Supporting Transformative Community Change Efforts Using Online Technology

Christina Holt, Jerry Schultz, Stephen Fawcett, Bill Berkowitz, Vincent Francisco, Tom Wolff,

Phil Rabinowitz, and Jami Jones

Aim of this session• Exploration of Community Tool Box and related

online tools• Lessons from the Out of the Box Prize—

supporting community innovation/ change efforts around the world

• Dialogue about how you are using (or might use) these tools to help support the work of community transformation

• Some opportunities for collaboration

Some Challenges for Doing Community Work

• Learning key skills• Solving problems• Guidance—what to do and when• Gaining access to what you need – When you need it– At an affordable cost

Resource for transformative community change efforts

• “The Community Tool Box is a lifeline for the Partnership in many ways…” - Cheryl Pestaina, Miami, Florida

• “The site is an incredible source of resource materials. In the next two weeks I will be the lead facilitator in a training course for senior managers in the water and health sector. They will come from five to six different countries. I intend to use relevant sections to supplement what we have used in the past. I will also let them know about the site. Thanks and keep up the good work.”

- Vincent Njuguna, Nairobi, Kenya

Resource for transformative community change efforts

• “The Community Tool Box is a tremendous resource … a particularly useful tool in that I can prepare manuals in a simple language for use by community groups and show them the site so that they can use it as a resource ... I have found the Community Tool Box to be excellent and congratulations to those who have and are still putting it together.”

- Max Llewelyn, New Zealand

• “It is an absolutely incredible resource. The most comprehensive resource I have found for skill and knowledge based information for our field.”

- Laurie Call, Divernon, Illinois

Implementation supports for change efforts

How have you (might you) use the Community Tool Box and related online tools to help support the work of community transformation?

Supporting innovation: Out of the Box global prize

Uhuru Child: Jikaze Resettlement Village

Lessons learned gathering stories of community transformation

• Engaging partners in dissemination• International panel of judges• Simple framework for storytelling • Engaging public input through voting• Incentive for top two vote getters• Community innovation stories featured/

shared on Tool Box

Adaptability to other contexts

How might this idea of gathering stories of community transformation be adapted to honor community innovation/ change in our local communities?

Some opportunities for collaboration

• Use of materials to support student learning/training

• Content mashups• Submission of tools, examples, success stories• Cultural adaptation/translation• Ask an Advisor

Closing dialogue

• How can community psychology best support innovation and effective community change efforts?

• How might SCRA foster innovation and community change?

• How might online technology be used to foster innovation & help advance community change efforts?

Thank you!Feel free to contact us at toolbox@ku.edu, or:

Christina Holt Vincent Franciscocholt@ku.edu vincent_francisco@uncg.edu

Jerry Schultz Tom Wolffjschultz@ku.edu tom@tomwolff.com

Steve Fawcett Phil Rabinowitzsfawcett@ku.edu prabinow45@verizon.net

Bill Berkowitz Jami Joneswilliam_berkowitz@uml.edu jjones@ku.edu