Promise Neighborhoods Training and Technical Assistance Center

Promise Neighborhoods launched the Promise Neighborhoods Training and Technical Assistance Center, designed for Promise Neighborhoods grantees and any community that is interested in improving the cradle-to-career results for its children. The Promise Neighborhoods theory of change focuses on placing great schools at the center of neighborhood revitalization efforts. When effective family and community supports are combined with strong academic experiences that are targeted at the children and families who need them most, children are prepared for success in college and career and entire communities are strengthened.

The Center provides an overview of the Promise Neighborhoods program and the key components to develop a successful neighborhood. The website features research-based practical information, publications, links to other websites, training materials, data tools, news from grantee sites and other resources developed by the work with grantee sites and TA providers. Here are a few of the features you’ll find on this website:

• Toolbox – Whether you’re trying to identify promising and effective solutions to make up your cradle-to-career pipeline, or create the conditions that will allow for their successful implementation and broader community change, we’ve got you covered. Check out the Toolbox for resources related to each of the Promise Neighborhood results as well as the conditions necessary to achieve them. You can also access archived presentations and slides from past Promise Neighborhoods webinars.
• Information on Grantees – Wondering if there’s a Promise Neighborhood near you? Trying to connect with Promise Neighborhoods similar to your own? Visit the Grantees section of the site and use our “Grantee Map” or “Grantee List by State” to learn about work taking place in your region and across the country.
  

And here are some of the things you can look forward to in the near future:

• Neighborhood Notes – Every quarter, the Promise Neighborhoods Training and Technical Assistance Center will publish “Neighborhood Notes,” a newsletter highlighting new resources of interest to Promise Neighborhood communities, stories from the field, and announcements related to upcoming events.
• Blog Posts – Keep an eye out for future blog posts highlighting new and featured resources, as well as original content, such as interviews with and insights from Promise Neighborhoods leaders and partners.
  

Technical assistance providers includes the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), Urban Institute, Results Leadership Group and Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink. CSSP is contracted by the U.S. Department of Education to provide a range of TA and training to the current cohort of Promise Neighborhoods grantees to help them build the capacity they need to successfully plan and implement their cradle-to-career strategies. In addition to PNI, CSSP partners with Synergy Enterprises Inc. to deliver TA to grantees. Stay tuned for future updates and check out the website here.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation Hosts Crime Mapping Webinar Series: Crime Mapping Level 1

Crime mapping can be a helpful tool for police and community members to track and address persistent crime problems in the neighborhood. Local Initiatives Support Corporation's (LISC) Community Safety Initiative (CSI) will facilitate a Crime Mapping Webinar Series led by crime analysis expert Julie Wartell of the Analysis Group. LISC has connected local organizations and community leaders with resources to revitalize neighborhoods and improve quality of life. LISC is a technical assistance provider for Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Program, a program that is a part of the Obama Administration's Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, focused on supporting data-driven, comprehensive responses to crime in some of the country’s most troubled communities.

The first of the series, Crime Mapping Level 1 will provide beginners who have little or no past experience using crime mapping and/or geographic information system (GIS) software an overview of how these tools can be used to inform public safety efforts. The following will be covered:

• History of crime mapping
• Basic GIS concepts
• Data sources
• Case studies/examples

These webinars are open to practitioners involved in the BCJI program, other White House Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI) Programs, LISC's Community Safety Initiative and other interested parties. Crime Mapping Level 1 will be held on Monday, February 23, 2015 at 2p.m. To register, follow this link.

Learn More About Financing Brownfields Redevelopment

When developing strategies for neighborhood revitalization, many community change practitioners target the redevelopment of abandoned commercial or industrial properties. In the case of brownfields, “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant” poses barriers to immediate reuse. Brownfields stand out as visible and hazardous indicators of neighborhood blight, both a potential beacon for environmental justice and equitable development campaigns and a symbol of the loss of economic opportunity in many low-income communities.

In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Brownfields Program to help return these properties to productive use by “empower[ing] states, communities, and other stakeholders … to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. As part of that program, the EPA funds the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) to provide technical assistance to communities that are looking to finance brownfield redevelopment. Available resources from the CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance Program include:

• The CDFA Brownfields Financing Update is a monthly newsletter that provides the latest headlines, reports, case studies and other resources related to brownfields and redevelopment finance. 
• The CDFA Brownfields Financing Resource Center is a customized hub and search interface for CDFA's Online Resource Database and programming. 
• The CDFA Brownfields Financing Webinar Series is an annual, three-part educational offering of the program. 
• The CDFA Brownfields Project Marketplace and Response Teams offer opportunities to access more intensive technical assistance, including project-specific recommendations and site visits.

Click here for more information about the resources offered by the CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance Program.

Social Impact Calculator

The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) has created the Social Impact Calculator – a tool that allows you to put a dollar value to the impact of capital investments.

LIIF is a community development financial institution (CDFI) that invests in capital projects in low income communities in an effort to provide families with access to healthy, green and economically strong places to live. Using the Social Impact Calculator, LIIF is able to monetize the impact of capital investments in communities -- such as funding for housing, child care centers and charter schools -- and assess how well its investments are creating opportunities and reducing inequities in communities.

How does it work? The Social Impact Calculator estimates social returns using research and translating data into monetary values. For example, investments in affordable housing can create discretionary income for families by reducing the burden of housing costs. Those savings can be used by families to cover additional needs, such as food and healthcare. Similarly, as suggested by research, investing in high-performing schools can increase a child’s lifetime earnings while also reducing costs associated with incarceration.

LIIF has made the Social Impact Calculator available to the public and invites communities to explore how they might use the calculator to assess their own efforts. In addition, LIIF invites you to provide feedback about the Social Impact Calculator.

Mapping Assistance for Non-Profits Available through the Summer of Maps Fellowship

We’ve all heard the phrase: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” When trying to identify resources and deepen our understanding of the issues that face communities, sometimes a map can be worth a thousand words as well. Maps showing anything from population data to crime hotspots help inform the decisions in communities across the country around where to target services and where to make strategic investments. They can be a tool to also illustrate important points around community needs and assets to funders, community partners and residents.

 
Understanding the value of mapping for non-profit organizations, Azavea has opened applications for non-profit organizations to participate in a fellowship program that pairs student Geographic Information System (GIS) analysts with non-profits that have geospatial analysis needs for a three-month period. Students will work with mentors on two projects for the summer to create maps and related documents in support of their non-profits needs. This application is open to non-profit organizations across the country who work around organizations doing work around:

 

• Arts
• Environment
• Food
• Housing
• Land and water
• Transportation
• Open Government

To see examples of some of the maps created through the 2014 Summer of Maps Fellowship, click here.

Applications for non-profit organizations close on January 8th, 2015. Fellows and organizations for the 2015 summer of maps will be announced on May 1st, 2015 and fellowships will begin on June 1, 2015. Applications can be completed online at here.

National Equity Atlas

PolicyLink – in partnership with the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE) at the University of Southern California – has launched the National Equity Atlas. An online resource, the National Equity Atlas will help community leaders and policymakers use data to track, measure and make the case for inclusive growth and equity in our communities.

According to The Equity Solution: Racial Inclusion is Key to Growing a Strong New Economy – a report from PolicyLink and PERE – whites make up 63 percent of the U.S. population. However, more than half of children are individuals of color. This demographic transformation will continue as the U.S. Census predicts that, by 2043, people of color will be the majority of the U.S. population. In the midst of this demographic trend, stark inequities remain between whites and people of color. As the report highlights, our nation’s economy would gain $2.1 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) every year by closing its racial gaps in income: a 14 percent increase.

The National Equity Atlas is designed to help communities take stock of data on demographic change, racial inclusion and the economic benefits of equity by sharing information for 150 regions, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the United States as a whole. Specifically, the Atlas includes data summaries on demographic change, as well as stories about how local leaders are using equity data to implement growth strategies and policies. In addition, the Atlas includes charts, graphs and maps that you can use in your own presentations, proposals and fact sheets. All of this information is intended to provide you with the information needed to:

• Understand how your community’s demographics are changing;
• Assess how well your community’s diverse populations can participate in economic vitality, contribute to readiness for the future, and connect to assets and resources (and also see how it compares to other places);
• Build a compelling narrative and shared understanding about why—and how much—equity matters to your community’s future; and
• Inform the development of policies, plans, strategies, business models, and investments to advance equitable growth.

Want to learn more? Check out the National Equity Atlas and the accompanying report, The Equity Solution: Racial Inclusion is Key to Growing a Strong New Economy.

Local Voices Webinar Announcement

Please join the Center for the Study of Social Policy from 3:00pm – 4:15pm (EDT) on Wednesday, December 10th for a webinar focusing on the core capacities needed to achieve lasting community change. The webinar will focus on lessons from the Making Connections initiative and highlight research from the Local Voices report released earlier this year, which focused on the capacities communities developed that led to improvements in systems, programs, and in the lives of children and families.

Participants will hear about how Making Connections communities increased their capacity to conduct results-focused work in terms of 1) developing strong local leadership, 2) solid partnerships, 3) shared use of data, and 4) engaging community residents as decision-makers.

Key questions that will be addressed include:

• What key capacities do communities need to be effective in mobilizing for lasting change?
• How did these increased capacities lead to changes in outcomes for children and families?
• Are these capacities self-sustaining – and what investments can be made to support and strengthen them over time?

Presenters for this webinar will include:

• Juanita Gallion, Senior Consultant, Center for the Study of Social Policy (moderator) 
• Scott Hebert, Principal Consultant, Sustained Impact 
• Sili Savusa, Executive Director, White Center Community Development Association 
• Dana Jackson, Former Director, Network Center for Community Change 
• Dr. Henrietta Munoz, Vice President, Grants Research and Evaluation, United Way of San Antonio 
• Lamont Hulse, Lamont Hulse, Leader, The Community Workshop

For more information, and to register, please click here.

This webinar, hosted by the Center for the Study of Social Policy with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is intended to inform a growing body of knowledge in the community change field.

Anchor Institution Task Force Annual Conference

The Anchor Institution Task Force (AITF) is a collaborative dedicated to helping communities and anchor institutions - such as universities and hospitals - advance community-institution partnerships that can spark economic and community development efforts. AITF is holding its annual conference November 17-18 in Chicago.

Led by the University of Pennsylvania, AITF’s work is driven by the recognition that strong communities depend on the alignment of resources and policies across institutions, civic government, local organizations and private resources, such as business and philanthropy. With members across the country, AITF functions as a think tank, providing resources and developing strategies that can help communities develop partnerships with anchor institutions.

Engaging government and philanthropy, the Task Force is enhancing anchor institution practices by:

• Bringing together scholars, university presidents and other leaders in higher education, and practitioners;
• Increasing cooperation and alignment among government, anchor institutions, businesses, schools, community organizations and philanthropy;
• Developing strategies to promote interagency government collaboration;
• Providing tools for anchor institutions to enhance their societal missions, address local needs, as well as strengthen democratic, mutually beneficial partnerships between institutions of higher education, schools, and community based organizations;
• Providing tools for anchor institutions to help students develop as democratic citizens who are lifelong contributors to communities and the nation’s well-being;
• Complementing philanthropic strategies to support and strengthen vulnerable communities. 

According to AITF, for example, AITF provided guidance to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on how it can increase its impact and strategically leverage anchor institutions - particularly higher education and medical institutions - to improve communities and help solve urban problems.

Building on its work with government and philanthropy, AITF's annual convening will feature several representatives from universities, foundations and the federal government. Check out AITF to learn more about the Task Force and how you can register for the annual conference.

50 States for Good Competition Announced

Tom’s of Maine is inviting nominations for the 50 States for Good competition. Now it its sixth year, the competition recognizes nonprofit organizations and projects committed to addressing pressing community needs. This competition is a great opportunity for communities to recognize local and grassroots efforts that are driven by residents and local stakeholders. 

Chosen by a public vote, finalist organizations will receive $10,000 in support of a current or future project or event. In the past, the 50 States for Good has awarded funding for community playgrounds, sustainable nature trails and homeless shelters. A total of 51 organizations – one from each state and the District of Columbia – will be selected as finalists. Any person with a valid email address can register as a member of the Tom's of Maine online community and cast a vote.

To nominate a project, an official representative of a nonprofit organization must submit a brief essay that describes the organization’s work and the scope of the proposed project. Eligible finalists must be nonprofit organizations operating in the United States or the District of Columbia.

Click here to learn more about past projects and how to nominate an organization.

ACF Confidentiality Toolkit

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released the “ACF Confidentiality Toolkit.” The toolkit provides human service professionals at the state and local levels with an understanding of how and when it is appropriate to share information across programs in order to provide more effective services and improve outcomes for children and families.

In communities throughout the country, human service providers support the well-being of children and families through a variety of programs, such as income assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance, child care and health and mental healthcare services. With individual data requirements and rules across service providers, data between these programs is often never shared as it would disrupt the confidentiality and privacy of individuals. It has become increasingly clear, however, that sharing data across programs can help service providers integrate and coordinate care. This coordination improves communication and efficiency, which can positively impact individual outcomes and the well-being of children and families. As the toolkit points out, better outcomes mean healthier, safer, stabilized individuals and families with a better chance of sustaining self-sufficiency and long-term personal success, which, in turn, reduces costs to the state and local governments.

ACF Confidentiality Toolkit will help state and local efforts by:

• Providing examples of how confidentiality requirements can be addressed and met in a manner fully consistent with governing laws and underlying policies;
• Including sample Memoranda of Understandings and data sharing agreements;
• Providing helpful guidance to states and localities 

Learn more by visiting the ACF Confidentiality Toolkit.

New KIDS COUNT Data Highlights the Importance of Equity-Focused Work

The 2014 KIDS COUNT Data Book, released last week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, marks the 25th edition of the report that details how children are faring, both at the state and national level. Born as a CSSP project in 1990, the national KIDS COUNT initiative was conceptualized as a way to help local communities, states and national leaders make better informed policy and practice decisions in order to improve the economic, health, educational, family and community well-being of America’s children. The data book continues to use an index of key indicators, allowing for the tracking of trends over time.

National data from before and after the recession indicate that while children experienced across-the-board gains in the areas of education and health, they did experience some setbacks in the domains of economic well-being and family/community factors. Broadly speaking, more children today are living in poor, single-parent families in areas of concentrated poverty, where parents lack secure employment while experiencing higher housing costs than in past years.

In addition to national data, the new KIDS COUNT report provides state profiles which detail how a state has done on each of the 16 indicators and provides domain-specific ranks in addition to how the state ranks in overall child well-being. There is, of course, variety both between states and even within the different domains for a single state as resources, policies and funding priorities vary considerably across the country. Massachusetts, for example, who ranks first in terms of overall well-being, is ranked first in education indicators, second on health indicators, eighth in the family and community domain and drops to thirteenth in terms of economic well-being.

Unfortunately, even within the areas of improvement, a concerning amount of racial inequity remains. On more than half of the indicators examined, African American, American Indian and Latino children continue to experience negative outcomes at rates that are higher than the national average. In addition, these children fare worse than their white peers on 75 percent of indicators. The area in which they are keeping pace are the indicators surrounding health, indicating that recent policy efforts to increase access to health insurance, prenatal care and combat substance use have been effective.

Given the dramatic shift in the ethnic composition of children in the U.S., these trends are disturbing. The percentage of white children dropped from 69 percent in 1990 to 53 percent in 2012 while the percentage of Latino children doubled, from 12 to 24 percent during the same period. In fact, it is estimated that by 2018, children of color will be the majority. If racial inequities continue to exist at current levels, a distressing picture of our long-term economic and social future begins to emerge. In order to change the trajectory, we have to address the reality that too many children of color begin life with multiple disadvantages.

Data sources like the annual KIDS COUNT report provide an invaluable resource that can help galvanize and inform effective solutions at the community level. Comparing local data to state and national indicators enables communities to understand the nature and extent of both assets and challenges. Disaggregating data based on variables such as race, ethnicity, gender and age provides an even more nuanced picture of how different populations are faring, offering critical information to community change actors working to address disparities and target strategies to create better results for all children and families.

For more information on CSSP’s organizational commitment to equity, see our 2013 Annual Report: Equity and Social Change. For tools on how to use data in your community change efforts, see the Building Neighborhood Capacity Resource Center.

Creative Investing to Make a Difference: Finance Strategies for Community Change

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is hosting a webinar titled Creative Investing to Make a Difference: Finance Strategies for Community Change. The webinar, which will take place on Tuesday, July 29th at 2pm ET, is the latest in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Community Matters webinar series.

While there are several capacities needed to transform communities and improve outcomes for children and families, developing a long-term financing strategy that includes a mix of public, private and philanthropic support is both critical and challenging. Join the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Calvert Foundation for a presentation on how to use unconventional and innovative financing strategies to target investments that can transform your community.

Panelists will include:

• Ryan Chao, vice president for civic sites and community change, the Annie E. Casey Foundation (moderator)
• Beth Bafford, senior officer for strategic initiatives, Calvert Foundation
• Tracy Kartye, director of social investments, the Annie E. Casey Foundation

Click here to register for the webinar.

Want to learn more about how your community can develop innovative approaches to financing? Check out the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program Resource Center.

Federal Reserve Launches Online Community Development Portal

The Federal Reserve (Fed) recently launched FedCommunities.org, an online gateway to community development resources from all 12 Federal Reserve Banks and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. The Fed’s community development work focuses on “promoting economic growth and financial stability in communities across the country, especially those in low- and moderate-income areas.”

Resources are organized into four categories—people, place, practice and small business. The content ranges from research and tools to event information and multimedia resources. For instance, the neighborhood revitalization and stabilization page includes links to an interactive data mapping tool from the Kansas City Fed, national and local foreclosure resources from the Richmond Fed and research reports on topics from urban decline in Rust Belt cities to the subprime crisis in suburbia.

In conjunction with the web launch, a companion report: Federal Reserve Community Development Perspectives: A summary of activities, insights, and future opportunities highlights the Fed’s recent efforts to address barriers to economic growth and promote fair and informed access to financial markets.

To visit the site, go to the FedCommunities.org. On July 10th, a Connecting Communities webinar will discuss the Fed’s community development work and provide insights on promising practices, research and policy issues from around the country.

Dealing with Vacant Properties in Your Community

Have you ever walked by a boarded up, vacant property in your neighborhood and thought “I wish someone would fix that place up?” 

Neglected vacant properties are a problem in communities across the country. They are often piled up with trash and debris, boarded up, and can often be the locale for criminal activity.  But unfortunately, such vacant properties have surfaced in neighborhoods in unprecedented numbers since the advent of the recent foreclosure crisis. Whether it be a bank owned property, a property abandoned by its owners, or simply old industrial or commercial sites with seemingly no use, a vacant property can often become eyesore and a danger to the community in which it is located.  A vacant property can also end up costing cities thousands of dollars in lost property taxes as well as from responding to 311 calls from neighbors citing criminal activity and the need for fire abatement. Often, vacant properties are located in the same neighborhood, compounding the negative outcomes for the community. 

But vacant and blighted properties don’t have to be a seemingly endless burden on communities. In fact, cities and communities can use these vacant spaces as a resource for community change using the right creative approach. The Center for Community Progress is an organization devoted entirely to helping communities turn their “vacant places into vibrant spaces.”  One of the ways the organization does this is through its web-based Building American Cities Toolkit™. The toolkit is meant to be used by community actors who wants to address vacant cities in their community and has four main elements:

•             Dealing with problem property owners 

•             Building stronger neighborhoods

•             Reusing vacant properties; and 

•             Taking control of and managing problem properties

The toolkit offers ways to implement real strategies that have worked in the past; everything from cracking down on problem property owners to how to evaluate a vacant site for potential reuse. 

Does this sound like something you can use in your community?  Want more advice from experts and a chance to have your concerns answered and addressed?  You can also plan to attend their Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference in May 2015, which will be held in Detroit, MI, to learn more about how to combat blight and put vacant properties to good use in your neighborhood.  

Using Café Conversations to Build Parent Leadership

Parent engagement is critical to the success of community change efforts focused on achieving better results for children and families. In communities around the country, café conversations have emerged as a popular method for facilitating meaningful, reflective dialogue that promotes parent leadership and collaboration.

The goal of cafes is to create an intimate environment where parents, caregivers and community members can share and support each other as a strategy for strengthening families. Cafés are designed to build the five Protective Factors that research shows increase family strengths, enhance child development and reduce child neglect and abuse:

• Parental resilience
• Social connections
• Knowledge of parenting and child development
• Concrete support in times of need
• Social and emotional competence of children

To learn more about what cafés are and how they are used, read a new overview from the Center for the Study of Social Policy. The document highlights some of the most widely used café models and includes a checklist of core elements that should be present for cafés to be successful in building parent leadership and protective factors, regardless of the model used.

For a variety of other resident engagement tools, check out the Building Neighborhood Capacity Resource Center.

2014 Neighborhood Revitalization Conference: Research and the Well-Being of Families in Tough Neighborhoods

The 2014 Neighborhood Revitalization Conference is July 24-25 in Washington, DC. With sessions designed to address some of the most complex challenges in place-based revitalization, the conference is a unique opportunity for practitioners, policymakers, private sector leaders and funders to network and explore together how to tackle the most pressing concerns in our communities.

One challenge that many communities face is how ensure the healthy development and well-being of children and families living in our nation’s most distressed neighborhoods. During the conference, participants will have the opportunity to hear from Dr. Jack Shonkoff, Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard, who will share research that explores how to best support children and families faced with adversity. Though research suggests that early adverse experience – such as poverty and parental substance abuse – can negatively impact brain development, research also tells us that early interventions and caring relationships can reverse the impact of these negative early experiences. As a result, it is important to consider how policies and programs provide support for both children and parents.

Want to learn more about Dr. Shonkoff and the Harvard Center on the Developing Child? Check out the Frontiers of Innovation initiative, as well as their research on how early experience impact brain architecture.

Want to know more about conference sessions? Check out our previous post - the Promise of Promise Zones - that highlights the conference session designed to explore how the Promise Zones strategy is being implemented across the country. Don’t forget to register for the 2014 Neighborhood Revitalization Conference. We look forward to seeing you in July!

“311 for Cities” Launched to Help Local Officials Face their Biggest Challenges

Have you ever dialed “311” to request assistance from your city?  Well, now your city may have a chance to call “311” for professional help with the issues it is facing as well.

On May 22, 2014, the Obama Administration announced the launch of the National Resource Network, a resource designed to serve as a "311 for Cities." The National Resource Network is a key component of the Obama Administration’s Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) initiative and is funded with $10 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It will leverage the expertise, partnerships, and resources of the public and private sectors to help cities come up with solutions to their most pressing challenges. The National Resource Network provides three major types of services:

• Support for Implementing Solutions:  This service is a public-private partnership of experts who will work with cities on the ground to implement initiatives and projects that will foster economic development. The Network will also provide opportunities for cities to apply for direct assistance later this year, so be sure to sign up for updates from the Network to apply for this support.

• Access to Peer Networks and New Ideas: The Network will facilitate connections between local leaders and their peers as well as with experts in the sector solving similar problems in cities across the country. 

• On-Line, On-Demand Access to Expertise:  This part of the Network's service provides an online library of tools and technical assistance for local leaders, as well as their signature “311” resource for public agency staff working on economic and community development issues.

Want to know what "311 for cities" assistance from the National Resource Network actually looks like? Their website includes an example question from a city as well as the subsequent expert answer.

The pilot version of this resource is currently available to 50 cities and will expand to serve many more. To see if your city is eligible for assistance from the “311 for cities” tool, click here. 

National Summit on Authentic Youth Engagement

The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago are hosting the National Summit on Authentic Youth Engagement.

Community change efforts require the active participation of all residents, including young people. Driven by the notion that all young people should have an active role in directing their own lives and shaping their communities, the National Summit on Authentic Youth Engagement will highlight how young people and adults can join together as true partners. Effective partnerships between young people and adults provide young people with an opportunity to practice problem-solving skills they will need in adulthood, build self-esteem and leadership skills and increase their influence and personal stake in the community.

As a conference participant, you will join 350 of the nation’s leading policymakers, youth advocates, researchers, grantmakers and practitioners across a variety of disciplines including education, employment, finance, housing, health, child welfare.

Through panel discussions, plenary keynotes, and breakout sessions, Summit participants will deepen their networks, learn from one another through interactive dialogue, and support emerging efforts to advance an authentic youth engagement agenda across the country. Summit attendees will:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the emerging best practices for authentically engaging young people and consider the application of those best practices across various systems and settings.
• Explore the fundamental changes that are necessary within and among youth-serving systems in order to ensure that young people are truly leading the efforts to improve their life and the lives of their peers.
• Inform the development of a national agenda to promote policies and practices that support authentic youth engagement as an essential element in efforts to improve the lives of young people. 

The National Summit on Authentic Youth Engagement will take place August 5-6, 2014 in Chicago. Click here to learn more about the Summit, including information about featured speakers and registration.

2014 Neighborhood Revitalization Conference - The Promise of Promise Zones

The 2014 Neighborhood Revitalization Conference is less than two months away. This year’s conference includes several sessions that will tackle some of most complex challenges in place-based revitalization efforts. One session – The Promise of Promise Zones: Aligning Neighborhood, City and Federal Revitalization Efforts - will explore Promise Zones. As one of the administration’s most recent place-based initiatives, Promise Zones aims to strengthen some of our nation's highest poverty and most challenged communities by creating jobs, increasing economic activity, improving educational opportunities, reducing violent crime, and leveraging private investment in a defined geographic area of high need. 

At the 2014 Neighborhood Revitalization Conference, participants will have the opportunity to hear from a panel of neighborhood and city representatives from the Los Angeles Promise Zone. Panelists will explore how they are aiming to integrate multiple neighborhood initiatives and align city and federal policy and investments to support this work.

Have you registered for the Neighborhood Revitalization Conference? Be sure to register by June 24, 2014. The conference will take place July 24-25 in Washington, DC.

Want to learn more about Promise Zones? Check out the Center for the Study of Social Policy's Promise Zones Brief.

Be sure to check back as the Investing in Community Change blog will highlight featured speakers and conference sessions. 

We look forward to seeing you in July!

Neighborhood Revitalization Conference - Registration Now Open

The Alliance for Children and Families and the Center for the Study of Social Policy are pleased to announce the 2014 Neighborhood Revitalization Conference. Now in its fourth year, this is the only national conference designed specifically for individuals and organizations with a deep investment in place-based, neighborhood revitalization efforts. The 2014 conference will bring together a wide range of public and private sector leaders, policymakers, practitioners and funders to learn together and set goals for the future.

What can you expect from this year’s conference? The 2014 Neighborhood Revitalization Conference will feature a number of sessions that tackle some of the field’s most complex challenges. Sessions will include:

• The Federal Government’s Commitment to Improving Results in Disinvested Neighborhoods
• Federal and Philanthropic Investments to Catalyze Sustainable Local Efforts
• Frontiers of Innovation: What Does Research Tell Us About Ensuring the Well-Being of Children and Families Living in Touch Neighborhoods?
• The Promise of Promise Zones: Aligning Neighborhood, City and Federal Revitalization Efforts

The conference will take place July 24-25 in Washington, DC and will include 20 workshops. Click here to learn more about conference registration.

Be sure to check back as the Investing in Community Change blog highlights featured speakers and conference sessions. 

We look forward to seeing you in July!