What We Did In March - Community Animator Network
A little bit of Kansas wind never hurt anyone. Welcome to our Spring 2023 cohort of Animators! Not pictured, Allison Knier from Garden City, KS.
Yesterday evening we were lucky enough to get to gather with the latest cohort for our Community Animator Network.
Elizabeth and Catherine made a few changes to the program this time around. The biggest changes being that we have extended the program from 8 weeks to 12 weeks, and have decided to scale down on the participants we choose for each cohort. Here at The Neighboring Movement, we recognize that trust and relationship-building is slow work. We want our Animators to really absorb the intricacies of asset-based community development in a way that is sustainable for them and the neighbors, community, and friends they will encounter during this journey with us!
For those that haven’t heard our praise over the book, ‘The Connected Community’ written by our friends John McKnight and Cormac Russell - please check it out! This book has helped condense the principles of ABCD in a way that is easy to digest. It is what our Animator’s will be using as reference throughout their time with us.
Our evening consisted of lively introductions from all of our amazing participants, Adam giving a retelling of how TNM came to be, and an introduction to ABCD that breaks down our core values.
Start with what is strong within your neighborhood or community, not with what wrong.
Place your focus on the gifts that are already prevalent.
The culture of contribution, and how everyone has something they bring to the table.
This is just the start for these incredible folks. We can’t wait to update you all with their progress!
Some other wins to share regarding CAN and our community builders:
Les Allison (Florence, KS) has been working with the community to establish a child care center in the town, and we are proud to announce that his efforts have been paying off. On March 20th, Les successfully hosted a public meeting that drew interested community members to participate and support the initiative. We are delighted by the overwhelming turnout and enthusiasm for this vital project. Read more about the gathering here.
Karen Kasten (Wichita, KS) joined the community builders this month and her project revolves around revitalizing Lincoln Park!
Somos First-Gen has gained new volunteers! You can connect with this support group that was created by our Animator, Emily Cruz (Wichita, KS) here.
Arionna Tull (Wichita, KS) through her group, Wichita Earth Crew, is planning a sustainable fashion event on April 22nd. Check it out here!
