The Egan Urban CenterThe Egan Urban Center

Partnerships that foster social Partnerships that foster social actionaction

John Zeigler Director of DePaul Egan Urban John Zeigler Director of DePaul Egan Urban CenterCenter

The Egan WayThe Egan Way

Influenced by the work of Msgr. John J Influenced by the work of Msgr. John J EganEgan

The pursuit of social justice The pursuit of social justice

Building Partnerships for Social Justice and Building Partnerships for Social Justice and Social ActionSocial Action

Community partners identify, Community partners identify, strategize, and organize around strategize, and organize around significant community issues that significant community issues that impact their lives such as:impact their lives such as:

Affordable housing, school reform, Affordable housing, school reform, living-wage jobs, land-use and living-wage jobs, land-use and zoning, economic development, zoning, economic development, health care, and neighborhood safety health care, and neighborhood safety

Community PlanningCommunity PlanningActively engaging community partners in Actively engaging community partners in being better informed about what is being better informed about what is happening in their neighborhoodshappening in their neighborhoods..

Helping to create safe spaces to build Helping to create safe spaces to build social capital social capital

Equip residents with data and information Equip residents with data and information on policy that can better help them on policy that can better help them understand their optionsunderstand their options

An example would be the Egan Urban An example would be the Egan Urban Center’s Olympic reportCenter’s Olympic report..

Community Builders Learning Community Builders Learning TogetherTogether

What happens when CBOs come together What happens when CBOs come together from different communities to learn from from different communities to learn from

each other?each other?

Building social networks across Building social networks across communitiescommunities

Lessons learned Lessons learned Sharing resources Sharing resources Developing new partnerships and Developing new partnerships and

coalitionscoalitions

SankofaSankofa

understanding the past in order to understanding the past in order to move forwardmove forward

Self reflection and positionalitySelf reflection and positionality Identify organizations, stakeholders and Identify organizations, stakeholders and

the historical and political context of the the historical and political context of the communitycommunity

Understand the community in relation to Understand the community in relation to larger context (e.g. current policies)larger context (e.g. current policies)

Understand communities past relationship Understand communities past relationship with university and communitywith university and community

Community Engagement and Community Engagement and PartnershipsPartnerships

Asset-based community engagementAsset-based community engagement Identify internal assets and resources Identify internal assets and resources

through relationship networks, through relationship networks, grassroots efforts, or researchgrassroots efforts, or research

Build social capital by linking assets and Build social capital by linking assets and resources in a meaningful way through resources in a meaningful way through relationship-buildingrelationship-building

Identifying Community AssetsIdentifying Community Assets

Community EngagementCommunity Engagement

Community Engagement and Community Engagement and PartnershipsPartnerships

Community-driven and participatory Community-driven and participatory approachapproach Community as experts, colleagues, and Community as experts, colleagues, and

co-investigatorsco-investigators Building upon work in which the Building upon work in which the

community is already engagedcommunity is already engaged Continuous dialogue and reflection within Continuous dialogue and reflection within

and between community and university on and between community and university on capacity-building projects, research, and capacity-building projects, research, and the nature of the partnershipthe nature of the partnership

Maintaining MomentumMaintaining Momentum

What happens when the participation What happens when the participation ebbs and the energy dissipatesebbs and the energy dissipates

Develop Proactive Strategies for Develop Proactive Strategies for SustainabilitySustainability

Deepen and Broaden the FocusDeepen and Broaden the Focus Expand the Geographical ReachExpand the Geographical Reach Develop New or Non-Traditional Develop New or Non-Traditional

PartnersPartners Develop a Graceful Exit StrategyDevelop a Graceful Exit Strategy

Sustainable Partnerships with Schools: Sustainable Partnerships with Schools: The Chicago Public School InitiativeThe Chicago Public School Initiative

Creating mutually beneficial partnerships Creating mutually beneficial partnerships between schools and their communitiesbetween schools and their communities

Creating sustainable Community Liaison Creating sustainable Community Liaison positions within each schoolpositions within each school

Community Liaison-organized Community Liaison-organized community asset-mapping and community asset-mapping and relationship-building to connect relationship-building to connect resources resources

Critical Reflective MomentsCritical Reflective Moments

The process of reflection consists of: The process of reflection consists of: Stepping back into ones experience by Stepping back into ones experience by

retrieving its most important moments.retrieving its most important moments. Reviewing its process with the eyes of its Reviewing its process with the eyes of its

diverse actors.diverse actors. Analyzing carefully those more relevant Analyzing carefully those more relevant

momentsmoments Drawing lessons useful for the futureDrawing lessons useful for the future The Critical Moments are “turning points”, The Critical Moments are “turning points”,

they are moments of change, when they are moments of change, when situations or feelings became better or situations or feelings became better or worse.worse.

ConclusionConclusion

investing in the time that supports “real”investing in the time that supports “real”

relationships, networks, connections andrelationships, networks, connections and providing resources, information and providing resources, information and

helping community partners to develop helping community partners to develop their own knowledge around issues that their own knowledge around issues that effects their communityeffects their community

this allows for the creation of a powerful this allows for the creation of a powerful structure, mechanisms, foundations that structure, mechanisms, foundations that builds support for social action.builds support for social action.