What engages YOU? The 3 C’s of Personal Engagement.

This week we answer the question: 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?

 “Leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women. It is a process ordinary people use when they are bringing forth the best from themselves and others.”  ~Kouzes and Posner~ 

As this quote suggests, there is great potential if we think of engagement as a process of bringing forth OUR best and fostering the leadership in all of US. It’s when we uncover what personally engages us, and align that with the work that needs to be done, collaborative action will flourish.

We can uncover what engages us by knowing what calls to us, what sustains us and what makes us feel strong.  The more we notice our strengths and become engaged in our own lives – the more engaging we are to others and the more open and accepting we become to seeing others for the uniqueness they bring. Be curious about why people come, why they stay, and what keeps their momentum going over time. When we do this we know what we need to tap into to keep things engaged.

Knowing what engages you personally helps with the 3 C’s:

• Concentration: When we engage from a strengths filled place the result is focused goals, intentions and visions
• Calling: A strengths approach increases meaning and purpose to the work. The stronger the connection or the calling a person sees between themselves and the work, the more enthusiasm and energy they will feel able to devote.
• Confidence: Strengths increase confidence and commitment in decision making abilities. It’s easier to decide what to do – and follow through - when you know what engages and BINDS you to it.

Village Raising Question:

What would happen if you took a strengths filled approach to your community work?

Which one of the three C’s do you want to put into practice this coming week? How? Tell us about it!

Looking for more strength filled resources and HOW TO's of personal engagement?

 See online at www.raisingthevillage.ca for the Vibrant Life – Vibrant Leaderships workbook, where we were inspired by Lance Secretan’s process of guiding leaders through a process of defining their destiny, calling and cause and by Stephen R. Covey’s work of finding your voice as well as Marcus Buckhingham’s and Jennifer Fox’s strengths work.  

Related blogs:

Strengths Compass

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.

Brain-based Engagement Strategies - a List

After a year of offering our Collaboration: Authentic Engagement Workshop, we have compiled a list of brain-based engagement strategies from the amazing and diverse workshop participants whose wisdom, experience, innovative thinking and new insights filled flip chart pages with practical engagement ideas.

The ideas are organized by the four key community building strategies that we outline in our book, Raising the Village;

1.  Unearthing - Are you looking at finding a deeper understanding of community?

2. Building Relationships - Are you looking at strengthening relationships or building new partnerships?

3.  Framing Leadership - Are you looking at enhancing and sharing the leadership required to work together?

4.  Constructing Collective Relevance - Are you seeking that "feeling" of collective relevance...the "us"?

The ideas are further sorted according to the 5 domains of human interaction using a brain-based engagement lens. We have learned about these domains over the last five blogs; status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness.

Enjoy! Download this handout of engagement ideas here. (under the leader Development section). We hope it is useful!


Upon reflection, our last six blogs have been a reminder to examine how we engage you - blog-readers interested in building stronger communities. Our mission at Raising the Village is to support, inspire and engage individuals, organizations and communities in their efforts to collaborate. So taking direction from our own handout...

We welcome your input, comments, posts and questions in all of our online communities - blog, Facebook and Twitter. Tell us what engages you about building community - and what you are interested in learning more about.

We are continually seeking new ways to support community building efforts (in your families, in your workplaces and in your communities). Check out our website Resource page for a great selection of information on community development, leader development, the early years and group activities.

Our new book will be available soon! It is full of engaging activities for group leaders. The book (also available as 2 ebooks) shares 50 group activities that guides groups to gather information, make meaning from data, generate innovative action ideas and make decisions for action. For our growing Raising the Village communities we want to offer a pre-order discount. If you are not already receiving our seasonal newsletter, sign up here - we'll be sending out the discount soon.

Relatedness: More than Shaking Hands

You are mingling at a work related social luncheon where you vaguely know one other person. The MC begins an icebreaker activity that involves shaking multiple hands and introducing yourself as an animal.

So... are you suddenly covered in sweat, ready to break for the door or ruffling your feathers like a Turkey and ready to roam the room?

This type of scenario showcases the R in SCARF, the relatedness you feel or don’t feel when engaging with others.  (For more on SCARF see our Brain Engagement blog).

People are different in their reactions. Whether you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert may influence whether you jump full in or hold back and observe. Relatedness also involves your perception as to whether you are ‘in’ or ‘out’ of a social group. People naturally like to form ‘tribes’ or cliques where they experience a sense of belonging, however they want to do so at their own pace and in a way that fosters SAFE connections.

How can one foster safe connection and increase relatedness among groups?

•  Form work teams and ask each person what strength they can bring to the group.
• Share personal stories and information OVER TIME. Personalized introductions or energizers often work (but maybe don’t bring out the “introduction as an animal” one right away).   
• Incorporate small group or dyad/triad work to encourage safe sharing.
• Introduce mentoring and coaching opportunities among team players.

It’s not about increasing the number of social connections (or hands you shake) necessarily, but more about increasing the number of SAFE connections to increase productivity and positive relatedness responses. 

Certainty - brain chocolate.

Certainty is to the brain as chocolate is to Tracy & Tammy.

The brain is constantly seeking patterns and is trying to predict the future. It CRAVES certainty. A primary reward or threat for the brain, it causing people who experience an increase in the unknown to AVOID engagement. It causes a negative response in the orbital frontal cortex, we fixate on the threat.

Certainty is the second of five principles of brain-based engagement.  Read more in our previous blogs on SCARF: Overview, S-Status.

Here's an example. A local big box store recently went under massive renovations while still having part of the store operational.  There were tarps hiding what was being worked on, and the layout of the store gradually shifted.  Things were not as they usually were.  People were seen pushing their buggies with glazed expressions, not knowing where to look or where to go. Others couldn't help themselves and peeked behind the tarps, hoping to get more information about what was going on. While others, whose AVOID response was most activated, voluntarily stopped shopping at the store all together.

When you transfer this concept to a situation where an agency is doing a re-org or when someone is new on the job or just moved into a community, or implementing a new software system you can see that a great deal of attention is required to satisfy the huge need for information. It also explains a great deal of the negative behaviours we see during change. When people are AVOIDING due to a lack of certainty, expect some behaviours driven by fear, threat and/or feelings of loss.

So how about you?  In what kinds of situations or level of uncertainty do you begin to AVOID?

Can you arrive at an event to offer your help only to be told to "deal with the catering"?  For some people, questions like; how many people, who is in charge? what's on the menu? screams out.

Are you eager or hesitant when someone is talking and you're not sure if they are asking something of you?

How do you feel if you don't know what your employer's/client's expectations are of you?

Can you tolerate not knowing when you'll next get some chocolate? (just joking!)

What's your certainty threshold?

When dealing with others, remember that we all react differently.  Your threshold might be much more sensitive than another person's.  How do you support a situation if you want someone to be engaged and not running away with fear? Here are a few ideas;

• Clearly map out plans.  Even though things rarely follow a plan, having one appeases our brains craving. Dates and timelines are important in these plans.
• Communicate before, during and after change. 
• Break down complex and confusing tasks into bite sized pieces.
• Establish clear expectations for all involved.
• Regularly provide chocolate!

Status: Break the Pecking Order!

Status: Break the Pecking Order when it comes to engaging with others.

Your supervisor or board chair rushes into your office and says “Can I give you some feedback?" Or someone close to you says “We need to talk".

What is your first SNAP response?

Does this engage or dis-engage you? Does it make you lean in, eager and ready? Or does it make you step back, wary and hesitant?

For a great many people this may invoke an AVOID response based on the social need for status.

Last week's blog talked about Dr. David Rock's brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others. This week we begin to explore his SCARF model, starting with the "S" - Status, which translates into how we perceive our relative importance to others.

Let's explore another example... Your group has worked long and hard on a collaborative initiative. You open the morning paper and read about it. There is no mention of your organization’s contribution at all.

What's your response now? Approach or avoid? Engage or dis-engage? If you feel a bit ticked off, the status "pecking order" could be ruffled. This is not only socially normal, but biologically normal.

Equality is often what people are seeking. But, chemically, studies show that dopamine levels rise when feelings of status are invoked. It often feels good to receive positive feedback because of the perception of increased status and the resulting reward circuitry being activated. On the flip side, another study showed that a reduction in status resulting from being left out of an activity lit up the same regions of the brain as physical pain (Eisenberger et al., 2003).

Feeling a threat in our status can put us in a defensive mode (not an easy place to collaborate from). Things like performance reviews or situations where we feel a "less than/more than" can generate BIG dis-engagement.

Village Raising Question:

What activates a STATUS approach or avoid response for you?
Where do you notice a status system or pecking order?

This week, start to notice the places in your work and life where a status threat occurs (for you or for others). Share your experiences on facebook, twitter or here.

Stay tuned...after the SCARF domains are explored, we will share some strategies for increasing positive interactions in all the domains.

Brain based engagement? Really?

What stops you from engaging?

Do you truly approach or avoid when working with others?

Personally, we figure ourselves to be fairly "switched on" in the engagement department. And then we discovered Dr. David Rock’s materials and had to think again!

There are obstacles to working together, no doubt. There are familiar conflicts such as; time, resources, power struggles, differing values and agendas, and communication (or lack of) to name a few.

With all of these obstacles – what is happening or NOT happening is engagement. There are two responses we can take when engaging with others. We can approach or avoid a situation or person based on the way our brain perceives the interaction. Our response is based on neuro-biological social triggers. Knowing our triggers helps us understand (and potentially increase) our positive interactions and collaboration with others. Approach or avoid is with us in every interaction we have in this world and it happens in a SNAP (yes, snap your fingers right now, it’s that quick).


How we are with people can be linked to 5 domains of human social experience. Dr. Rock, the creator of this model, proposes that DEEP engagement occurs when people experience rewards from all five domains of SCARF. (See http://www.your-brain-at-work.com/files/NLJ_SCARFUS.pdf for more).

1. Status (relative importance to others)
2. Certainty (ability to predict the future)
3. Autonomy (a sense of control over events)
4. Relatedness (sense of safety with others)
5. Fairness (perception of fair exchanges between people)


These five domains are social needs and in fact are treated in our brain the same way we need food and water. How our brain is wired, however, is that the avoid response is the default setting which means we have to work much harder to be in our approach responses.


Now while this model reflects only ONE way to consider engagement and is not the be-all-and-end-all, it has inspired us (so much so that we have created a workshop around it- see http://www.raisingthevillage.ca/ for more.)

Stay tuned for next week’s blog as we dive further into these five domains and pose some scenarios to find out... what activates an approach or avoid response for YOU?

RTV# 49: Sketch it Out!

A Year of Raising the Village. Week # 49: Sketch it Out!

What kinds of relationships do you have? What kind do you want to have?

We recently presented at a conference in Alberta that was entitled “It Takes A Village” (see ARCQUE http://www.arcqe.ca/ ). Not only was this a chance to engage and share our village raising information it was a chance to learn from a spectacular group of community builders. We were blown clear across the beautiful Prairie landscape by their top notch welcoming conference coordination, Canadian groundbreaking Accreditation standards and their Village raising expertise.

Part of our workshop offering was to have participants create relationship maps around WHO was in their village (or network of stakeholders). We continuously delight in the creative ways people respond to this exercise and are firm believers that there is not one way to do this. The maps have varied from purely pictorial, to basic bones, to extremely intricate ones. The key thing here is that participants put the amount of detail that helps them clearly identify and map out the resources, strengths, and collective possibilities within their community.


Alberta held up the creativity bar and provided many detailed maps. In the photo above you can see one example from these bright engaged village sketchers. Here this duo decided not only to list out the many relationships, they decided to map out the range (or kinds) of relationships (before we prompted them to)!They connected partners with strong highways, bumpy roads, train tracks etc.


Feel like trying this out? Your turn! Grab a piece of blank paper and draw out your own relationship map. Using the above map as inspiration, consider relationships that are...

• over the rails or on the other side of the railroad tracks






• built with bridges (already constructed or in various stages of construction)






• direct close links






• two way streets (and those that are one way)






• more of an indirect distant connection (maybe even a bit loopy with communication pathways)






• brand new






• established, but could use some strengthening or attention

Here is another way we take people through these maps. Draw relationships you consider:

• in cooperation (working side by side but not on a common vision together)






• in coordination (maybe you work on a project or event that you co-plan)






• in collaboration ( a longer term commitment such as an early years table)

How is this helpful?
You can look at the maps, reflect, set intents and base your plans around engagement. You can open up the dialogue with others and sketch it out together. Do this as part of your evaluation and revisit your map to see how relationships change over time.

Village Raising Questions:
What kinds of relationship are on your map?
What kinds of relationship do you want? How will you build these?
Where do the other people on you map want to be in this relationship (have you asked them)?




Watch for our upcoming Action Guide series for fuller community mapping exercise (and how to build on this).

RTV # 34 - Make the Invisible -- Visible!

A Year of Raising the Village Week #34: Make the Invisible--Visible!

Have you ever watched a video about “community” where the images stay with you long after the viewing?

Are you someone who promotes the power of social realities being spoken?


Well, watch these clips from The Wildflowers Institute and see what’s stirred for you. You can expect to see people constructing neighbourhood models that express their views so honestly that you are bound to hear some truth ring off the film. You can expect to see perceptions animated through interactive activity. And the real kicker, what you can expect to see is people helping to make the invisible, visible.


The first video in the series piqued RTV’s social radar years ago- http://www.wildflowers.org/bird.html In this clip a youth (Bird) explains his community model and his keys to living. In his own clear and crisp way he imparts his profound advice, “Knowledge doesn’t have a color, nor does it have a skin tone”.

Enough said. Watch. Let us know what you think.

For all video clips and the full report go to: Making Visible the Invisible Power of Community http://www.wildflowers.org/WFmonograph.pdf

We believe in these interactive ways of hearing and building community – check out our Collaboration: Authentic Engagement Workshops for the RTV version. http://www.raisingthevillage.ca/


p.s. (Listen for the above quote from Bird- it’s near the end of the video when he speaks of the importance of listening to elder knowledge).

Village Raising Question #1: Your turn. What’s a video you’ve watched that’s changed the way you’ve looked at community or a video that portrayed a social reality in an honest gripping way? Post your say on our facebook or twitter page.

Village Raising Question #2: What would your community model look like? What about your neighbour?

RTV - #32 Break the Ice

A Year of Raising the Village: Week #32: Break the Ice

An opportunity for building connections in a community happens when a gathering of people shake off their formal, guarded, business-like demeanor and step lightly into personal topics. People feel good when they are able to share things about themselves. Brief, yet meaningful glimpses, into the lives of your neighbours, colleagues and even policy makers helps to identify what our last week's blog post talked about - the things that bind.



Here are a few easy, non-threatening and actually quite fascinating ideas of things to learn about and share with people;

• favourite children's song or rhyme
• favourite season (and why)
• location of early childhood home
• names of your ancestors 
• what makes your family unique and even "quirky"
• exciting initiatives going on in your organization
• ideas for reducing stress
• traditions  

How?

• If you are part of a work meeting - use these topics as a way of introductions.
• If you are a social media users (whether new or a veteran) - ask your friends and post your own response.
• In your social groups (book clubs, sports teams, service groups) - find ways to bring up more personal interactions formally or informally.
• or try being super random - ask the cashier at the grocery store one of these questions instead of chatting about the weather (imagine how many weather conversations she/he must have over the course of a day!)

As a "village raiser" - challenge yourself to be the first one to - break the ice. 

RTV #25 Creative Give-a-ways!

A Year of Raising the Village
Week 25: Creative Give-a-ways!


There are people in every community that are in need. It might be money, food, safety, opportunity, or friendship. In fact, it would be pretty safe to say that everyone in a community is in need of something!


In terms of charity, most places have people or organizations that help take things from the "giver" and pass them along to the "receiver." It is a system that makes sense and works, with benefits to both those who have something to offer and those who have a need. Undeniably, there are also barriers and challenges to the traditional donation processes. Pride, access and equity are among them.


Our community was a recipient to a very generous donation of little girl blouses. Our issue was that these shirts were so dated (nearing ugly) and there were SO many of them that we resisted just "giving" them away in the traditional sense. The shirts would have been like a uniform for the poor - which was not what was intended!! Instead, we arranged to have them all distributed among child care facilitates as painting smocks. Now all the children's clothes (whether they have a big or small wardrobe selection) are protected during messy play.


We are curious to discover more creative, low barrier ways to get free "stuff" to the people who need it.


Here is an idea from North Carolina that made us smile...


“Sock It To Me” Wed with the Alexander County Partnership for Children
The Partnership for Children received a donation of over 600 pairs of socks including socks for men, women, and children. They advertised for people to bring a bag and pick out and up to seven pairs of free socks per person (socks for a week)! They were available on a first come first serve basis.


How about giving away warm pj's and books at an evening story-time?
What about food to celebrate - not just to fill empty stomachs?
In what ways can you help connect people who can barter?


Have some more???

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 #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?

RTV #4 - Sharpen Your View! Distribute Cameras to Children and Families

A Year of Raising the Village: Week #4 - Using PhotoVoice with Children and Families

Give children and their families a creative opportunity to contribute their perspective on community. Perspective - literally - through the lens of a camera. Ask them to take photos about their lives in general or about a specific issue. Celebrate their contributions and then USE what you learn in community planning. 


While including the voice of children and families is important it can also be challenging - see our previous blog on listening to parents.  Photovoice is a very special methodology that can be used with citizens of any age.  Here are some links to give you some more direction and inspiration. They offer examples of the power of photovoice with children and families!

Children as Photographers This research study looks at children as photographers. It is a large-scale research project looking at how and why children take photographs – which can shed some light on how to approach a photovoice project and give some realistic expectations of children at different ages.

Kids With Cameras Kids with Cameras was founded in 2002 by photographer Zana Briski out of her work teaching photography to children in Calcutta's red-light district. She believes that photography is an effective tool in igniting children's imagination and building self-esteem.

The New Orleans Kids Camera Project The New Orleans Kid Camera Project was created to address the psychological and emotional impacts of Hurricane Katrina on children returning home to New Orleans. Through the use of photography, creative writing and mixed media, children from flooded neighborhoods explore their environment and express themselves, their stories and feelings with their friends

PhotoVoice These projects uses photography to enable those that have traditionally been the subject of such work to become its creator - to have control over how they are perceived by the rest of the world, while simultaneously learning a new skill which can enhance their lives.

PhotoVoice – St. Louis Maternal Child and Family Health Coalition

The photography project was part of a PhotoVoice Empowerment Initiative in which the mothers were asked to create a window on their neighborhoods, their needs and perhaps illuminate why health and prosperity remain so elusive.

Village Raising Tip:

Not only will organizers learn a TON from the children and families who contribute – but the participants, themselves, will feel a sense of ownership and belonging to an inclusive community planning process. 

A Year of Raising the Village

Photo copyright - T.Dewar

Happy New Year! We have something exciting to launch in 2011 - 52 community building ideas coming your way! There are many different ways to Raise a Village so we are taking some of the innovative and timeless ideas we have researched and will be sharing them with you. Yes, a year of ideas that in and of themselves might not sound like a sustainable village effort, but pieced together they sure are impressive! Our post ideas will speak to the simple things, or the deep impressions, or a collective experience, or an event, or system changes, as we believe it takes all of this (and more)! We ask you to consider the year of ideas as a united tapestry – by taking these seemingly separate patchwork activity ideas and weaving them together into an integrated and coordinated strategy that aims at reducing child vulnerability and increasing community engagement and awareness. We encourage you to take your own grass roots approach and adapt and create what works for you and your community.

As the year of village raising ideas unfold...

• Be open to new ideas that spark a fresh initiative




• Watch for ideas that add to or strengthen an existing initiative




• Consider the “who” – who might be inspired by this idea. Is there something children, families or grandparents may want to take on?




• Might there be an idea that is the very bridge to services you have been looking for?




• What about ideas that will create new partnerships or new shared leadership opportunities?

Challenge yourself and take the ideas that get you bubbling and talk about them with people to see what develops. We ask you to enjoy the flavour of each individual idea and remember that they are part of a bigger, village raising picture!

We’d love to hear your ideas...please comment on any posts or email us through our website (http://www.raisingthevillage.ca/ )

Tracy & Tammy

Village Raising Questions (for the year)

· What activities add value to your existing community plans? (i.e. ECD strategic plan, governance structures, visions).
· What ideas are most “alive” and capable of continued growth?
· What activities will leave a legacy?
· Which ones speak most to “working together”? Engagement? Partnerships?
· Which activities give a voice to children, youth and families?

How Attached is Your Community?

People working with children know the vital role attachment plays in child development. In the first few months of life, infants form some kind of attachment relationship with the person who is primarily responsible for their care (often a parent). We know from the science of early childhood development that early relationships and attachments to a primary caregiver are the most consistent and enduring influence on social and emotional development for young children. * Further, Infants with secure attachment relationships with their caregivers are more likely to play, explore, and interact with adults in their child care setting. **

This got us thinking...could attachment play a role in our ability as adults to attach to our communities? If children with strong attachments are more likely to play, explore and interact with others, could the same be said for adults and our relationship with communities and the groups we work with?

Well, lo and behold, there is a study to give us insight into the role attachment plays in community! Enter, Gallup and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation who conducted a study with a focus on what attaches people to their communities. They asked questions such as; what makes a community a desirable place to live? What draws people to stake their future in it? Are communities with more attached residents better off? The study found three main qualities that attach people to place:

1. social offerings, such as entertainment venues and places to meet
2. openness (how welcoming a place is)
3. the area’s aesthetics (its physical beauty and green spaces).

As community facilitators we recognize the connection between how “attached” people feel to a group (or a collaborative, organization, or community) and how engaged they are in the work. We call this constructing relevance: finding the purpose and meaning that most resonates with individuals, and with the group as a whole, so that people stay energized in their village raising work! When facilitating groups we pay special attention to the space in which formal and informal meetings occur. We do this by:

1. creating a welcoming space rich in dialogue
   
2. asking stirring questions and providing social networking opportunities that are “out of the box”.


3. adding dashes of creativity to liven the space

Perhaps this approach taps into a feeling of connection that encourages play, exploration and interaction with others! Attachment and relevance – two drivers in community building!

Village Raising Questions

How engaged are you to play, explore and interact in your community? How engaged are you in your collaborative or organization?

On a scale to 1-10, how attached are you to your community?

What might bring you a stronger sense of community attachment?

References:
*From the Zero to Three website http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/imhtestimony.pdf?docID=1286
Shonkoff, J., & Phillips, D. (Eds.). (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

** http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/ChildCareResearchBrief.pdf?docID=3542

For more on the above study see the Soul of Community website: http://www.soulofthecommunity.org/

Kitchen Table Meetings

Picture some parents gathered in the kitchen, fresh cuppa joe in hand, children playing independently in the next room. Nice, comfy, homey…Now picture how their conversation will change the way governments set policy, how families access services and how their needs as parents are better met. The CARS Process can do just that. CARS – acronym for Communities Achieving Responsive Services is a model for meaningful community consultation.

Growing out of a grass roots movement in northern Ontario, CARS co-founders Carol Gott and Jane Wilson have developed a series of steps to assist communities to build responsive, accessible services and supports for their own community members.  CARS is a community owned and community directed process that can be used to both improve how well present services respond to the needs of people and to help communities develop services that they presently don’t have – but need.

Armed with some templates and fact sheets (all available on the website www.carsprocess.ca), parents are encouraged to gather their voice. Some of the people that access services do not normally attend large community forums. They need small, informal gatherings to safely and honestly discuss their needs and to allow them to be both service “users” as well as service “leaders.”

The Kitchen Table meetings are step two of the CARS’ comprehensive ten steps towards working for change. The process goes beyond just stakeholder participation to true partnerships in action.

Whether you live in a rural and remote community with a small population of families or a large urban centre with thousands of potential kitchen table meetings – give voice to families.

Village Raising Question

What happens when service users do not have a voice?

The Parent Conundrum

If you were to draw a village like an archery target, children and parents would be the bulls-eye or the sweet-spot. This is the part of the target that scores the most points and makes the most difference because families are where the next generation starts. They are the units in which the growth and development of independent, contributing citizens occur. So when government and non-profit agencies plan for new policies and new services, it is this population that has the most at stake when decisions are made. The conundrum is how the service providers best engage the service users (families) to inform and influence their decisions. 

How can a group of early years community developers be responsive to a parental perspective that is inclusive of the diversity that exists among families? Families are as different as they come! And they are legitimately wrapped up in their busy lives, trying their best with what they have. It is important to consider how to give families the opportunity to share their thoughts in ways that fit their lives.

In our book, Raising the Village, we offer a list of ideas and considerations to engage families in community early years planning and decision making processes. There is no one way – no cookie-cutter approach.  It is essential that parents (and children for that matter) be given a voice! We want to gather more ideas and strategies that have worked out there around the world.

Here is our list (5 anyway) to get things rolling….

1 – invite all parents to attend all meetings

2 – service providers “be” the parent voice 

3 – select parent representatives or parent champions

4 – formal surveys (written, telephone or online)

5 – focus group research

Village Raising Question:

What has worked for you to meaningfully engage parents (and children) in community early years planning and decision making processes?

How am I doing? How are we doing? ... Questions at the Heart of Community Work

A Raising the Village interview with Paul Born.


Tamarack – An Institute for Community Engagement has been a “go to” resource for us at Raising the Village for many years. We were ecstatic that the director, Paul Born, was able to take the time to answer our newsletter questions. Paul has been on a ten year journey and partnership to advance place based solutions to entrenched problems like poverty. As an author of three books and a person who loves the power of stories, Paul has extensive experience in helping organizations and communities develop collaborative action. His messages are sure to inspire!


1) What aspect of community engagement gets Paul Born fired up?

• Multi sector engagement and action really excite me -when at least three different sectors work together.
• Collective altruism is beautiful - when people work together for the benefit of others fueled by love. It is a time when the giver is also the receiver and the receiver is also the giver. I also feel that the study of collective selfless giving needs a lot more study. The way collective action fuels group - causes energy, healing and belonging.
• Vibrant Communities Canada is at a critical phase. The results are outstanding. Nearly 3,000 organization partner locally, using community engagement strategies have now helped 172,000 families in poverty.
  

2) As an advocate for collaborative action, how do you balance the many agendas that engaged citizens bring forward for attention? Asked another way, how can we honour the complex needs and passions in a community such as; poverty reduction, elder & senior issues, special needs, safety, improving public education, accessible health care, homelessness, child development vulnerability…the list goes on and on!
Do we really need to balance the many agendas of issue based networks or are we best to work at respecting and embracing the passion of each. I have come to the conclusion that most all issues facing communities are interrelated. It seems not to matter what issue you work on you will eventually impact the other. Can you really work at the children’s agenda and not care about poverty, violence or the environment or vice versa. We desire clean and well organized approaches causing us to worry about duplication and focus. What we are learning is that groups can work together and help each other. They do not need to compete. Rather they can embrace the agenda of the other. It would be wise to create a council of networks in a community. If for no other reason to advance the work of networks, build trust and find ways to work together.

3) How can people who are working together in communities with a focus on the early years relate to and participate in the work taking place at Tamarack, Institute for Community Engagement?

• We have a very active web site and tele learning platform. Everything there is free. You can choose from nearly 100 online seminars.
• Vibrant Communities has a large national network. Hamilton is the one city in the network that has specifically made their poverty reduction campaign about children.
• We have so much to learn from your network. Landon Pearson has truly inspired us.
• We would also welcome invitations to come speak at your events and conferences. These often build deeper understanding and can inspire the human spirit. Much joy.
  

4) Tamarack’s mission includes working and learning together to create and realize bold visions for the future. What bold steps must be taken for our societies to make children a priority? Any simple steps?


There are no simple steps or even bold steps required. The critical thing today is to listen to our hearts. This may be the most radical thing we can do for children. If we truly listened to the hearts of Canadians would we tolerate the level of child poverty and violence against children? The work we are called to is not just the work that entails doing. I feel we would be wise in this day of increasing chaos to stop and reflect and do the inner work and ask- How am I doing? How are we doing? This question will open us and will call us to seek healing. Then we can ask the question -How can I help? How can we help? The question of helping must come from a place of a desire for inner healing. These two simple questions have become so important to me. I want to move from knowing what to do to hearing what to do. I want to act from within. As chaos grows - developing the inner compass as Steven Covey called it will be more critical than ever.

5) Tell us about your new book: Seeking Community - Finding Belonging in Chaotic Times

I am writing about a paradox that I find in my own life. I am so busy, have so many people all around me, friends and family and yet I feel this overwhelming loneliness that the community in my life is not sufficient. I want more. I want to feel a sense of belonging and a co identity with others. The book is based on a talk I have given now over 100 times called Seeking the Possibilities of Community. Each time I give this talk I am amazed at the number of people who feel like me.So this book is written as a journey of trying to understand community and belonging in these chaotic times. It invites the reader to join in the journey to engage with me and each other and to ask questions and explore together.

6) What personally brings you a “sense of community”?

• A hug for sure
• A long dinner at a long table with long-time friends.
• Family: my family and my extended family.
• Children - yes children - especially babies. Babies are the strongest of all the human species. The greatest gift is to be able to rock a baby to sleep. They have the power to melt your heart, to dust off those corners where love is dormant, open the shutters and shine light on the soul. I am writing this to you from a plane - I moved seats so a mother could have extra space for her children. The last 3 legs of my trip a baby sat beside me with their mother. Each time the mothers apologized for what they assumed the baby would put me through. It was not long and we were all talking, the babies sitting with me - holding my finger and laughing. I felt so thankful and an empathy within me, not only toward the baby but also the mother and the other passengers. These babies pulled love and altruism right out of me. I felt at peace and a sense that all was right in me and in the world. This is my hope for community that it can help us feel and desire peace.
  
  For amazing community resources and further inspiration go to:
  http://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/ http://www.seekingcommunity.ca/ http://www.paulborn.ca/
  

More about Paul: he was the Executive Director and founder of The Community Opportunities Development Association (CODA) for 12 years, one of Canada’s most successful community economic development organizations where he also founded Opportunities 2000, a millennium campaign to reduce poverty in Waterloo Region to the lowest in Canada, which received the United Nations' Top 40 Projects Worldwide. His work has also been recognized with awards from the Conference Board of Canada, Imagine Canada and the Governor General of Canada.