Our Initiative

Our Communities for All Ages Team:

- Southeast CDC

- Creative Alliance

- John Booth Senior Center

- Salem Methodist Church

- Breath of God Lutheran Church

- Southeast Anchor Library

- Hampstead Hill Community Association

- Patterson Park Charter

- School 215- Highlandtown Elementary

- Baltimore Medical Systems

- Baltimore American Indian Center

- Banner Neighborhoods

- Martin Pollack Project, Inc.

Funders:

- Baltimore Community Foundation

Phase of Development: Implementation

Start date: March 2010

Our work:

Our vision for our community:

The greater Highlandtown neighborhood will be a peaceful place where racially, economically and ethnically diverse residents of all ages know, trust and care for each other and their neighborhood.   All community members will support and participate in high-quality schools, life-long learning opportunities and ways to build economically viable lives.  As a result community members of all ages and backgrounds will be invested emotionally, socially and financially in each other’s well-being and in the neighborhood.

Highlandtown CFAA will contribute to the vision in three ways:

1) increase the number of and strengthening the skills of resident and organizational leaders who can bridge racial/ethnic, economic and other divides. Bridging leaders will apply those skills to resolving neighborhood tensions and advocating on behalf of neighborhood needs;

2) provide special attention to youth leadership and creating appealing and safe opportunities for youth to create intergenerational projects and events that showcase their interests and talents; and

3) help residents and community organizations put in place relationship and trust-building activities that integrate art-making, cultural appreciation and language exposure for people of all ages at the block and community level.  The second two contributions will also serve as a pipeline to the bridging leadership work.  

We will meet these goals through three key strategies:

1) Develop a group of “bridging” leaders among neighborhood residents and community organizations:

  a. Identify a starting group of residents and community based organizational staff with an interest in strengthening their ability to work across race, ethnicity, language, economics and other differences

  b. Develop and implement a leadership program that includes:

     i.         small group conversations that build understanding and trusting relationships between   diverse individuals of all ages.

     ii.       The CFAA intergenerational leadership training

     iii.      Specific components to build a common vocabulary around and analysis of how community-based organizations address cultural and language diversity to be sure to intentionally welcome and include under-represented groups in community processes and how this inclusion affects neighborhood conditions and the kinds of outcomes the groups want to contribute to creating

     iv.      Application of training to neighborhood issues and needs

2) Improve youth leadership skills through programs and projects that are designed by and led by youth and for neighbors of all ages and backgrounds

a. Activities under this strategy should be fun, build skills, introduce youth to art, culture and new life opportunities and provide a safe and appealing space

b. Make sure that some of the bridging leaders are youth, and that they are also part of this strategy (overlapping leadership)

c. Offer stipends to bi-lingual youth leaders for translation services to support other activities and as a leadership opportunity

3) Help neighbors get to know each other better through having residents of all ages design, implement and participate in a variety of activities, including:

a. Resident-led block projects that create opportunities for leadership development and interaction between diverse neighbors of all ages

b. Art-making, cultural appreciation and language exposure events that create enthusiasm for living in an inclusive, diverse community.

c. Community-based art projects and events with neighbors’ direct participation to build understanding of different cultures, races and backgrounds.