March Conference: Schedule and workshops

• January 15, 2008

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Here's the latest information on the Getting It Done conference , including the schedule, workshop topics, bus tours, nightlife and neighborhood tours. Check back for the latest details, which are subject to change.

Registration for the conference is now closed. Please click here to download the "Heroes" booklet, a conference program, or the NCP Toolkit that encapsulates several of the breakout sessions. 

 

DAY 1: Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Registration 10:30 to 11:30 am

Take a virtual tour of the NCP neighborhoods as you visit their table displays and hear about their work.

Opening Lunch 12:00 to 1:30 pm

Program will include welcome, stories by NCP leaders, introduction of NCP Toolkit and comments by Jonathan Fanton, President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Workshops on NCP Toolkit 1:45 to 3:15 pm and 3:30 to 5:00 pm

(Each runs twice, see summaries below)

1. Engagement: Organizing for Success
2. Deal Making: Partnering for Results
3. Communications: Telling Your Story Far and Wide
4. Leveraging: Attracting Resources to Build Communities
5. Planning: Making It Real, Right Now
6. Leading: Taking Your Organization to the Next Level
7. Playing: Building Community Spirit through Sports, Arts, and Culture
8. Evaluating: So What?

Community Heroes Presentation and Cocktail Reception 5:30 to 6:30 pm

Reception will honor heroes from NCP communities who exemplify the "Getting It Done" spirit.

NCP Neighborhood Nightlife 6:30 to 9:30 pm

Conference participants are invited to enjoy one of three nightlife events in NCP communities. Shuttle buses will provide transportation to each locale. Buses will return downtown as part of the route.

• The Grand Ballroom in Woodlawn, 6351 S. Cottage Grove Avenue—Reception and "Music Is Magic" recital by Woodlawn String Instrument Program for children ages 4 to 6, plus art, poetry and music by the Chicago Lawn "Community Cafe" program. 
• Docent-led tour of the world-famous Garfield Park Conservatory.
• Learn to dance the salsa and other Latino favorites at the historic Humboldt Park Boat House; open dancing after the lessons.

A listing of restaurants and nightspots in the NCP neighborhoods will be distributed for those who want to explore on their own.

DAY 2: Thursday, March 27, 2008

Breakfast Sessions 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.

City of Chicago Best Practices – All conference attendees are invited to this breakfast session to hear from key City of Chicago departments on how the city and communities can and have worked effectively to get projects done.

Funders Breakfast - Foundation and corporate donors are invited to participate in a breakfast session led by Julia Stasch, Vice President of the Program on Human and Community Development of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, to discuss the opportunities and challenges of funding comprehensive community development .
 
LISC Breakfast - LISC/Chicago staff and board of advisors will lead a discussion for their colleagues about the changing role of LISC as an intermediary to support comprehensive community development at the local level.

Break 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. (only if attending roundtable discussions)

Participants planning go to breakout rooms for issue discussions with resource people have a half-hour break; those planning to get on a bus for one of the community development tours should board at 9:30.

Roundtable Discussions : 10 a.m. to noon

Stop by these issue tables to share your stories with others and meet people doing similar work in other neighborhoods. Rotate to other tables as the morning goes on.

1. Using Schools to Transform Communities
2. Building Green
3. The Foreclosure Crisis
4. Digging Deeper into Community Organizing
5. Preserving and Creating Affordable Housing
6. Centers for Working Families
7. Safe Streets, Safe Neighborhoods
8. Getting Involved in Your Local NCP
9. Bringing Business and Shopping to Your Community
10. Neighborhoods as Destinations
11. The Impact of Immigration on Community Development
12. Digital Media and Youth

Neighborhood Tours:  9:30 a.m. to noon (buses provided)

• LOGAN SQUARE: SCHOOLS   Learn how the Logan Square Neighborhood Association built a nationally recognized program of parent and community involvement at school-based “community learning centers” that offer afternoon and evening programming.
• WEST HAVEN: SERVING THE FORMERLY INCARCERATED St. Leonard's Ministries explains how it helps formerly incarcerated individuals re-enter the community through training, supportive housing and attention to basic needs. Includes discussion with program participants and tour of the Michael Barlow Center and its food-service training kitchen.
• PILSEN: JOBS AND MORE   Visit the Instituto del Progreso Latino , which offers comprehensive bi-lingual programming ranging from adult education and immigration services to financial counseling and employment services at its Center for Working Families.
• QUAD COMMUNITIES: REBIRTH   The Cottage Grove Revitalization Initiative combines student-created artworks, CleanSlate beautification crews, city investments and aggressive retail recruitment – and it is getting results. Hosted by Quad Communities Development Corporation and Little Black Pearl Art & Design Center .
• LITTLE VILLAGE: PARTNERSHIP    Take a trip to densely populated La Villita (Little Village), where a university, corporate sponsor and local public schools are working with Little Village Community Development Corporation to develop a dormitory for student teachers working in the community – plus a new community center and park.
  

Closing Luncheon 12:30 to 2:00 pm

Program will include a review of conference highlights and commitment to work ahead. Speakers include NCP leaders, Alberto Ibarguen, President of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Mayor Richard M. Daley (invited).

Conference sponsors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GETTING IT DONE: Workshop Topics

Engagement: Organizing for Success

How organizations use old-fashioned organizing, sophisticated relationship building, and a diverse, "big tent" approach to achieve lasting, personal commitments to neighborhood action.

Led by:

• Susan Yanun, Logan Square Neighborhood Association
• David McDowell, Southwest Organizing Project

Facilitator: Jaime de Leon, Little Village Community Development Corporation

Deal Making: Partnering for Results

No one player has the money or know-how to deliver everything the community needs, but by reaching out and forming strategic partnerships, nothing is impossible. This workshop is about deal-making and about sharing the work…and credit…to get the big and little projects done.

Led by:

• Rev. Rodney Walker, Teamwork Englewood
• Larry Sachs, Chicago Police Department
• Bernita Johnson-Gabriel, Quad Communities Development Corporation
• Frank Petruziello, Mahogany Ventures

Facilitator: Bill Goldsmith, The Community Builders

Communications: Telling Your Story Far and Wide

Effective communications is essential to community development and one of the strengths of the NCP model. This workshop will showcase some of NCP's best communicators and provide plenty of examples of how communication helps get the job done.

Led by:

• Ernest Sanders, Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation
• Patrick Barry, New Communities Program communications team
• Yvette Kelly, Quad Communities Development Corporation
• Susan Chandler, Chicago Tribune

Facilitator: Thom Clark, Community Media Workshop

Leveraging: Attracting Resources to Build Communities

The idea is to be a catalyst, not a banker. Investments of $50,000 have the potential to leverage millions of dollars in private investments and generate funding for new projects.

Led by:

• Maria Hibbs, Partnership for New Communities
• Earnest Gates, Near West Side Community Development Corporation
• Miguel Palacio, Association House

Facilitator: Mary Laraia

Planning: Making It Real, Right Now

OK, the plan is complete. What's next? This workshop will focus on how to turn plans into reality; moving people into the implementation phase; striking a balance between providing leadership and letting the community drive the process; and avoiding over-planning.

Led by:

• Angela Hurlock, Claretian Associates
• Mike Tomas, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance
• Álvaro R. Obregón, The Resurrection Project

Facilitator: Les Pollock, Camiros, Ltd.

Leading: Taking Your Organization to the Next Level

Good management and dynamic leadership don't just happen, they have to be nurtured, cultivated, and rewarded. This workshop will discuss "building the bench" or cultivating new leaders internally; recruiting good talent; creating a pipeline within the organization and the field; and succession planning.

Led by:

• Joy Aruguete, Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation
• Jim Capraro, Greater Southwest Development Corporation
• Carlos Nelson, Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation

Facilitator: Joel Bookman, LISC/Chicago

Playing: Building Community Spirit through Sports, Arts, and Culture

Nothing builds enthusiasm and community spirit like having some fun together. Promoting activities that bring people together can break down barriers and put smiles on faces, whether it's summer basketball leagues, music recitals or the opening of a new community garden.

Led by:

• Christina Bronsing, Little Village Community Development Corporation
• Vanessa Maynar, Metropolitan Area Group to Ignite Civilization, Inc.
• Tracie Worthy, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation

Facilitator : Michelle Boone, The Joyce Foundation

Evaluating: So What?

How do we know if comprehensive community development is actually improving the quality of life in neighborhoods? This workshop will share how NCP thinks about evaluation and what we are learning so far about neighborhood change.

Led by:

• Craig Howard, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
• John McCarron, New Communities Program communications team
• Other speakers TBA

Facilitator: Susan Lloyd, Lloyd Consulting

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