Community Action Lab
Through the Community Action Lab, Strong Towns is bringing to Chisholm everything we have learned over the last decade not only about building stronger and more resilient cities, but also about building a movement. Strong Towns is helping to shift the vital center of dialogue using our broad reach, nonpartisan appeal, and accessible messaging.
The Community Action Lab works on multiple fronts to:
Introduce Strong Towns ideas to Chisholm
Engage the public in conversations about growth and public investment
Train local leaders to apply the Strong Towns approach to the challenges and opportunities facing your communities every day.
Upcoming Events
More events for the Chisholm Community Action Lab are being scheduled now. The dates of future events will be announced soon.
Timeline
The Chisholm Community Action Lab is a two-year initiative. In the first twelve months, Strong Towns provides active community engagement, while in the second twelve months, we provide ongoing support for local leaders and community groups.
Phase 1: Preparation
Strong Towns surveys community members, assembles an Action Team, identifies a date and venue for the kickoff event, establishes media contacts, and lays additional groundwork.
Phase 2: Launch
Strong Towns hosts a large public kickoff event in the community during this time, including public lectures, Q&A sessions, and opportunities for walking tours and other activities to introduce the community to Strong Towns principles. Strong Towns also meets with the Action Team in person to share initial curriculum materials and discuss project goals.
Phase 3: Capacity Building
This phase of the project includes coaching sessions every 2–3 weeks with the Action Team, the implementation of a full content marketing strategy to increase local engagement with topics of community interest, and another public event curated for community topics of interest.
Phase 4: Action
During the Action phase, the emphasis shifts from learning and discussion to implementation of a Strong Towns approach. The Action Team focuses their energy more intensively on specific local challenges and how to apply Strong Towns concepts to their solutions. Strong Towns may bring in outside experts to assist the Action Team with their efforts. Our content marketing strategy and media outreach efforts will continue and mature in this phase, while overall community engagement will culminate in a third and final public event, the topic and timing of which will be decided with the Action Team and community leaders.
Phase 5: Ongoing Support
After an intense year of engagement, the active portion of the Community Action Lab concludes. Strong Towns invites leadership, Action Team members, and the broader community to stay engaged with Strong Towns and the broader Strong Towns movement by offering Action Team members access to a full year of Strong Towns Academy courses, among other resources. Strong Towns staff members, though remote, remains responsive to offer assistance where possible, and direct leadership and Action Team members to helpful resources.
The Chisholm Community Action Lab is made possible by the generous support of the Blandin Foundation. Established in 1941, the Blandin Foundation’s mission is to connect, fund and advocate for ideas and people to inspire resourcefulness and move rural places forward. You can learn more about the Foundation at blandinfoundation.org.
Questions?
Media Inquiries can be directed to Lauren Ronnander, Communications Manager for Strong Towns. Email her at lauren@strongtowns.org. Find more information about the Community Action Lab at our Press Resources Hub.
For questions about upcoming events and logistics, please contact Tony Harris, Action Team Coordinator at anthony@strongtowns.org.
If you’re a member of the Leadership or Action Teams in this community and you have a question, please contact Edward Erfurt, Director of Community Action, at edward@strongtowns.org.