American Indian Community Council: History and

Overview of original Theory of Change

Desired Outcomes

Meeting participants:

Understand the history of the American Indian Community Council

Understand AICC’s approach to community change

Have an opportunity to dialogue about the approach

HISTORY

Pair Share

Find a partner

In 2 minutes, answer:

1.When did you first become involved with the American Indian Community Council?

2.How have you been involved?

HISTORY

• Children’s Planning Council founded in 1991 with County Board of Supervisors approval to serve as a bridge between county government & communities at a regional level

• Regional councils begin with a focus on networking, information dissemination, & efforts to connect with county systems

• In 2001, SPA/AIC Councils help identify “strengthening the capacity of communities to act on their own behalf” as a key element of CPC theory of change and as a primary focus of their work

HISTORY: SERVICE PLANNING AREA BOUNDARIES

American Indian Community Council

Began in 1998 as part of the Los Angeles County Children’s Planning Council

One of nine community councils

AICC became an independent entity with the CPC transitioned into a new non-profit organization

Strengthening Community Capacity

Strengthen capacity in communities that support parents, residents, and other partners in their efforts to be the best advocates they can be for children and their families.

AICC Community Change Approach

One Approach, Three Strategies

Approach: Asset Based Community development

Strategies: Community Engagement, Community Organizing, Shared Decision Making

Approach: ABCDAsset Based Community Development• Based on developing a community’s ability to recognize its strengths,

leverage resources from institutions, and create community solutions

to social problems. • Based on idea that government and non-profits alones can’t solve

social problems.• Long term strategy that requires investment in community leadership

and training, as well as mutually beneficial partnerships.

ABCD in Action

FIND AND MOBILIZE ASSETS OF THE COMMUNITY:• RESIDENTS• ASSOCIATIONS AND CONGREGATIONS• BUSINESS, NONPROFIT, GOVERNMENT• LOCAL ECONOMY

1. WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO?

2. WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO IT WITH?• Find assets• Connect assets

3. HOW DO WE GET THEM TO DO IT?• Relationships• Discover self interest “motivation to act”• Self interest to common interest

4. HOW ARE WE DOING?• Evaluation• Celebration

United Native Youth L.A.Los Angeles American Indian

Youth Coalition

Neighborhood Needs Map

Community Asset Map

ABCD, Continued

TWO SOLUTIONS, TWO PATHS

NEEDS ASSETS

Service to Meet Needs Connect/Contribute Consumers Citizens

“Programs are the Answer “People are the Answer”

Strategy: Community Engagement

Process for building relationships through the exchange of information or a service associated with a pressing need

May be initiated by any party

Efforts such as community surveys, focus groups, and conferences are important strategies that facilitate information exchange, but are insufficient to build a community’s capacity to act on its own behalf

Strategy: Community Organizing

Advocacy – power based on expertise

Grassroots Lobbying – planned testimony

Organized Voting - GOTV

Direct Action-boycotts, strikes, etc.

Mass Media

Legal Power – lawsuits, injunctions, etc.

Strategy: Shared Decision Making

Process of bringing together key stakeholders to the decision-making table in an ongoing, sustainable way

Requires that all involved stakeholders work collaboratively to share access, information/data, resources, and authority in order to identify solutions to address conditions affecting child and family well-being

Continuum of Community Change Work INTERVENTION DEVELOPMENT COLLECTIVE EMPOWERMENT SYSTEMIC

CHANGE

Youth Service & Approach

Define young people as clients.

•Provides services to address Individual problems and deficiencies of young people.

•Programming defined among treatment and prevention

Youth Development

Provides services and support, access to caring adults and safe spaces.

•Provides opportunity for the growth and development of young people to meet young people where they are

•Builds young people’s individual confidence and capacity.

•Provides age appropriate support

•Emphasizes positive self identify

•Support youth-adult partnership

Youth Leadership

Includes components of youth development approach:

•Builds skills and capacity for action around issues young people identify

•Begins to help young people build collective identity of young people as social change agents

•Engages young people in advocacy and negotiation

Civic Engagement

Includes components of youth development & youth leadership plus:

•Engages young people in political education and awareness

•Builds skills and capacity for power analysis and action around issues young people identify

•Begins to help young people build collective identity of young people as social change agents

•Engages young people in

advocacy and negotiation

Youth Organizing

Includes components of youth development, youth leadership and engagement plus:

•Builds a membership based

•Involves youth as part of staff and governing body

•Engages in direct action and political mobilizing

•Engages in alliances & coalitions

•Alters relationships of power

Small Group Discussion

In small groups, answer the following:

What stood out to you about what was shared?

Do you think the AICC should continue with this approach and three strategies?

What questions do you have?

Next Steps

Board and Council will discuss at our next joint meeting in September

Receive Mini-Grant to conduct Community Organizing

Continue this discussion at AICC Meetings, if there is community interest

THANK YOU