On Tuesday, January 24, members of the Advisory Board, along with students, staff, and volunteers, came together for a meeting led by community organizer April Pesca. The focus of the gathering was not about finding immediate solutions, but rather solidifying what is important to us as we move forward.
After a short introductory period, members described “what brought them here?” and explained why theplace2b is important to them. Round 1 focused on where we are now. Round 2 led us to envision where theplace2b would be in 5 years. In Round 3, we talked about what was necessary to make our visions a reality. Participants moved from table to table after each round so they could share ideas with a variety of different people. Large papers and markers were at each table as a method of documenting our discussions.
Some major themes of the meeting:
- We should celebrate where we are! Theplace2b is a safe place where kids can come to relax and not be judged.
- Communication among groups, and throughout the community, continues to be a challenge.
- We need to clarify our mission and vision. Who do we serve and how?
- Outreach is important in order to make theplace2b more of a presence in the community.
It was evident that participants shared a similarity of concerns and interests. Hopefully, this meeting will prompt stakeholders to become solution-focused so that theplace2b will realize its great potential.
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