Engaged Citizens. Innovative Ideas.

Crowdsourced Conversations 2022 Oct – Civic Engagement

Crowdsourced Conversations – 2022 TOPIC #4: Civic Engagement

On Wednesday, October 26, 2022, approximately 40 Heights residents gathered at the Fellowship Hall in Disciples Christian Church to participate in a discussion-based forum where small groups engaged in conversation about the importance and role of civic engagement. Special thank you to Councilman Tony Cuda and Jen Holland (Reaching Heights, CH-UH PTA, Building Heights) for their opening remarks!

While every group had sparkling dialogue around why civic engagement matters to them, how they first took steps to get involved in the community, and how to encourage others (especially younger generations) to get involved as well, we recognize that our event isn’t intended to “solve” anything, but, rather to spark ideas, to plant seeds, and to connect Heights residents with each other and build community.

A few suggested highlights and action steps that came out of each group’s discussion:

BLUE GROUP: Encourage more face-to-face meetups and conversations. Bridge the divide between the schools and the community to get more students and their families involved.  Maybe a book club focused on Susie Kaeser’s book Resisting Segregation.

GREEN GROUP: Build trust with each other through engaged dialogue.  Our world feels very divided but the more we can talk to each other and understand each other’s stories the more cohesive we can become.  Also, understanding what’s on a ballot and what the impact of voting means on your community matters a great deal.

ORANGE GROUP: No one should feel “bullied” into civic engagement — and/also civic engagement can manifest in a multitude of ways.  Groupthink makes it seem like there’s a “right” and a “wrong” and nothing in-between, which shuts down dialogue and widens the divide.  Civic engagement is being open to dialogue and working together.  They’d also love to bring youth/student into the mix to learn more about what they think and how they see civic engagement factor into their lives.

PINK GROUP: They note that people engage in issues that impact them directly — and, in turn, their participation in these issues can have an impact on the outcome or next steps of that issue.  “Squeaky wheel gets the grease.”  The more you speak up, the more change you see.

RED GROUP: There may be many issues we care about but we have to be mindful of our resources (time, money, health, other obligations) when getting directly involved.  They note that we can’t take on every cause that matters to us but if we can identify specific causes that matter to us the most, that’s a place to start.

ALL GROUPS: The theme of the night was community, community, community: get to know your neighbors, get to know people who care about what you care about, be less combative and more collaborative, and find ways to bring younger residents and students into the dialogue.  The better we know each other, the stronger our community can become!

Word jumble from all of the groups’ notes.

 

Here are some additional ideas for action steps:

 

Resources:

Books we recommend:

Podcasts we recommend:

Access the full Civic Engagement Survey Report here.

Crowdsourced Conversations 2022 Aug – Community Safety

Crowdsourced Conversations – 2022 Topic #3: Community Safety

On Wednesday, August 31, 2022, approximately 30 Heights residents gathered at Denison Park to participate in a discussion-based forum where small groups engaged in conversation about community safety.  Special thank you to Councilwoman Gail Larson and Robert Lampley, representing the City of Cleveland Heights Racial Justice Task Force, as well as Chief of Cleveland Heights Police Chris Britton, for their opening remarks!

 

We recognize that these conversations are first steps, not final solutions.  Each group identified something actionable they could do as everyday residents to be the change they wish to see in their communities:

A few suggested action steps that came out of each group’s discussion:

  • BLUE GROUP: Encourage more of a “front porch culture” to help neighbors not only keep an eye on the street but foster more opportunities to get to know each other.
  • GREEN GROUP: Advocate for a regular column in the Heights Observer for the police department to keep residents up-to-date about what is happening in the community — possibly also including opportunities for community members to write in questions for members of the police force to answer.
  • ORANGE GROUP: Complete the traffic calming petition for your street.
  • PINK GROUP: Organize a block party to get to know neighbors better and set up a way to communicate with each other about anything happening in the neighborhood.
  • RED GROUP: Streamline and simplify the who-to-call-when protocols if non-emergency situations arise — having a clear sense of the best number to call would empower residents to get the support they might need in an easy and clear way.

Word cloud generated from all of the group’s notes.

 

Here are some additional ideas for action steps:

 

 

Resources:

 

If you have suggestions for additional resources, please email info@futureheights.org.

Crowdsourced Conversations 2022 June – Housing & Neighborhood Preservation

Crowdsourced Conversations – 2022 Topic #2: Housing & Neighborhood Preservation

 

On Tuesday, June 28, 2022, approximately 60 Heights residents gathered at Forest Hill Church to participate in a discussion-based forum where small groups engaged in conversation about housing & neighborhood preservation.  Special thank you to Councilwoman Gail Larson (graciously pinch-hitting for Councilman Tony Cuda, who was unable to attend at the last minute) and Keesha Allen, Executive Director for Home Repair Resource Center, for their opening remarks!

 

We recognize that these conversations are first steps, not final solutions.  Each group identified something actionable they could do as everyday residents to be the change they wish to see in their communities:

 

A few suggested action steps that came out of each group’s discussion:

  • BLUE GROUP – Download the (FREE) Access Cleveland Heights app to document & report issues to the appropriate city department.
  • GREEN GROUP – “Put your best foot forward” and find a way to contribute that feels meaningful to you.  Be welcoming to new neighbors and make more connections with those who live nearby.
  • ORANGE GROUP – Advocate for a more robust Housing Department at the city.
  • PINK GROUP – Advocate for — and help create — a “Good Neighbor” welcome packet that can be shared electronically with new homeowners and new renters.  Show up to City Council Meetings to make your voice heard on issues you care about!
  • RED GROUP – Be a squeaky wheel.  Document & communicate. Show up.  Build connections.
  • YELLOW GROUP – Advocate for easily accessible resources for tenants so they know their rights. Advocate for more/affordable housing stock.  Advocate for code enforcement and a stronger housing department.

These are just a handful of the ideas that came out of the conversation — what fantastic, action-oriented first steps to take!

 

A word cloud generated from the small group discussion notes.

 

Here are some additional ideas for action steps:

 

Resources:

Have a resource to add or have a question about the series?  Let us know!  Email info@futureheights.org.

We hope to see you at our next Crowdsourced Conversation forum!

Crowdsourced Conversations 2022 April – Sustainability

Crowdsourced Conversations – 2022 Topic #1: Sustainability

On Wednesday, April 27, 2022, approximately 50 Heights residents gathered at Coventry PEACE to participate in a discussion-based forum where small groups engaged in conversation about earth-friendly practices.  Special thank you to Councilwoman Josie Moore and the Cleveland Heights Green Team for their opening remarks!

While it was undoubtedly an evening of energizing and enthusiastic dialogue, we recognize it is only a first step.  The goal of our forum series is to spark ideas and connect residents to keep the momentum going even after the event has concluded.

 

As folks arrived at our forum, we asked them to share what brought them to the event:

 

And if this is how it started, then, by the end, this is how it was going:

We all want to know, though:  What’s Next?

The answer is up to you.

 

Here are some ideas:

  • Host your own small group action-oriented discussions with your family, friends, and neighbors.  You can even use our Sustainability Forum – Small Group Discussion Questions to get you started!
  • Do small group/individualized research about the (for example) new recycling program and brainstorm ways to share what is recyclable versus not with neighbors.
  • Attend City Council meetings and, in general, be aware of what is on City Council agendas.
  • Write articles or op-eds — or maybe even inquire about being a columnist — for the Heights Observer.
  • Connect with Cleveland Heights Green Team, Friends of Heights Parks, or other neighborhood groups to engage with their activities.
  • Join us for the next Crowdsourced Conversation forum to meet other engaged Heights residents.

 

Resources:

Have suggestions about other resources or ideas to add to the list about how to get involved?  Email info@futureheights.org.

 

We hope you can join us for a future Crowdsourced Conversation event.  Learn more here.

 

 

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