For more than 25 years, Everyday Democracy has worked with communities across the country to foster a healthy and vibrant democracy – one that is characterized by strong relationships across divides, racial equity, and widespread leadership and voice. Here are snapshots of just four of the hundreds of communities that have been positively transformed through their Dialogue to Change efforts.
Strong Starts was designed to use the Everyday Democracy dialogue-to-change model in community dialogues to reveal perceptions, priorities and policy preferences, and ultimately help improve practices and programs.
Public engagement isn’t always easy, but it’s a necessary part of making communities work for everyone. For the last 16 years, residents in Palm Beach County, Fla., have been using Everyday Democracy’s dialogue-to-change process to work on issues of race, early childhood education, and building strong neighborhoods.
This five-session discussion guide helps people get involved in an important issue facing all of us: the well-being of our youngest children. The guide looks at how we are connected to the lives of children in our community and the “invisible” effects of racism and poverty. It also guides people in developing plans for action.
“We all want our children to be successful and be healthy, safe and strong.” Find out how one community has incorporated dialogue-to-change in their projects in order to bring businesses, city officials, and local residents together to create better outcomes for children.
“We need to stop talking about children in the future tense, because their time to learn is now,” says Lois Vermilya, director of the University of New Mexico’s Family Development Program. She has used the dialogue to address early education issues in the Albuquerque, N.M., area.
Over 400 residents have been involved in creating a family and community engagement policy for the Albuquerque School District. The group Families United for Education used a collaborative process that included building relationships and recognizing the history and culture of the local families.
We all want a better future for our children. What does it look like when residents come together in dialogues to create change? Learn about how a group of residents are creating a healthier, safer community where everyone's voice is heard.
Esta guía para diálogos comunitarios ayuda a los padres y madres y otras personas en la comunidad a hablar sobre como mejorar el bienestar de nuestros niños más pequeños. Esta guía examina las conexiones que tenemos en las vidas de nuestros niños y el efecto “invisible” que tienen el racismo y la pobreza. También ayuda a las personas a desarrollar planes para la acción.
Este reporte da un resumen de las conclusiones expuestas en el foro para la toma de deciones políticas del programa Un buen comienzo para los niños llevado a cabo en Santa Fe, New Mexico el 24 de enero del 2011. Este reporte puede ser útil para conversaciones entre padres/madres y entre ellos, los que abogan por los niños, y legisladores sobre lo que las comunidades de New Mexico requieren para asegurar un mejor futuro para sus niños.
Our ultimate goal is to create positive community change that includes everyone, and our tools, advice, and resources foster that kind of change. Whether you’re grappling with a divisive community issue, or simply want to include residents’ voices in city government, Everyday Democracy's Dialogue to Change process, using a racial equity lens, can help.
