Building and Working

with Communities

• Define neighborhood and community• Identify needs and assets of each• Examine current comfort zone and environment• Provide concrete examples of “community

connections”• Develop action plan for utilizing assets and

building relationships

Objectives

Mind Mapping Exercise• What is a Neighborhood?

• What are your neighborhoods’ assets?

• What are their needs?

• What is a Community?• What are your communities’

assets?• What are their needs?

• How are they the same?• How are they different?

Sample mind map

Schools

Businesses

Boys and Girls Club

4

Have You Considered ALL Assets?

• Youth, Elderly, or Singles Groups• Block Clubs• Foundations and Charities• Community Colleges• Banks• Hospitals• Libraries• Parks • Social Service Agencies• Public Service Organizations (Fire, Police, Aldermen)• Who/what else?

5

The Mission of PTA Transcends…• Race

• Religion

• Economics

• Geography

6

Your Comfort Zone

Whom do you interact with…• Daily?

• Weekly?

• Monthly?

• Annually?

• Never?• Highlight these on your

mind map

7

Make the Connection

Breakout Groups• Choose a bullet point. • Provide concrete examples of what this could “look like” in

action. • Consider the assets that your community already has when

providing examples.

7

Examine Your Surroundings• School environment

• Communication

• Special events

• Cultural practices

• Community perception

8

Examine Your PTA’s Unspoken “Rules”• How are decisions made?

• Is the process clear to all members?

• What is done to orient new members so they feel comfortable enough to participate?

• How are unwritten rules shared?

9

Building Relationships with Care

• Avoid questions that begin with the words “How do people from your country/race/religion

feel about…”

• Check out a question by first asking it of yourself.

10

What’s in it for You?

“Ensuring that the leadership and membership of your

PTA truly reflects the surrounding community will _______________________.”

11

Personal Action Plan

I will lead the effort of __________________________ by

utilizing the following community assets; _____________

_____________________________ and reaching out to the

following people and groups _______________________.

My PTA and community will benefit in the following

ways:_____________________________________________.

12

• PTA Membership Quick Reference Guide on pta.org

• http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/community/introd-building.html

Reprinted with permission of John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight, pp. 1-11, from Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets, Evanston, IL: Institute for Policy Research (1993).

Resources

Building and Working

with Communities