Culturally Responsive Community Engagement
I start not by prescribing solutions, but by listening to the perspective of those who are most affected by it. Residents, clients, front line workers and managers possess unique understanding and perspectives that cannot be gained from policy experts. Designing inclusive, responsive, and actionable dialogue that leads to meaningful action now, and plants the seeds for real change going forward.
Analysis That Gets To Root Causes
Creating Solutions With Communities, Not For Communities
Solving community challenges starts with finding the root causes of those problems, rather than changing the scenery. Based on vast knowledge of community members, I seek out examples from research, and from similar communities dealing with similar issues all around the world. Combined with the lived experience of community members, the knowledge that I add provides a powerful combination of insights that help illuminate existing systemic challenges and provide new and innovate ideas for change.
Co-Creating Stories of Success and Continuous Improvement
Community members are the best designers of community solutions. I provide different methods, models, and tools to select from and then support community members in building their future. Through providing planning support, capacity building and learning, and helping to make important connections, I work backstage to make sure that everyday folks feel empowered to plan and act together.
No plan or program is ever perfect. Plans change at the speed of community. As events, people, and support changes, so should community programs. I help embed continuous awareness and assessment into the very nature of the program so that the program and people have an opportunity to grow, change, and learn from their experiences with the program. These stories of growth and change are those that we can share and pass on to others walking along the same path.