Sharing Successes

The Next Step: Bringing Together Groups with Common Interests

Last week we began the next step in this continual process of community engagement and asset mapping work. This next step for us was a community conversation. It included bringing together members of the community with similar interests to simply meet each other and to discuss the findings we have compiled through one-on-one conversations so far. We chose to invite people based on the interests of folks we had already met and through email introductions. This conversation focused on youth, schools, and partnerships with local businesses in the community. In this conversation we shared the asset map we have created so far and anonymous quotes from people that spoke about education and youth during their one-on-ones. This helped create positive dialogue about the programs North Denver schools are currently implementing: both with in-school curriculum and after-school extracurricular activities.

The conversation was highly positive in a number of ways (many that we were not expecting!):

• We were able to introduce people that ordinarily may not have met each other, but are passionate about the same things;
• New assets were added to the map that we had not heard before;
• A way to explain the boundaries of Northwest Denver, including a color coordinated map;
• Follow-up task items created by attendees, including goals for school-business partnerships, collaboration between our local food bank and after-school programs, and ways to create future connections; and
• It provided a way to share the stories of the Jubilee Center, folks in the community, and what is happening in our local schools.

The follow up from this conversation is to check in with the attendees before school begins at the end of August and continue to share contacts that are passionate about the youth in our community.