March 2009 Forum Theme: When Local Solutions are Most Powerful

Tonight’s forum will use emerging local projects for real-time, hands-on learning. From community currency to neighborhood-based alternative energy to a citywide model for social innovation—jump in to learn and engage in real change in your own neighborhoods

Discover how you connect with powerful local programs and ideas, help get them off the ground, implement them in your neighborhood, or integrate them with your mission—they benefit you! If you are an organization or individual seeking to build neighborhood support, map your community’s assets, or adapt our city to support social, environmental, and economic innovation, please join in to take action. During tonight’s forum, community-based social entrepreneurs will lead exercises on tapping into Portland’s bounty of local resources and answer some challenging questions.

- Download full description of the March Forum Program
- Download Speaker and Presenter Bios
- Download actions suggested by Local Solutions speakers
- Download document on Asset Mapping

Speakers

• Jeri Williams, Office of Neighborhood Involvement
• John Sorenson, Neighborhood Natural Energy (N2e)
• Sara Garrett, MotiveSpace
• Amy Pearl, Innovative Cities, Springboard Innovation
• Facilitator– Josh Hilsdon, forum co-curator and Sunnyside Neighborhood Energy Advisory Board Member

Our speakers will discuss:

• When is local more powerful than national? Why is local taking on more significance than ever before?
• How does your organization connect with community members?
• Describe how you uncover community assets, and how you increase community capacity in the process.
• How can participants be involved with your neighborhood programs? What do you need?

Whole group activity ~
Community Asset Mapping Josh Hilsdon, Sunnyside Neighborhood Energy (SunNE), and Aaron Ray, Springboard Innovation. Connect by mapping your assets and needs on maps of Portland neighborhoods.

Workshops~

(1) Community Asset Mapping (Continued) Aaron Ray and Amy Pearl, Springboard Innovation. Use the maps of Portland to analyze the bounty of resources available and draw connections to fill needs and move important work forward. We introduce the new City Model of Social Innovation: Innovative Cities. Join us!

(2) Transitioning to community sufficiency. David Johnson and Leonard Barrett of Transition PDX will lead exercises on envisioning the neighborhood, community, and city we want to live in as we move away from oil dependence.

(3) Identifying Assets for Community Energy: The SunNE Project. Josh Hilsdon, SunNE, and John Sorenson, Neighborhood Natural Energy. Join the Sunnyside Neighborhood as they map the resources needed to create a neighborhood-based energy utility. Open to all—jump in and learn. Utilize SunNE’s efforts as a model for gathering resources for your own project.

Chances are, you’ll have some good answers of your own. Tonight is your chance to talk about them with others in the community who share your concern. And if you have an idea ready to turn into action, you’ll find experts ready to help you get started.