MODULE 2 Make It Happen: Define Community —~ What's Your Story —~ Your Attitude Can Inspire —~ Dream the Possible Dream —~ Walk the Talk PARTICIPANTS' GUIDE Published by: U.S. EPA Region 4 Environmental Justice and Children's Health Section Environmental Justice Academy A rnA United States Environmental Protection * % Agency ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Table of Contents Preparation Materials 3 Icon Key 4 Agendas 5 Module 2 Day 1 5 Module 2 Day 2 6 Module 2 Day 1: Close the Gap Recap: Module 1 Review 9 Module 2 Day 1: Lesson 1: Appreciate So Your Dreams Won't Depreciate: What's Your Story? (Definition and Discovery) 12 Module 2 Day 1: Class Activity: Appreciate Your Community 17 15-Minute Break 18 Module 2 Day 1: Lesson 2: Your Attitude Can Inspire 18 Activity: What's Your Story? 19 15-Minute Break 19 Module 2 Day 1: Lesson 3: Dream the Possible Dream: Envision the Change (Dream) 19 Module 2 Day 1: Lesson 4: Walk the Talk: On the Road to Your Destiny 22 Module 2 Day 1: Homework Activity: Walk the Talk: On the Road to Your Destiny (Destiny) 23 Module 2 Day 1: Closing 23 Module 2 Day 2 25 Module 2 Day 2: Welcome Back 26 Module 2 Day 2: Lesson 5: Making It Last: An Introduction to Sustainability 26 Module 2 Day 2: Lesson 6: Creating a Sustainable Blueprint for Success: Setting Goals and Identifying Planning Actions 26 Module 2 Day 2: Class Activity: S.M.A.R.T. Actions 30 15-Minute Break 31 Module Day 2: Lesson 7: Creating a Blueprint for Success: Acting with Purpose 31 10-Minute Break 32 Module 2 Day 2: Summary: Synopsis of Days 1 and 2 32 Homework Assignment: Community Portfolio 34 Module 2 Day 2: Tour Details (Eastside Atlanta BeltLine) 34 Appendices 35 Appendix A: Additional Resources 36 Appendix B: Class Activity: Appreciate Your Community 37 Appendix C: Exercise 1: What's Your Story? Summary Sheet 39 Appendix D: Exercise 2: Individual Activity: Your Attitude Can Inspire 40 Appendix E: Exercise 3: Dream Statement 41 United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix F: Exercise 4: Group/Individual Activity: Walk the Talk: On the Road to Your Destiny (Homework) 42 Appendix G: Exercise 5: Acting with Purpose 43 Appendix H: Homework: Refining Goals and Planning Actions 44 Appendix I: Homework: Community Quilt 46 Appendix J: Collaborative Problem-Solving Element 2 47 Additional Notes: United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Preparation Materials Participant Guide Icons and Agenda &EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Icon Key Icon Title Meaning | 1 Instructions to the facilitator This icon means there are specific instructions for the facilitator. This content should not be read aloud. 1 ~ 1 Background for the facilitator This icon indicates that there is background information the facilitator should be aware of when covering this topic. This information is presented in the facilitator's guide. 1 1 Facilitator says This icon means the facilitator should read the content nearly verbatim, interjecting thoughts when appropriate. I 0 1 Key point This icon indicates an important point that the facilitator should communicate to the audience in their own words. | I 1 Questions This icon means the facilitator should allow time for the audience to ask questions or the facilitator should ask the audience questions. D 1 Activity This icon indicates an activity that the facilitator should explain. The activity can be either a group or individual activity. g 1 Assessment This icon indicates the facilitator will conduct an assessment. | . 1 Multimedia This icon indicates the facilitator will have students watch a video. I 1 Computer This icon indicates the facilitator will have students visit an online resource. 1 Handouts or resource materials This icon indicates the facilitator will give students a handout or other resource material. m Homework This icon indicates a homework assignment. c 1 1 Transition This icon indicates the facilitator will provide a transition from one topic to another. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 4 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Aqendas Module 2 Day 1 Make It Happen: Define Community —> What's Your Story —> Your Attitude Can Inspire —> Dream the Possible Dream —> Walk the Talk Date: Time: Location: Contact: Time Day 1 Facilitator Close the Gap Recap: Module 1 • Brief welcome back and overview of module 1 • Jeopardy review game led by participants (review of module 1 concepts and homework) Questions and answers (group discussion) • What concepts were easy or difficult to understand? • What stood out to you? What was important? • How can you use this information? • Open questions Lesson 1: Appreciate So Your Dreams Won't Depreciate: What's Your Story (Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry) Definition of appreciative inquiry activity • Participants interview each other in pairs to share a story about the best time they have had with their organization • Participants share what they learned with the group • A brief history of appreciative inquiry Break Lesson 2: Your Attitude Can Inspire • "The happy secret to better work" United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 5 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Time Day 1 Facilitator • Shawn Achor TED Talk video Group discussion • How do you understand the impact of training your mind to see gratitude? • What do you want to see more of in your community? Break Lesson 3: Dream the Possible Dream: Envision the Change • Vision board • Dream statement Lesson 4: Walk the Talk: On the Road to Your Destiny • Homework activity: Bold ideas Closing Remarks • Short introduction to day 2 • Thanks and closing of session Module 2 Day 2 Make It Happen: Define Community —> What's Your Story —> Your Attitude Can Inspire —> Dream the Possible Dream —> Walk the Talk Date: Time: Location: Contact: Time Day 2 Facilitator Welcome Back • Sign in • Housekeeping • Refining the visual image, word image, and bold ideas (optional exercise) United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 6 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Time Day 2 Facilitator Lesson 5: Making It Last: An Introduction to Sustainability • What makes a community a great place to live (i.e., sustainable community)? • Class activity • Lecture/talk Lesson 6: Creating a Sustainable Blueprint for Success: Refining Goals and Planning Actions • Class activity: S.M.A.R.T. actions (with scenario) Break Lesson 7: Creating a Blueprint for Success: Acting with Purpose • Atlanta BeltLine presentation • Class activity: Using S.M.A.R.T. goals approach to detail your bold ideas (individual goals) Module 1 homework review and Module 2 homework assignment Atlanta BeltLine Field Trip • Travel to the Atlanta BeltLine • Walking tour of the Atlanta BeltLine Dismissal United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 7 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Module 2 Day 1 Make It Happen: Define Community —~ What's Your Story —~ Your Attitude Can Inspire —~ Dream the Possible Dream —~ Walk the Talk United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 8 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Module 2 Day 1: Close the Gap Recap: Module 1 Review Objectives: You will review the material learned in module 1. Module 1 Review Game The module 1 review game is an activity that will engage you in a fun and beneficial recap of the previous module. As the title implies, the categories will be based on the modules 1 sessions and homework. Group Discussion/Debrief Consider the following questions during the discussion: What was the most important concept you learned from module 1? What concepts were easy of difficult to understand? What concepts resonated with you? How can you use the information learned in your community? Overview of Module 1 and Homework In the last module, you were introduced to the EJ Academy program, environmental justice, environmental laws and regulations, and the collaborative problem-solving model. These topics allowed you to accomplish the following learning objectives: • Demonstrate an understanding of program requirements. • Define the term "environmental justice" and describe how environmental justice became an executive order. • Identify three environmental laws and regulations that impact underserved communities. • Recognize the seven collaborative problem-solving techniques. Review module 1 with your accountability partner and discuss salient points for the homework assignments. You should discuss one or two of these questions with your partner: How do you define the boundaries of your community? What tools and information did you use to make that determination? After using the census or other sources, were you surprised at your community demographic? Is it what you expected? Has it changed in the last five, 10, or 20 years? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 9 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Module 2 Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Participants' Guide • Who are your partners for the project? In what ways have you worked together? • How has your community or organization defined success? How has your community celebrated successes? • What does this homework assignment tell you about your community or organization that you didn't already know? a Check if your community assessment1'2 included the following: • Physical aspects. Every community has a physical presence of some sort, even if only one building. Most have geographic areas they are either defined by or attached to. It's important to know your community's size and the look and feel of its buildings, its topography (e.g., hills, valleys, rivers, roads, and other features you'd find on a map), and its neighborhoods. It's also important to understand how various areas of the community differ from one another, and whether your impression varies among the areas. • If your community is defined by its population, then its physical properties are as well: where people live, where people gather, the places that are important to them. The characteristics of those places can tell you a great deal about the people who make up your community. • Infrastructure. Roads, bridges, transportation (e.g., local public transportation, airports, train lines), electricity, landline and mobile telephone service, and internet service make up the infrastructure of the community. • Patterns of settlement, commerce, and industry. Where are the physical spaces? Communities reveal their character by where and how they create living and working spaces. Are heavy industries located next to residential neighborhoods? If so, who lives in those neighborhoods? Are some parts of the community dangerous, either because of high crime and violence or because of unsafe conditions in the built or natural environment? • Demographics. Age, gender, race and ethnicity, marital status, education, number of people in household, first language—these and other statistics make up the demographic profile of the population. When you put them together (e.g., 1 World Health Organization. (1999). Community emergency preparedness: a manual for managers and policy- makers (pp. 30-69). http://apps.who. i nt/i ris/bitstrea m/h a n d le/10665/42083/9241545194.pdf;isessionid=DBA943DBA2C6691 E496D 820FC41A2441?seauence=1 2 Texas A&M University. (2011, June). Mapping Community Assets: Community and Economic Development Team. http://aqecoext.tamu.edu/files/2013/08/Mappinq Assets.pdf United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 10 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide the education level of black women ages 18-24), it gives you a clear picture of who community residents are. • History. The long-term history of the community can tell you about its traditions. Recent history can afford valuable information about conflicts and factions within the community, important issues, past and current relationships among key people and groups. Many of these factors can trip up any effort before it starts if you don't understand and address them. • Community leaders, formal and informal. Some community leaders are elected or appointed: mayors, city councilors, and directors of public works. Others are considered leaders because of their activities or their positions: community activists, corporate CEOs, college presidents, doctors, and clergy. Still others are recognized as leaders because they are trusted for their proven integrity, courage, and care for others and the good of the community. • Community culture, formal and informal. This covers the spoken and unspoken rules and traditions by which your community lives. It can include everything from community events and slogans (the blessing of the fishing fleet, the "artichoke capital of the world") to norms of behavior (turning a blind eye to alcohol abuse or domestic violence) to patterns of discrimination and exercise of power. Understanding the culture and how it developed can be crucial, especially if that's what you're attempting to change. • Existing groups. Most communities have an array of different groups and organizations: service clubs (e.g., Lions, Rotary); faith groups; youth organizations; sports teams and clubs; groups formed around shared interests; boards of communitywide organizations (e.g., the YMCA, the symphony, United Way); sororities and fraternities; Masons and Eastern Stars; and groups devoted to self-help, advocacy, and activism. Knowing of the existence and importance of each of these groups can pave the way for alliances or for understanding opposition. • Existing institutions. Every community has institutions that are important to it, and that may have more or less credibility with residents. Colleges and universities, libraries, religious institutions, hospitals—these and many others can occupy important places in the community. It's important to know what they are, who represents them, and what influence they may have. • Economics. Who are the major employers in the community? What, if any, business or industry is the community's base? Who, if anyone, exercises economic power? How is wealth distributed? Would you characterize the community as poor, working class, middle class, or affluent? What are the economic prospects of the population in general and/or the population you're concerned with? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 11 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide • Government and politics. Understanding the structure of community/local government is important. Some communities may have strong mayors and weak city councils, others the opposite. Other communities may have no mayor at all, but only a town manager, or a different form of government entirely. Whatever the government structure, how does the community participate in the decision- making process? • Social structure. Many aspects of social structure are integrated into other areas—relationships, politics, economics—but you must also consider how people in the community relate to one another daily, how problems are (or aren't) resolved, who socializes or does business with whom, etc. This area also includes perceptions and symbols of status and respect, and whether status carries entitlement or responsibility (or both). • Attitudes and values. Again, much of this area may be covered by investigation into others, particularly culture. What does your community care about, and what does it do well? What are residents' assumptions about the proper way to behave, dress, do business, and treat others? Are there groups who are widely accepted or embraced by most of the community or by those in power? When things are going well, what are the norms for interaction among those with different opinions or who are from different backgrounds? You may not have these elements within your current community assessment. However, you should consider or add these elements at some point in the future for a more in-depth assessment. Module 2 Day 1: Lesson 1: Appreciate So Your Dreams Won't Depreciate: What's Your Story? (Definition and Discovery) Objective: Employ the appreciative inquiry (Al) approach when defining and describing your community. Activity: Appreciate your community. Video: "Brief Historv of Al" jQ Appreciative Inquiry3 Every community has assets that make it unique; these could include the sense of connectedness among residents. Appreciative inquiry (Al) provides a lens to focus 3 Mohr, B. J., & Watkins, J. M. (2002). The essentials of appreciative inquiry: A roadmap for creating positive futures. Pegasus Communications. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 12 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide on what is working in the community and helps us change our mindset to create more of what we know is working and want to see more of. As an example: An environmental justice organization was at odds with their local water utility. The community concerns focused on lead leaching from the utility's water lines and into residences, environmental contamination, and other issues related to lead. EPA brought the community and other stakeholders, the utility's CEO and staff, and state regulators together for an appreciative inquiry session to session to discuss what was working well in the community and how everyone could work together to co-construct a better future for the community. Together, the group decided on the need to provide training to the community on lead-related health issues and exposure, partner with a local university to better understand lead contamination, develop a program for community members to become "master inspectors," purchase water filters for residents, and identify the location of lead service lines connected to homes. Appreciative Inquiry Definition4 Ap-pre'ci-ate, v., 1. Valuing; the act of recognizing the best in people or the world around us; affirming past and present strengths, successes, and potentials; to perceive those things that give life (health, vitality, excellence) to living systems. 2. To increase in value, (e.g., the economy has appreciated in value). Synonyms: valuing, prizing, esteeming, honoring. In-quire' v., 1. The act of exploration and discovery. 2. To ask questions; to be open to seeing new potentials and possibilities. Synonyms: discovery, search, systematic exploration, study. Appreciative inquiry is about the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. In its broadest focus, Al involves systematic discovery of what gives life to a system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms. Al involves the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system's capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. It mobilizes inquiry through crafting the "unconditional positive question," often involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people. Appreciative inquiry is a model for analysis, decision-making, and the creation of strategic change. It is typically characterized by four "D" steps to positive change: • Definition 4 Cooperrider, D. L., & Whitney, D. K. (2005). Appreciative inquiry: A positive revolution in change. Berrett-Koehler. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 13 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide • Discovery • Dream • Destiny The following information describes how to implement the appreciative inquiry approach.5' 6>7 • Choose the Positive as the Focus of Inquiry (Step 1: Definition). When organizations want to make changes, a "fix it" model is usually employed. People will often collect data, identify obstacles, make diagnoses, or seek out what is already good about the team and/or organization. That is the appreciative inquiry approach. The difference is in the questions asked: "How can we close the landfill?" is a traditional question. In an appreciative inquiry process, the question might be: "When is the landfill traffic and odor negligible, and how can we ensure those practices are applied at all times?" o Define the overall focus of the inquiry, what the community wants to create more of. Because of our traditional problem-solving habits, it's easier to first identify an important gap or problem (what we want less of), then reframe it as what we want more of. o Whatever we focus our attention on, we will create more of it. So, what do we want to focus our attention on? 5 The Center for Appreciative Inquiry, (n.d.). Generic Processes of Appreciative Inquiry. http://www.centerforappreciativeinauirv.net/more-on-ai/the-aeneric-processes-of-appreciative-inauirv/ 6 Capra, F. (2002). The hidden connections: Integrating the biological, cognitive, and social dimensions of life into a science of sustainability. Doubleday. 7 Center for Appreciative Inquiry. (2015, June). Appreciative Inquiry Training Program: Shift the Paradigm from Problems to Possibilities United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 14 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide • Inquire into Exceptionally Positive Moments (Step 2: Discovery). We use interviews to evoke stories that illuminate an organization's strengths. When is it functioning at its best? What characteristics are present? Positive stories, unlike data or lists, stir imaginations and generate excitement about the organization and what it can accomplish in the future. This way, we build on what is already working! o Create positive questions to explore the topic. The language of these questions will determine the direction the inquiry will take (negative or positive), and the results of the inquiry. Just asking questions can bring about change in a human system, so be intentional about what you ask. Example: "Tell me a story about the best times that you have had?" o Use the questions created to conduct interviews. You will pair up with a partner and take turns interviewing each other. The interviewer will do the following: - Ask questions, which the interviewee will answer. - Ask follow-up questions (especially when the interviewee shows excitement or high energy). From time to time, you can say things like, "tell me more about that." - Listen—deeply. Remember, it is not a back-and-forth dialogue. o When it's your turn to interview, take some notes about high points and notable quotes. At the end of both interviews, you will each complete a summary sheet for the interview you conducted. The modified interview guide and summary begin on the next page. • Share the Stories and Identify Life-Giving Forces (Step 3: Discovery, continued). The facilitator will provide instructions on this activity, which involves identifying which elements are common to the moments of greatest success and fulfillment. You will also identify the most promising and inspiring components of a desired future. o Form groups of pairs (same pairs). Choose a facilitator, a recorder/presenter, and a timekeeper. o Each group will have a few minutes to share their stories. Each person will take turns sharing the most exciting stories and quotes about powerful learning that your interview partner told them. After participants have shared a story, they should check in briefly with their partner to see if they have captured the highlights that matter most to them, o Working together, the group will look for common elements among the stories and quotes to discover the positive core. Use a flip chart to record as you go. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 15 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Have participants brainstorm a list of the high points, common themes, and noteworthy quotes from the stories, o Have the whole group discuss three common themes from the list that are on the topic of powerful learning, o "Common" does not necessarily mean the same words; it means common in spirit. You are looking for the themes and threads that hold the most positive energy for the group, o No "voting" please. Appreciative inquiry is about dialogue. • Mapping the Positive Core (Optional) IAt this stage of the inquiry, the small groups can brainstorm themes from the stories and create a list of exciting themes, threads, and quotes from the stories. From the list, group members should discuss and agree on three exceptionally positive and inspiring common themes or threads from the stories. Contrary to some other change processes, the groups are encouraged not to vote for the best themes; instead, encourage them to continue their generative dialogue until everyone agrees on and is energized by several themes or generates new themes that emerge from the dialogue. Each small group can then write its themes or threads on a clean sheet of flip chart paper and post it on the wall. They then create an "energy-gram," a visual map of the positive core. Give everyone several sticky dots (same color) to place one dot per theme on two or three themes that they want to create more of. Then, as a large group, they can reflect upon the energy-gram to notice any emerging patterns. Again, remind them that the dots are not votes, but simply a way to display the energy of the group. In small groups, they will discuss what supports or gives life to the theme or thread they chose when at its best (i.e., most nourishes it). Encourage participants to seek divergence rather than convergence, synergy rather than consensus, and higher ground rather than common ground. • Create Shared Images of a Preferred Future (Step 4: Dream). Riding on the momentum of Step 3 (Dream), this stage asks you to create a future in which the high points identified are the everyday reality. The team is designing the structure—whether it's resources, processes, or policies—for achieving this desired future. "The ability to express a vision in metaphors ... is an essential quality of leadership" (Capra, 2002). The visioning or dreaming processes consist of visual and word images: o Is it provocative? Does it stretch, challenge, or interrupt habits? o Is it grounded? Are there examples (stories) in the system that illustrate the ideal as a real possibility? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 16 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Module 2 Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Participants' Guide o Is it desired? If it could be fully actualized, would the group want it? Do you want it as a preferred future? o Is it affirmative? Is it stated in bold and affirmative terms? Is it written in the present tense? o Does it provoke action? A provocative proposition (dream statement) bridges the best of what is with your own speculation or intuition of what might be. It is provocative to the extent that it stretches the realm of the status quo, challenges common assumptions or routines, and helps suggest real possibilities that represent the group's desires. • Innovate and Improvise Ways to Create that Future (Step 5: Destiny). Team members will find creative ways to bring the preferred future to life. This might mean a new way of communicating with partners (internal or external), or perhaps providing training for community members on a topic. Answer the following questions: How can you make this happen as a group and as an individual? What can you do to ensure the provocative proposition (dream statement) will be actualized? Module 2 Day 1: Class Activity: Appreciate Your Community Class Activity: Appreciate Your Community You will find the instructions and handout in Appendix B. •3 Activity: Exercise 1: What's Your Story? Summary Sheet You will complete exercise 1 in Appendix C. Group Discussion • You will be divided into groups of four or five people. • After both interviews, the groups will have 2-3 minutes for each person to share their stories. Each person will share the most exciting and energizing stories and quotes about a powerful collaborative experience, or a story about working toward the common good within your community. • After you have shared the story, you should briefly check in with your partner to see if you have captured the highlights that matter most to them. • Identify what themes are common to the moments of greatest success and fulfillment. What are the most promising and inspiring components of a desired future? • The facilitator will record these common elements on the flip chart. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 17 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Module 2 Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Participants' Guide 15-Minute Break Objective: Take a 15-minute break. Module 2 Day 1: Lesson 2: Your Attitude Can Inspire Objective: Identify why it is important to focus on the positive aspects within a community and why it must begin with the leadership. Activity: Discussion and class exercise 2 (Appendix D). Reality does not shape us. The lens through which your brain views the world shapes your reality. If you can change your lens, you cannot only change your outlook, but you can achieve every other educational outcome as well. Video: TED Talk: Shawn Achor: "The happy secret to better work" Watch the Shawn Achor TED Talk video.8 Key Points from the Video • 10 percent of happiness is predicted by your external world. • 90 percent of long-term happiness is predicted by how your brain processes. Job Success • 25 percent of success is predicted by IQ. • 75 percent of success is predicted by optimism levels, social support, and ability to see stress as a challenge and not as a threat. Fallacy • If I work harder, I will be successful, and if I am successful, I will be happy. The Happiness Advantage • Your brain operating at "positive" performs 31 percent better than at negative, neutral, or stressed. Your intelligence, creativity, and energy rise. If we can master the art of working positively in the present, what is your brain capable of? Raise Your Level of Positivity in the Present—21 Days in a Row • Three gratitudes (new things). Achor, S. (2011, May). The happy secret to better work [Video], TED. http://www.ted.com/talks/shawn achor the happy secret to better work United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Module 2 Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Participants' Guide • Journaling (one positive experience allows you to relive it). • Exercise (your behavior matters). • Meditation (focus on the tasks at hand). • Random acts of kindness (write one positive email thanking or praising someone in your support network.)910 Activity: What's Your Story? Attitude Can Inspire (Exercise 2) Use the handout in Appendix D to discuss the information below. Take a few minutes to reflect on your community story: What were some of the common themes identified by you and other team members? What resonated with you? Then complete exercise 2 is in Appendix D. It is important to acknowledge the good that is happening in your communities and to figure out how to create more of it. If you can see that your community is important and worth improving, others will see it too. They will work with you to develop a positive vision for your collective future. 15-Minute Break Objective: Take a 15-minute break. B Module 2 Day 1: Lesson 3: Dream the Possible Dream: Envision the Change (Dream) Objective: Identify and build on what is working well in your community. Activity: Create a visual board and a word image. ~ Dream the Possible Dream You will create a future in which the high points identified in the stories are an everyday reality. You will design a plan to achieve the desired state. The dream should include both a visual image and a word image. 9 Cornerstone Christian College. The Creative Rationale, (n.d.). http://www.cornerstone.education/about/ccc- brand/ 10 Turning of Leaves. Positivity-is-the-key. (2014, August 28). https://turninqofleaves.wordpress.com/pictures/positivitv-is-the-kev/ United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Class Activity: Visual Image and Vision Board11 You will create a vision board that depicts the future of your community. In this vision board, you will create more of the things that you want to see, hear, smell, and taste in your communities. Remember your "I Have a Dream" speech from module 1 and the common elements identified in your stories. Use these ideas to make your vision board. The visual image should be created on a white poster paper. You can cut and use images from magazines and use markers, colored pencils, etc. to draw on your paper. You can use words, symbols, etc. to create an image of your desired state. Class Activity: Dream the Possible Dream12 A vision board, at its core, is a visual representation of all the things that you want to do, be, and have in your life. In the most literal sense, a vision board is a collection of images and notes attached to a board and placed somewhere that you can see it every day. How to Make a Vision Board1314 You will have a large piece of poster paper, magazines, markers or colored pencils, glue, and scissors. Step 1: Look through magazines and find images that portray your vision for your community. You should not start gluing anything down but should focus on collecting images that embody your vision and place them in a pile. Step 2: Go through the images and pick the ones that best fit your vision for your community. You should also eliminate any images that no longer seem to fit the dream you want to display. As you lay the pictures on the board, you'll get a sense of how the board should be laid out and will begin to develop. Step 3: Glue everything onto the board. If you want, add writing, drawings, designs, etc. Step 4: Optional, but powerful: Leave space in the very center of the vision board for a fantastic photo of your community. Paste the picture in the center of your board. 11 National Association of County and City Health Officials. Public Health Infrastructure and Systems, (n.d.). http://www.naccho.orq/topics/infrastructure/mapp/upload/visioninq full.pdf 12 Nagy, J., & Fawcett, S. (n.d.). Section 2. Proclaiming Your Dream: Developing Vision and Mission Statements. Community Tool Box. http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/strateqic-planninq/vision- mission-statements/main 13 Kane, C. (2014, November 1). What is a vision board? Christine Kane, http://christinekane.com/what-is-a- vision-board/ 14 Kane, C. (2019, November 24). How to make a vision board. Christine Kane, http://christinekane.com/how-to- make-a-vision-board/ United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 20 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Step 5: Show your vision board to your community members to get feedback and see if your vison board matches the vision that everyone has for the community. At the next meeting, get community members to make their own vision boards or engage them in an appreciative community quilt activity and compare the finished product to your vision board (for more information about the community quilt, see Appendix I). Step 6: Place the vision board somewhere you can see it every day. Bonus Activity: Place the vision board on display and share it with your community. Take a picture with it. Get the community members to sign and date the vision board. Develop Your Word Image—Dream Statement Complete your dream statement using the handout, Exercise 3: Dream Statement, which you can find in Appendix E. Refer to the "I Have a Dream" activity from module 1. Think about the common themes that everyone shared from their stories. Ensure that your dream statement has the following characteristics:15 • Affirmative. It needs to be positively stated, about what you want rather than what you don't want. • Stretching. It needs to challenge people and the organization to raise their expectations (hence 'provocative'), but still be achievable. • Stated in the present tense, which makes it easier for people to imagine. • Exciting. This is where many published propositions fail. To make the proposition statement as exciting and vivid as possible, try the following strategies: o Avoid abstract concepts (e.g., 'business benefit' or 'stakeholder value') and jargon verbiage (e.g., 'leverage'), o Instead, use simple, evocative, sensory-specific words so that they form pictures or tell stories, o Use active voice instead of passive voice. o Make sure it resonates with the core life-giving factors and values that have already been identified. 15 Smith. A. fn.dA Developing Provocative Propositions. Alchemy Assistant. https://www.alchemvassistant.com/topics/CQVB5FbXS3ENQhA9.html United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 21 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Module 2 Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Participants' Guide • Grounded. Use real-life examples of the best of current practices. The proposition is more convincing if you can point to examples showing where it is already beginning to happen. Example Dream Statements: • We open doors for children to fall in love with their God. • We are easy to get to know. • Gathering together regularly, we collaborate to inspire education and nurture, support, and empower one another while sharing resources, processes, and programs. Module 2 Day 1: Lesson 4: Walk the Talk: On the Road to Your Destiny Objectives: Meditate on your community story, think about the common elements, and make a personal commitment to act in your community story. Activities: Personal/organization commitment statement and bold ideas and goals. ^ Think about the importance of your leadership. You have shared a positive story about your community, you understand the importance of thinking positively to increase your creativity and productivity, and you have drafted a vision board and dream statement. The next step is to commit. How are you going to make your dream possible and co-construct your community vision with partners? The SOAR Model16 The SOAR model can help you stay open to opportunities as they emerge. S: Strengths: What are our greatest assets? O: Opportunities: What are the best possible market opportunities? A: Aspirations: What is our preferred future? R: Results: What are the measurable results? 16 Stavros, J., Cooperrider, D., & Kelley, D. L. (2003). Strategic Inquiry —> Appreciative Intent: Inspiration to SOAR A New Framework for Strategic Planning. Strategic Inquiry. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 22 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide SOAR Analysis Strategic Inquiry Strengths Opportunities • What are we really doing well? • What are our greatest assets? • What are the best possible market opportunities? • How can we best partner with others? Appreciative Intent Aspirations Results • To what do we aspire? • What is our preferred future? • What are our measurable results? • What do we want to be known for? Example "Bold Ideas" that Can Be Reframed into Goals: • Bring the community together for a joint celebration. • Establish partnerships with the religious community. • Establish partnerships with schools. • Reach out to industries in your community to share your ideas. • Research nonprofit organizations in your community and identify groups that have interests like yours. • Meet with the local job training officials in your community to learn about opportunities for training and job placement. Module 2 Day 1: Homework Activity: Walk the Talk: On the Road to Your Destiny (Destiny) Think about your vision board and dream statement and reflect on your story from the appreciative inquiry exercise. What did other classmates talk about? What positive imagery and feelings were reflected in the discussions? What do you really want for your community? Take 5-10 minutes to complete exercise 4 (Appendix F). Record a few "bold ideas" for your community on the worksheet. We will build on these bold ideas and add "goals" on the second day. Module 2 Day 1: Closing Objectives: Learn about activities for day 2. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency •a Homework Activity: Exercise 4: Bold Ideas and Goals ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Module 2 Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Participants' Guide Environmental Sustainability:17 Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations. 17 EPA. (2016, October 18). Learn About Sustainability. https://www.epa.qov/sustainabilitv/learn-about-sustainabilitv United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 24 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Module 2 Day 2 Make It Happen: Define Community —~ What's Your Story —~ Your Attitude Can Inspire —~ Dream the Possible Dream —~ Walk the Talk United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 25 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Module 2 Day 2: Welcome Back Objectives: Welcome back to module 2 day 2. Welcome Back Sign in and take the opportunity to network. Take time to refine your vision board, dream statement, commitments, and bold ideas. Module 2 Day 2: Lesson 5: Making It Last: An Introduction to Sustainability Objective: Learn the components of a sustainable community. The speaker will guide everyone through a discussion about sustainability and sustainable communities. You will be asked to describe the components of a sustainable community. The speaker will emphasize that in the context of community development, sustainability centers on social, environmental, and economic conditions. Module 2 Day 2: Lesson 6: Creating a Sustainable Blueprint for Success: Setting Goals and Identifying Planning Actions Objective: Refine goals and recognize the meaning of S.M.A.R.T. action steps. Activity: S.M.A.R.T. actions (with scenario). Transferring Bold Ideas into Goals Yesterday, while learning about the appreciative inquiry process, you identified a few bold ideas. Today, you will learn about translating those bold ideas into goals and use S.M.A.R.T. actions to set the stage for implementation. For the in-class exercise, you will select one bold idea to use to set a goal and develop the supporting S.M.A.R.T. actions. You also need to stop and assess whether your "I Have a Dream" words, your visual and word images, and your bold ideas support one another. If not, you need to give this some thought to establish a clear and consistent direction for your organization and make necessary changes. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 26 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Introduction to S.M.A.R.T. Actions18 Many people may have heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals, but not S.M.A.R.T. actions. In this module, we focus on crafting specific goals that can truly encapsulate your vision and passion. Don't limit yourself when it comes to your goals. You will benefit from having clear actions that will help you reach your goal (i.e., S.M.A.R.T. actions). S.M.A.R.T. stands for: • Specific • Measurable • Attainable • Relevant • Time-bound Developing S.M.A.R.T. actions will help you formulate your action plan, which will be your guide for action after the program is finished. The action plan will define the long-term and "first 100 days" actions to keep the momentum going and keep the plan at the forefront of your stakeholders' attention. The following action plan below will require these details for each specific action for the action plan: GOAL: £] Module 2 Module 3 Module 5 Module 6 Module 7 Module 7 Module 8 S.M.A.R.T Actions Actions should contribute to of o goal ond be SMART: Specific, Meosureable, Achievable, Relevant, and have a Time-frame Why is this important? Supporting Cast Who else con help? Cost & Resources Funding sources? Human resource? Brainstorm as many as possible. Time Frame Short (1-2 years), medium (3-5 years), long (>5 years) Lead Role Who is the primary responsible organization or How will you measure your Success? Specific Action: Specific Action: Specific Action: Specific Action: 18 University of Virginia Human Resources. Performance Management, (n.d.). http://www.hr.virqinia.edu/uploads/documents/media/Writinq SMART Goals.pdf United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 27 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Why Is This Important? • Importance to participant. • Importance to community. • Importance to the environment/world. Supporting Cast • Individuals that can help (e.g., members of community/organization or non- members). • Groups that can help (e.g., organizations, institutions, government, industry). Cost and Resources (Potential Funding Sources) • Estimate cost for specific action. • Set time or date for receiving funds. When are those funds needed? • Identify financial resources (e.g., grants, crowdfunding, fundraising). • Identify human resources (e.g., sponsors, investors, partners). Note: Cost and resources might overlap with the supporting cast. Time Frame • Immediate: three months to six months. • Short term: one year to two years. • Medium term: three years to five years. • Long term: greater than five years. Note: These time frames are just examples. The actual time frame should be based on your preference or when you believe an action should be completed. Lead Role • Primary organization responsible for specific action. • Primary people in an organization responsible for specific action. How Will You Measure Your Success? • What method will be used (e.g., survey, study)? • When will your measure success (e.g., immediately, or after all actions are complete)? • How will you measure success? What criteria will you use (e.g., completion or efficiency)? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 28 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Module 2 Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Participants' Guide ^ Each module introduces one or more of the action plan's components, and the homework assignments will help you complete your plan. You should be prepared to present your action plan, along with your portfolio, to important stakeholders and potential partners by the completion of this program. There will be multiple revisions to the portfolio and the action plan, but the lessons and activities in the modules will help you prepare. Note: Some of the above items might not be applicable, depending on the specific action. For homework, you should complete the highlighted rows "Specific Action 1" and "First 100 Days" in the action plan below. You should develop at least three specific actions to accomplish your identified goal. Note: This version is somewhat different from the previously shown action plan because it was converted to a more editable version for all participants. Nevertheless, there are no major differences. "Cost" and "resources" are in two different boxes, unlike the other action plan. Separate the information as follows: Cost • Estimate cost for specific action. • Set time or date for receiving funds. When are those funds needed? Resources (Potential Funding Sources) • Identify financial resources (e.g., grants, crowdfunding, fundraising). • Identify human resources (e.g., sponsors, investors, partners). United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 29 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Goal:19 Goal Lead: Specific Action 1: First 100 Days Why is this important? Time frame for completion Lead roles Supporting cast Cost Dollars Time Resources How will you measure your success? Module 2 Day 2: Class Activity: S.M.A.R.T. Actions Activity: S.M.A.R.T. Actions (with Scenario) " Handout Exercise 4: "Bold Ideas and Goals"20 You will be given 10 minutes to write a goal for the following exercises and ensure that the goal is truly what you hope to accomplish within your community. The bold ideas were recorded as homework in the previous lesson. Today, the class will complete the "goals" section of exercise 5. The following questions will help you refine your goals: • Does the goal support your words from the "I Have a Dream" exercise? • Does it include or support a common theme discussed during the appreciative inquiry exercise? • Does it support the visual and word images you prepared? • Is it clear and concise? 19 Community Tool Box. Developing Strategic and Action Plans, (n.d.). http://ctb.ku.edu/en/developinq-strateqic- and-action-plans 20 Nagy, J., & Fawcett, S. (n.d.). Section 1. An Overview of Strategic Planning or "VMOSA" (Vision, Mission, Objectives, Strategies, and Action Plans). Community Tool Box. http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of- contents/structure/strateqic-planninq/vmosa/tools United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 30 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Module 2 Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Participants' Guide • Are there any grammatical/spelling errors? The handout for exercise 4, "Bold Ideas and Goals" is in Appendix F. 15-Minute Break Objectives: Take a 15-minute break. You will take a 15-minute break. Module Day 2: Lesson 7: Creating a Blueprint for Success: Acting with Purpose Objective: Use S.M.A.R.T. action steps to start developing an action plan for your community to overcome your identified challenge. Activity: Develop S.M.A.R.T. actions to support a goal. Class Activity: Using S.M.A.R.T. Goals Approach to Detail Your Bold Ideas (Individual Goals) This activity offers you the opportunity to devise action steps for your goal, as well as receive feedback from the facilitator and the guest speaker. Note: After the guest speaker's presentation, you will have time to revise your action steps and your "first 100 days" actions. For this activity, you will break up into groups of four or five. Once in groups, you will have 5 minutes to brainstorm potential action steps for your goal. After brainstorming, you will have 5 minutes to write your action steps. Next, pass your action steps to someone else in the group to review for about 5 minutes. You can continue to give each other feedback if you choose. Then, you will have 5 mines to finish and make corrections to your action steps based on feedback. You will then have 10 minutes to develop your "first 100 days" actions for after you have completed the program. You will then have about 5 minutes to receive feedback from the facilitator. The class activity will somewhat mimic your homework. Therefore, you should consider this a rough draft that will help you complete your homework quickly and more effectively. n Handout Activity: Exercise 5: Acting with Purpose You can find the handout for this exercise in Appendix G. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 31 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Goals are nothing without action. That is why it is important to determine action steps to ensure that you can accomplish your goal. Fill out the chart and list at least three specific actions needed to accomplish this goal. These actions do not have to be immediate; the actions will most likely be long-term. For each specific action, you will write goals for the "first 100 days" after the program and the immediate action to be taken. 10-Minute Break Objective: Take a 10-minute break. You will take a 10-minute break. Module 2 Day 2: Summary: Synopsis of Days 1 and 2 Objective: Review key topics and learning objectives. Review of Key Topics The session covered the following learning objectives and topics: • Employed the appreciative inquiry approach when defining and describing your community. o Discussed the definition of appreciative inquiry, o Discussed the importance of appreciating your community, o Developed a word image and visual image for the community, o Developed bold ideas and translated them into goals, o Discussed the importance of focusing on the positive and creating more of it. • Refined goals and recognized the meaning of S.M.A.R.T. action steps, o Set goals. o Refined goals to one major goal, o Introduced to the meaning of S.M.A.R.T. actions steps. • Used S.M.A.R.T. action steps to develop an action plan for your community in relation to your identified challenge. o Started on the action plan by developing S.M.A.R.T. actions, o Developed S.M.A.R.T. actions for the primary goal. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 32 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide o Refined S.M.A.R.T. action steps for the primary goal. Review Questions • In your own words, how would you describe appreciative inquiry? • What are some examples of appreciative inquiry questions? • Explain the use of visual images and word images. • Why should you set goals? • How can goal setting be helpful? • What do you want to consider when writing your goals? • Why develop an action plan? • How can an action plan be helpful? Discussion Questions • How do you think you can use appreciative inquiry in your community? • What other tools, opportunities, or knowledge will you need to employ S.M.A.R.T. action steps in your community? • Based on all you have heard during this session, what are your expectations of the action plan that you will develop throughout this program? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 33 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Homework Assignment: Community Portfolio Objective: Learn about the homework for this module. Module 2 Homework The homework assignments will help you compile a community portfolio, which will assist you in taking actions that will foster community change. The homework assignment in module 2 is one of the most important assignments, because it sets the foundation for your action plan and helps you develop visual images, word images, goals, and action steps. For this homework assignment, you will be asked to refine your dream statement, add to your vision board, and review your goal and actions. Although you may have had time to revise during the session, extra revisions should be made where you receive guidance from your technical assistant. You should also place all this information in the provided homework template. You will be required to take your vision board back to your community and inspire your community or organization members to make a community vision board. There is also an optional bonus activity to display your vision board somewhere in your community (e.g., library, community center, meeting building) and take a picture with it. You will receive a hard copy of the homework as well as an electronic copy through email which you will use to type up the final revision of your homework assignment. Look at the homework sheets in Appendix H to read instructions for homework. Module 2 Day 2: Tour Details (Eastside Atlanta BeltLine) Objective: You will see the local community and discuss local history and accomplishments, as well as the community's future. Travel Information The class will travel by bus to a location and meet with an Atlanta BeltLine official. Tour The tour will last for approximately 2 hours. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 34 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendices United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix A: Additional Resources Appreciative Inquiry: • Appreciative Inquiry Commons: What is Appreciative Inquiry? https://appreciativeinquirv.case.edu/intro/whatisai.cfm • Appreciative Inquiry Commons: Definitions of Appreciative Inquiry, https://appreciativeinquirv.case.edu/intro/definition.cfm • Appreciative Inquiry Commons Home Page, https://appreciativeinquirv.case.edu/ • Mind Tools: Appreciative Inquiry, http://www.mindtools.com/paqes/article/newTMC 85.htm • The Center for Appreciative Inquiry, http://www.centerforappreciativeinquirv.net/ • The Center for Appreciative Inquiry: Generic Processes of Appreciative Inquiry, http://www.centerforappreciativeinquirv.net/more-on-ai/the-qeneric-processes-of- appreciative-inquiry/ Vision Board: • What is a Vision Board? Create a Vision Board for Success, http://christinekane.com/what-is-a-vision-board/ • How to Make a Vision Board, http://christinekane.com/how-to-make-a-vision- board/ United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 36 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix B: Class Activity: Appreciate Your Community Class Activity Appreciate So Your Dreams Won't Depreciate: Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry Appreciate Your Community Name: Partner's Name: The ability to bring our best selves forward is essential for growth. Appreciative inquiry provides a base for the approach we are using. It was developed at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.AI is an exciting way to embrace organizational change. The key assumption is this: every organization (and every person) has something that works right—things that give them life—when they are most effective, successful, and connected to stakeholders and communities. Al identifies what is positive and connects to it in ways that heighten energy and vision for change.21 Al is both a philosophy and a process that is strengths-based, and has been used with businesses and organizations of all sizes in over 100 countries.22'23 Al is an effective way for organizations or communities to implement sustainable change, inform leadership, and direct community development efforts. Often, when someone says "change," it might provoke feelings of concern, resistance, and anxiety. For others, it creates excitement and hope. Change is inevitable, and it has high points and low points; however, if we focus on the high points and discover what worked in the past, it will remind us that we can change successfully. We can envision a better way forward by using what worked in the past to chart a new path forward. We have chosen a topic for you to discuss so you can experience the power of appreciative inquiry for yourself. Choose only one. Interviews are a very important part of the Al process. Please discuss the following: • Tell me a story about the best times that you have had with your organization (or in the community) working for the common good. 21 Stavros, J., Cooperrider, D., & Kelley, D. L. (2003). Appreciative Intent: Inspiration to SOAR A New Framework for Strategic Planning. Strategic Inquiry. 22 Bushe G.R., & Kassam, A.F. (2005). When Is Appreciative Inquiry Transformational?: A Meta-Case Analysis. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 41(2), 161-181. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886304270337 23 Mitchell, L.J. (2007) What Is Appreciative Inquiry? https://media.tobvelwin.com/Files/AI/WhatisAppreciativelnquirv.pdf United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 37 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide • Looking at your entire experience, recall a time when you felt most alive, most involved, or most excited about your involvement. • What made it an exciting experience? Who was involved? • Describe the event. This is where you will discover the generative and life-giving forces of the positive activity that occurred in your community. Instructions: Keep the following interview tips in mind: • Listen deeply. It is not a back and forth dialogue. From time to time, you can say things like, "tell me more about that." • Allow time to actively read (and understand) the interview guide. • Trust the process. • Using the questions below, person A interviews person B for 20 minutes, taking brief notes and asking follow-up questions as appropriate. Then, person B interviews person A for 20 minutes, taking brief notes and asking follow-up questions as appropriate. Note the approximate time you will have for each question. • Record your partner's comments about the interview on the summary sheet. Try to get through all the questions. Take 20 minutes each to answer the questions, and record your notes on the exercise 1 data sheet in Appendix C. • Tell me a story about the best times you have had with your organization (or in your community) working for the common good. Looking at your entire experience, recall a time when you felt most alive, most involved, or most excited about your involvement. What made it an exciting experience? Who was involved? Describe the event. • Let's talk for a moment about some things you value deeply; specifically, the things you value about yourself. o Without being humble, what do you value most about yourself as a person, as a learner, and as a change agent? o Why is your community important to you? o What do you value most about your community? • What three wishes do you have for your community? Listen closely to your partner for a phrase or a word that summarizes their thoughts and write it down as a quote. Be prepared to share your partner's interview during group discussion. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 38 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix C: Exercise 1: What's Your Story? Summary Sheet Exercise 1 What's Your Story? Summary Sheet What was the most appreciative, noteworthy quote that came out of your interview? What was the most compelling story that came out of the interview? What details and examples did the interviewee share? How were the interviewee and/or others changed by the story? What was the most "life-giving" moment of the interview for you as a listener? What three wishes did your partner share with you during the interview? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 39 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix D: Exercise 2: Individual Activity: Your Attitude Can Inspire Exercise 2 Individual Activity—Your Attitude Can Inspire (Common Themes) Working alone, look at the common themes posted on the walls. Decide which of the themes you find the most exciting and energizing. What themes resonate with you? Are the themes you selected like the words you identified in the "I Have a Dream" exercise from module 1? What do you most want to create more of in order to support your community? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 40 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix E: Exercise 3: Dream Statement Exercise 3 Dream Statement United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 41 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix F: Exercise 4: Group/Individual Activity: Walk the Talk: On the Road to Your Destiny (Homework) Exercise 4 Bold Ideas and Goals Bold Ideas Goals • Does the goal support the words from the "1 Have a Dream" exercise? • Does it include or support a common theme discussed during the Al exercise? • Does it support the visual and word images you prepared? • Is it clear and concise? • Are there any grammatical/spelling errors? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 42 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix G: Exercise 5: Acting with Purpose Exercise 5 Acting with Purpose Specific Action First 100 Days United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 43 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix H: Homework: Refining Goals and Planning Actions Refining Goals and Planning Actions In module 2, you had the opportunity to come up with your central goal and its corresponding action steps. Now it is time to refine your goal and receive feedback from the EJ Academy Team and the community residents. Fill in the specific action steps and the first 100 days action. You will continue to complete these S.M.A.R.T. action charts as you continue through the program. The facilitator will indicate which section you should complete at the end of each module. Reflect on the commitments you made in exercise 4 and the bold ideas you identified in exercise 5. Goal: Goal Lead: Specific Action 1 First 100 Days Why is this important? Time frame for completion Lead roles Supporting cast Cost Dollars Time Resources How will you measure your success? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 44 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Specific Action 2 First 100 Days Why is this important? Time frame for completion Lead roles Supporting cast Cost Dollars Time Resources How will you measure your success? Specific Action 3 First 100 Days Why is this important? Time frame for completion Lead roles Supporting cast Cost Dollars Time Resources How will you measure your success? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 45 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix I: Homework: Community Quilt Our Community Quilt A Humble, Preliminary Community Description Goal: This exercise will pull together the collective wisdom of community members to develop a visual description of the community. It is designed to demonstrate both how much we already know about our communities and the vision that every community member has for their neighborhood. Steps: 1. You provide participants with a blank sheet of paper and pens or markers. 2. Like the vision board activity, you will have members of your community envision a community without challenges. In their depiction, they should display solutions to challenges, or anything they believe will benefit the community. 3. They will have 5 minutes to draw, describe, or otherwise create an image that defines an aspect of their community using any combination of words and images. 4. You should collect individual sheets from the participants, who will describe what they have created and how they see their community progressing. The pieces should be taped or stapled together while the descriptions are being given, creating a descriptive quilt of the community. 5. After sharing, the group should discuss what they have learned about the community and how they see the future of their community. Carrying It Forward Reflect on the participants' wealth of knowledge about the community in which you work. Were perspectives relatively similar or vastly different? Why? What kinds of additional information and sources could enhance the description of your community? What kinds of information needs to be sought from more "official" sources? What kinds of information could best be provided by community members? How will you add pieces of your information to your quilt? Could other community members be invited to contribute? Should it be displayed for others to see (and build upon), and if so, where and how? United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 46 ------- Discovering YOUR Power: Make It Happen: Define Community, Your Story, Your Attitude Can Inspire, Dream the Possible Dream, Walk the Talk Module 2 Participants' Guide Appendix J: Collaborative Problem-Solving Element 2 Collaborative Problem-Solving Element 2: Community Capacity-Building and Leadership Development Objectives: • Build upon community efforts and work. • Identify ways to work with community needs. • Ensure community leaders and members can participate in collaborative problem-solving processes. • Provide training, mentoring, technical help, and funding support. • Nurture the leadership skills of key individuals in a project. • Build trust. Techniques to boost community capacity-building: • Tailor specific capacity-building activities to community assets and project goals. • Institute training, mentoring, and technical assistance activities. • Provide training to community representatives who are directly involved in collaborative problem-solving processes. • Develop sustainable processes that ensure capacity-building and leadership development for community residents in the future. United States Environmental Protection kl a m Agency 47 ------- |