Sale in a much larger, neighbouring community. It was an event filled with great bargains for new parents and a way to pass along perfectly good, but no longer necessary, baby "gear" to those who needed it. It also was an opportunity steeped in sharing, connecting, supporting and celebrating parenthood.

This mom returned to town thinking that - if they can do it, we can do it too! Committed to sharing the experience with her local friends, she recruited vendors (parents with stuff to sell) and worked with the local Community School to arrange space with tables and chairs. The first year was a HUGE success - so much so that the Community School saw the garage sale as an effective vehicle to support local families and build community. It is now an event that is held twice a year.

Cathy Cross, the Community School coordinator says, "I am amazed by the number of pregnant women and women with young babies that I see. Young parents with young families; grandparents shopping for and with grandchildren; it's a promise for the future of our community. It is community building in a literal sense of the word. But there is also community building in the sense that a mom is a mom is a mom: no matter what the circumstance. Everyone in the room has a common starting point. Children and babies bring out the best in us and we work from there. I hear people exchanging information on programs, people, where to find this or that. We are not only recycling baby clothes (and money) but we are sharing information. Most exciting is the buzz in the room as everyone is talking and sharing."

Is there baby gear that could be recycled in your community? Are there some great community building ideas that can be recycled too?

Village Raising Tip: Here are a few tips from Cathy to help your version of a Mothers United Garage Sale work well:

• Be clear and confirm with vendors who are interested in setting up a table
• Always have a waiting list because there are always people who end up cancelling (life happens)
• Advertise, advertise, advertise - and enlist the vendors to spread the word (and posters) among their friends and connections

RTV #11 - Gather and share stories about what community means to you.

Tracy Smyth, Paul Born & Tammy Dewar

A Year of Raising the Village - Week #11.

What does community mean to you?

Community Conversations: Mobilizing the ideas, skills, and passion of community organizations, governments, businesses, and people…not only a great idea but also an excellent book. Author, Paul Born – with us in the photo – was keynote and fellow presenter at the Putting it into Practice Conference in Langley, BC. Paul, himself a master storyteller, had the audience enraptured with his tales of community conversation and community change. Community conversations uncover the ideas, skills and passions that exist in community by drawing out the stories people have to tell! Since the release of his book, Paul and his colleagues at Tamarack asked 500 members of their learning community this question: What does "experiencing community" mean to you? The survey responses, entitled 500 Voices: Experiencing Community are a rich look into being in relationship with others.

During our Village workshops, as well as when we interview for our newsletter, we enthusiastically ask people what community means to them. Take a look at the Artisan Piazza Page on this blog. In it we continue to highlight artists and their interpretations of community through art. Each piece comes from a story held by that artist, powerful enough to turn into something physical! To see who our next artist will be, sign up for our spring newsletter. (sign up here)

Healthy Eating - Active Communities offers a site full of great examples of how a community can use stories to advocate for positive change. We love the Greenfield Walking Group story of how mothers and children transformed a park to become a clean, safe place. The site also shares some great story telling tips and the best questions to ask to elicit the juicy ones! Also check out our storytelling blogs

• The Story Behind Powerful Presentations
• Sparkling Dream Catchers
• Sharpen Your View! Distribute Cameras to Children and Families
• Navigate the River of Data & Dialogue

Village Raising Question: What story do you have to tell that describes what community means for you?

RTV #8 - Build a Community Play Space

A Year of Raising the Village - Week #8

Find an under utilized play space – it holds amazing potential with some creativity and a lot of elbow grease!

In Qualicum Beach, tucked behind a centralized elementary school is a true community play space. Storybook Village is a place that inspires imaginative play and fosters community connections.  Partners from the early childhood community, schools, business and seniors have co-created a play space for young children and adults young at heart. The village is made up of a paved roadway (trike sized with real traffic signs) that is warmly circled by miniature replicas of community buildings – the theatre, the library, the gas station, the bank, the medical centre … 

These 10’ by 10’ wooden buildings, each sponsored by a local group or business, beg for the creative spirits of children to make them come alive during play. What a “village-like” opportunity for children to role-play, interact with their neighbours and care for their little town!

Just behind Storybook Village, you can also find Alphabet Garden. There are 26 raised beds, each in the shape of a letter and each tended to with care and attention by community groups and businesses. A thoughtful way to blend generations. 

The end products - garden and play space - are delightful – but the incredible benefit to the community also comes in the long process of taking this project from idea to plan to build! The stories of new relationships, generosity and community spirit fuel all those involved to keep working together.

For more information, check out their website: http://www.sd69.bc.ca/programs/BLT/Pages/default.aspx 


Village Raising Question
What creative play spaces have been created (and are used) in your community?

RTV #6 - Welcome to our Community, Little One!

A Year of Raising the Village: Week #6 


Families in the USA can receive a welcome letter for their newborn baby direct from the White House. What a keepsake! Imagine how that must inspire a sense of belonging in a young family, not to mention for the child as he or she grows up. We all need to feel a sense of belonging to our families, to our communities and to our culture.

Read more about how to get a letter from the president here: How to Get Congratulations From the White House | eHow.com 

A “closer to home” approach and with, perhaps, a little more intimacy – is for a community to send a welcome letter to local newborn babies.

Here is an excerpt of one that we have seen;

“Welcome to our community little one!

Your family will be your teachers in life. By talking to you, by holding you and by singing to you, your family will give you the best start possible.”

The letter could be “on request” like the White House letter or by working with the hospital, public health department or doctors who are responsible for early baby care. A welcome letter could also accompany a book as a gift from the community delivered on a first home visit.  Find out who the community partners are that have the most contact with families with newborns in your community.  Learn how to work together to celebrate a new citizen.

Village Raising Question

What do you do to welcome newborns?

Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump...Heart Listening

Paul Born inspired us in last week’s Raising the Village interview when he said “The critical thing today is to listen to our hearts. This may be the most radical thing we can do for children".


Continuing along this community heart trail we decided to share some of our favourite heart-listening quotes. Not only do they align with Paul’s comments, they also help to illuminate caring connections and the working together spirit. Enjoy the heart thumping and please share your favourite quotes with us!

• I think of a gesture of love as anything we do that helps others discover their humanity. Any act where we turn to one another. Open our hearts. Extend ourselves. Listen. Any time we’re patient. Curious. Quiet. Engaged. ~ Margaret Wheatley in the book: turning to one another ~


• It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself...Serve and thou shall be served. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~


• For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people's love and concern for each other. ~ Millard Fuller ~


• The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community practicing mindful living. This may be the most important thing we can do for the survival of the earth. ~ Thich NHhat Hanh ~


• Speaking truth helps you get clarity on your real heart directives. ~ Sara Paddison ~


• Our capacity to listen puts us in contact with the wider dimensions of the world in which we live. It lets us connect to it. Listening can open in us a door, a greater sense of participation in the world. ~William Isaacs from the book: dialogue and the art of thinking together ~
  

At Raising the Village we have experienced the power that occurs when people speak from their hearts and engage other people’s hearts. Through shared stories, shared dialogue or shared experiences relationship shifts occur, shared leadership propels and collective relevance between village members is abundant. Engage the heart and you engage community.

Village Raising Question:
Children and families are at the centre of the village – how can we listen to what’s in their hearts? What are they telling us?

Watch for next week’s blog for Village ideas on hearing and engaging families.