CSC Broward has been co-leading collective impact efforts through the Broward Children's Strategic Plan (CSP) using Results Based Accountability since 2010. CSC and community partners have also been supporting racial equity training, partnership, data, community participatory action research, and policy/system changes since 2016. Most recently, CSC partnered with Dr. Cirecie West-Olatunji, professor at Xavier University and the Director of the university’s Center for Traumatic Stress Research (CTSR). With the help of Dr. West, CSC is taking a strength-based, culturally responsive approach to research that engages community members as partners and co-researchers. The research initiatives are helping to build resiliency and develop solutions to pervasive social and economic issues. Other place-based solutions to improve the wellbeing of residents living in historically disinvested communities in Broward County are emerging including Prosperity Broward and Broward Up efforts in the City of Fort Lauderdale and the City of Lauderhill's citywide health equity project, The Lauderhill Health, and Prosperity Partnership.
As beneficial as the CSP and placed-based efforts are, they have an organizational rather than "community ownership emphasis of their decision-making" processes and thereby, limiting the innovation of residents building upon or creating their own grassroots solutions.
In response to this gap, CSC is working with the Fern Collective to pilot two place-based initiatives using Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) with organizational staff and community residents of the City of Fort Lauderdale and the City of Lauderhill. Fort Lauderdale and Lauderhill were identified as pilot sites based on their existing collective impact initiatives and their commitment to deepen community member's leadership development.
City of Fort Lauderdale
The Fern Collective and representative from the Education Advisory Board recently presented to the Fort Lauderdale Board of Commissioners. To see the meeting recap, visit here: City of Ft. Lauderdale August 19, 2021, Educational Advisory Board Meeting Agenda Notes
City of Lauderhill
You can read more about the Lauderhill Project by visiting here: Lauderhill Health and Prosperity Partnership Project
