“One Community ” Olathe Community Forum Activities

May 12, 2007

Discovering Our Strengths

Table Conversation Guide

At your tables, have a conversation about each of the following questions.  

Pick a facilitator who can be aware of time and support everyone having an equal chance to share.  

Also pick a recorder who can summarize your group's responses to Question #2 only .   Use the colored paper and markers provided, and write one strength per page.

•    Personal Interest:   We're becoming a more diverse community in Delta/Montrose Counties.   Tell me about how living with, or getting to know, people who are culturally different has affected you.   Why do you care about this issue?  

•  Community Strengths:   What have you experienced in Delta/Montrose Counties (or elsewhere) that worked well in welcoming and integrating newcomers into the community?   (Place identified strength on Wall of Wonder).

•  Three Wishes:   If you could wave a magic wand and be granted 3 wishes for the future of Delta/Montrose Counties, what would your 3 wishes be?

(If you run short of time for this question, don't worry--we'll come back to it later in the Forum).

Mapping Our Issues

What topics or trends need to be considered in our hope to create One Community in the Montrose/Delta County area, where everyone feels they belong?  Include issues such as...

(Examples in parentheses are only to spark your thinking) 

•  Resources (e.g., What resources are provided within Olathe/Delta/Montrose other communities?)

•  Needs (e.g., What are the most important gaps in serving the special needs of newcomers to Montrose/Delta Counties?)

•  Opportunities (e.g., Who makes up the natural leadership within the immigrant community? or… Who should be included in a referral network?

•  Challenges (e.g., How do we get support of employers, faith-based and other key community sectors.)

•  Lessons from other efforts (e.g., Other communities, unique approaches and strategies?)

Dreaming Our Future

Imagine you go to sleep, and when you wake up, four years have passed since this One Community   OlatheForum , and it is now May   2011.   Inspired by our collective effort, the Montrose and Delta County residents have come together around a shared vision of what's possible to improve the integration of newcomers in the Montrose/Delta County area.   A vibrant and well-functioning network (collaborative) has been formed, and is executing an implementation plan with the full support of the community.

Describe what you see.

•  What are you most impressed by?

•  What has changed since 2007?

•  What obstacles were overcome in the process, and how?   And……..

•  What has been your role in making all of this happen?

Be prepared as a group to creatively present your ideas by 4 :15.   Each group will have three minutes to share their highlights.

Workgroup sheets for collecting ideas & interest sign-ups:

•  Education

•  Housing

•  Healthcare

•  Culture

•  Business/employment

•  Law Enforcement

•  Community (including recreation, civic participation, community relations)

•  Other