FAMILIES THRIVE

Families Thrive brings together the many community stakeholders that support children, youth and families to thrive. The focus is on increasing awareness of the impact of children's exposure to domestic violence and what the community can do to help promote resilience, increase primary prevention and better support children, youth and families. The strengths-based approach is grounded in engagement, knowledge sharing, coordination and collaboration across multiple levels of government and among many community stakeholders.  Families Thrive enhances the ability of individuals and organizations in their efforts to reduce family violence and to improve victim and child safety and resilience in the short and long-term. 

For more information please visit www.familiesthrive.org or email info@familiesthrive.org.

CREATING AGING-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES

Global Online Network

Over 2,000 people are engaged in the Creating Aging-Friendly Communities global online network. This online network features collaborative activities, discussions, guest speakers, and sharing of resources, experiences and tools to address the challenges and opportunities of making our communities more aging-friendly. Those who participate in Creating Aging-Friendly Communities will have access to resources and tools to help them create positive change in their communities.

We are beginning an community-engaged planning process with the National Council on Aging to design what Creating Aging-Friendly Communities will offer in 2010/2011.

Beginning April 2010, Creating Aging-Friendly Communities is joining with CDC’s Healthy Aging Research Network to engage professionals and advocates nationwide in promoting environmental policy change to support healthy aging. This project addresses one often underutilized strategy to create communities that promote healthy and vital aging: environmental policy change. By this we mean changes in policy to help ensure that people are able to remain fully engaged in their communities as they age. We need improvements in neighborhood design and safety, more housing options with universal design features, better integration of transportation resources, and protection from environmental hazards. Federal and state policy change is important, but much of the change that is needed can take place at the community level. We can use policy tools that range from regulations to incentives to education. To advance this cause, we all need to learn more about effective policies in these areas and what roles we can play to create policy change. You can become a part of this important one-year initiative!

Start now by taking our online survey about your learning needs and what you would like to accomplish. We will use the survey results to create and make available on Creating Aging-Friendly Communities, action briefs, online resources, interactive online mini-conferences, and to engage the online community in sharing ideas, resources, and successes. Click here to take the survey and get involved!

The Creating Aging-Friendly Communities online network began with an online conference, held Feb/Mar 2008, which was a huge success with over 700 participants. The online conference was designed to support individuals and organizations in their planning to make communities more aging-friendly. The conference was made possible through generous funding from Helen Andrus Benedict Foundation, MetLife Foundation, Sierra Health Foundation and The California Endowment.

Please email us at info@agingfriendly.org if you have any questions or are interested in joining the Creating Aging-Friendly Communities online network.

Visit our website at www.agingfriendly.org

Village to Village Network

Susan Poor, a leading national expert on the development of the 'Village Model' as an innovative approach to support aging-in-community, and Andrew Scharlach from UC Berkeley, provide technical assistance to the California Villages Project for developing and open Villages in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles County, and San Diego County. More information can be found at www.vtvnetwork.org

SUPPORTING YOUTH SUCCESS

California Teachers Association and the Institute for Teaching

Community Strengths provided support for the What Works! Strengths-Based Approaches to Early Childhood Education conference in October/November 2009.

America's Promise Alliance

Community Strengths provided engagement consulting and support to iCohere, a leading provider of online collaborative software and America's Promise Alliance, bringing together multiple partners and communities that are focusing on helping youth succeed in school and life. Click here for more information about America's Promise Allliance. Click here for more information about iCohere.

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY SUMMITS & WORKSHOPS

Flourishing Destinies Appreciative Inquiry Workshop

Offered as part of the 2009 World Appreciative Inquiry Conference - Creating a Positive Revolution for Sustainable Change, featuring top leaders, practitioners and scholars from around the world who focus on strengths-based approaches for change and development. For more information please visit the workshop website at www.flourishingdestiny.org.

Healthy Kids Healthy Schools: Leveraging the Power of Our Community

A project with OvationNet, David Cooperrider and iCohere, Community Strengths supported strategic engagement and project initiative consulting for the Houston Independent School District following the Healthy Kids Healthy Schools: Leveraging the Power of Our Community Summit in February 2009.

Community leaders and stakeholders from every corner of Houston collaborated with the Houston Independent School District to envision a new national model for improving student nutrition and physical activity. The ongoing partnership of school leaders, teachers, business and community leaders, health professionals, parents, and students continues to develop specific action projects as they share ideas, stories, and strategies on ways to improve the health, academic performance, and future of our children.

Click here for more information about the Healthy Kids Healthy Schools: Leveraging the Power of Community Appreciative Inquiry Summit.

Global Summit on Social Responsibility

Another project with iCohere, Community Strengths provided engagement strategic consulting and support to hold Appreciative Inquiry Global Summits that result in concrete initiatives and projects. AI is a powerful large-systems change process that accelerates positive change by engaging a broad range of stakeholders in the change process. The first ever online AI Global Summit on Social Responsibilty was held in May, 2008 with over 700 participants. Click here for more information about the first online Global Summit on Social Responsibility with ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership. Click here for more information about OvationNet and Appreciative Inquiry.