In some communities, online real-time resources relating to local transportation are now being created too. Check out this example in Los Angeles, where the Department of Transportation provides real-time parking availability for metered spaces throughout the city.  In San Francisco, a similar system has been turned into an iPhone app. Imagine what it could be like here in Sarasota County if we were to create online, real-time resources relating to local transportation as well as other aspects of everyday life.  Intrigued?  That’s probably a sign that YOU’D BE PERFECT for the Community Data Collaborative here in  Sarasota County!

What: Discuss Environmental indicators & Preparing Local Datasets
When:  Monday, May 21, 11:00 am to 12:30 pm
Where:  Twin Lakes Park, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota 34241

The May meeting will focus on indicators of community well-being relating to the natural environment.  It will include review of the Sarasota County Green Map, the Sarasota County Water Atlas, and other data collected by county departments as well as others.  There will also be further discussion of local efforts now underway to prepare datasets relating to other domains of community well-being (health, learning, social, civic, culture/recreation, economic, built environment, and transportation).  For more details please contact Dr. Allison Pinto at apinto@scopexcel.org.  
 
Community of Practice for Resident Community Changemakers to IGNITE and Discuss “The Abundant Community”

What: Community Data 2.0:  Venice - a half-day workshop

When: Friday, May 18 from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Where: Venice City Hall

This workshop will emphasize using community data to promote economic vitality.  Questions to explore include:

• How can businesses use demographic data to decide upon the best spot to locate their business, or to inform hiring decisions to promote the economic well-being of the full diversity of the community?
• How can businesses use local asset mapping data to promote the overall well-being of their employees and their families, in not only their workplaces, but also their neighborhoods and broader community?
• How can residents use community data to identify businesses to recruit to their neighborhood?

There will also be an emphasis on using community data to track social, civic and neighborhood well-being, for the sake of economic improvement and overall community thriving.

City Councilman Jim Bennett will share an IGNITE Presentation of his neighborhood, and corresponding neighborhood-scale data about the Sawgrass neighborhood, as an example of a neighbor- and neighborhood-centric perspective on community data.

Participants will be able to share perspectives on the qualities of life that matter most in Venice and find out how to get involved with the Community Data Collaborative, a growing network of people from various neighborhoods and professional sectors working together to create a local, user-friendly data resource.

For more information and to register go to www.scopexcel.org or call SCOPE at (941) 365-8751.

Our new look is the result of several suggestions provided in a recent survey. You asked for a newsletter that is mobile-friendly (it is), easier to read (see skimmable categories and headlines), more visually engaging (note our cleaner design and additional images) and takes up less room in your inbox (it has a streamlined header).   

You were very clear about what you like in our monthly e-newsletter: the frequency, mix of subjects covered, and Tim’s introduction. We aren’t changing those things, simply bringing them to you in a refreshed format.

And our new name? It reflects our ongoing partnership as we work together for a better community.

We hope the changes improve your reading experience. If you have feedback on the newsletter, please leave a comment below.

It is easy to understand how the map got framed as evidence of our county’s relative economic success.  When the whole of Sarasota County is compared to all other counties in the state of Florida, it appears that there is a smaller proportion of people with income below poverty level here in Sarasota County.  If we leave it at that, everybody tends to feel pretty good about the state of our local community.

However, when we “zoom in” to take a look at areas within the county, a different pattern comes into view.

At this point, it is not yet possible to use neighborhood boundaries to make comparisons in Sarasota County.  (This is what the Community Data Collaborative is working to develop.)  For now, the closest comparison is an analysis by census block groups, which are groups of about 40 census blocks.

When census block groups are compared in Sarasota County, it becomes clear that there are some block groups here where the proportion of residents with income below poverty level is among the highest in the state of Florida.

Furthermore, these block groups tend to be clustered, reflecting concentrated poverty, which is of particular concern.  And these block groups often are right beside block groups where a high proportion of residents have very high income, which creates dynamics of income inequality.

When we take a look at Sarasota County relative to other counties without also examining within-county patterns, we risk making broad generalizations about our county that result in local community problems going undetected or unacknowledged by those who are not experiencing them firsthand.  These generalizations can also compromise our ability to capitalize upon the many assets that exist within the community to make things better.

When we look at more detailed data, we can begin to identify patterns across neighborhoods throughout the county, so that we are better able to recognize and respond, together as a community, both to opportunities and to hazards as they arise.

This is why the work of the Sarasota County Community Data Collaborative is so important.  Until these local data are available for everyone to examine and reflect upon, we are “flying blind” as a community when it comes to navigating local efforts to bring about positive change.

In the meantime, we need to be especially careful about the conclusions we draw from available data.

***

If you are interested in contributing to local efforts to increase the availability and accessibility of local community data, please contact Allison Pinto at SCOPE (941.365/8751 or apinto@scopexcel.org) to find out how to get involved in the Community Data Collaborative.

First – he called about something called “Life Is Good in Sarasota County.” This is an invitation to tell a story about an experience – a memory – of a time here in Sarasota County when, as you look back on it now, you think “ahhh, yes, life is good here.” This is a chance to reflect on the positive. It’s also more than that. As the volume of stories grows, themes begin to emerge that indicate what people care about, what is valued. This is the foundation for understanding what we, as a community need to be paying attention to, and what we need to measure to know if progress is happening.

You can see below that Community Data 2.0 Venice will be gathering on May 18. These life-is-good stories, the session in Venice and past and future gatherings in North Port and Sarasota are a part of the community effort to bring data to life as a real resource for residents as they make decisions about their neighborhoods. Take a look at the SCOPE Blog to learn a little more about the Community Data Collaborative.

I mentioned that this call from a friend stimulated two thoughts. The other is a reminder of the power of persistence and boundary crossing. This friend demonstrated both in a tireless effort to transform a neighborhood eyesore into a neighborhood asset. What is now Lime Lake Park, was once a dangerous nuisance. Years later and through understanding that some changes need many sectors and multiple scales to become reality, it is a beautiful park. Lime Lake happened because the neighborhood wanted it to. Sure, the neighborhood could not do it all but the neighborhood was the catalyst and the constant energy that brought the institutional juice to bear.

I hope this friend calls me more often.

Some of the participants were younger; there for the most part, because of a professional connection.  Some were service providers like folks from Senior Friendship Centers and Jewish Family & Children’s Services, keenly focused on quality of life issues for an older population.  Others were tuned-in to the reality of an older demographic – like staff members from the local libraries interested in possibilities, being a gathering place and resource for all ages.

Some of the thinking that bubbled up in the discussions:

· Residents in both Venice and Englewood were interested in a model program for elder-friendly business certifications, a “good housekeeping” seal of approval for businesses.

· The North Port Community Health Action Team (CHAT) decided to team up with the North Port Library to work on strategies and share ideas with a coalition of area faith organizations.

· One mobile home park in Englewood already has an Angie’s – type list for their residents.  Sharing information and ideas with neighbors was encouraged and informal networks were supported.

· In north Sarasota, the Friendship at Home program was touted as a way to volunteer and help share information with isolated seniors.

· In North Port some discussed forming a network in a specific geographic area to mimic the supportive community often experienced in “over-55” retirement developments.

· In Englewood there was concern about understanding health insurance.  Local resources were shared.

· One discussion touched on the perceived interests of baby boomers. Do you think newly retired boomers are so busy enjoying their Florida lifestyle that they will have little interest in helping out in their community?  We would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Each month, the Sarasota County residents who are participating in the Resident Community Changemakers fellowship record their reflections on developments in their neighborhood and their experience in the fellowship.  Click here to listen to Robin Bongiovi reflect on her experience after the second month of the fellowship.  The videoblogs of the other three Resident Community Changemakers will be added soon.

On a bi-weekly basis, RCC fellows reflect together as a group and also participate individual reflective consultation.  They continuously reflect so that their wisdom as neighbors can be accessed and harnessed, for the sake of positive change in their home neighborhoods and our broader shared community.  

 At the start of the fellowship, Resident Community Changemakers received the following adapted version of the BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION/CONSULTATION published by the Michigan Association of Infant Mental Health.   (It was adapted to speak to [Resident Community Changemakers] rather than Infant Mental Health practitioners.)  Take a look and see what you think - is this a strategy for promoting neighbor-initiated, neighbor-led community change that resonates with you too?

*****

Reflective supervision/consultation is distinct [from administrative or technical supervision] due to the shared exploration of the parallel process.  That is, attention to all of the relationships is important, including the ones between [changemaker] and supervisor, between [changemaker] and [neighbors], between [neighbors and neighbors], [and between neighbors and other community members / institutions].  It is critical to understand how each of these relationships affects the others.  Of additional importance, reflective supervision/consultation relates to professional and personal development within one’s discipline by attending to the emotional content of the work and how reactions to the content affect the [changemaking efforts].  Finally, there is often greater emphasis on the supervisor/consultant’s ability to listen and wait, allowing the supervisee to discover solutions, concepts and perceptions on his/her own without interruption from the supervisor/consultant.    

The primary objectives of reflective supervision/consultation include the following:

• form a trusting relationship between supervisor and [changemaker]
• establish consistent and predictable meetings and times
• ask questions that encourage details about the neighborhood and related emerging relationships
• listen
• remain emotionally present
• teach/guide
• nurture/support
• apply the integration of emotion and reason
• foster the reflective process to be internalized by the [changemaker]
• explore the parallel process and to allow time for personal reflection
• attend to how reactions to the content affect the process

Reflective supervision/consultation may be carried out individually or within a group.  For the purposes of this document, reflective supervision/consultation refers specifically to work done on be-half of [neighborhood] relationships.

Reflective supervision/consultation may mean different things depending on the program or setting in which it occurs.  A reflective supervisor or consultant may be hired/contracted from outside the agency or program, and may be offered to an individual or group/team in order to examine and respond to [neighborhood] material.  If the supervisor or consultant is contracted from outside the agency or program, he or she will engage in reflective and [technical] discussion, but administrative objectives only when it is clearly indicated in the contract.

If the reflective supervisor/consultant operates within the agency or program, then he/she will most likely need to address reflective, [technical] and administrative objectives.  When discussions related to disciplinary action need to occur, it is the direct supervisor who addresses them.  When the direct supervisor is also the one who provides reflective supervision, some schedule a meeting separate from the reflective supervision time.  Others choose to address disciplinary concerns during the regular reflective supervision meeting.  Disciplinary action should never occur within a group supervisory/consultation session. In all instances, the reflective supervisor/consultant is expected to set limits that are clear, firm & fair, to work collaboratively and to interact and respond respectfully. 

In sum, it is important to remember that relationship is the foundation for reflective supervision and consultation.  All growth and discovery about the work and oneself takes place within the context of this trusting relationship.  To the extent that the supervisor or consultant and supervisee(s) or consultee(s) are able to establish a secure relationship, the capacity to be reflective will flourish.

This neat interactive mapping resource from the American Human Development Project makes it possible to find out. With this tool we can type in our zip code to look at information about our congressional district and compare this to other congressional districts across the country during the period of 2008-2011.

Here’s how it works: enter your zip code and the map zooms in to your Congressional District. Click on the top box on the left-hand side of the screen and select “Demographics” and then “Latino Population (%)” to see what percent of the population identifies as Latino/Hispanic here.

In Florida Congressional District 13 (which is most of Sarasota County), 10.5% of the population identifies as Latino/Hispanic. How does this compare to the percentage of Latino/Hispanic people in other congressional districts in the US? Of all the congressional districts in the country, 10.5% Latino/Hispanic is in the middle of the range: we do not have the highest percentage of people who identify as Latino/Hispanic (that title goes to Congressional District 16 of Texas, where 81.6% of the population identifies as Latino/Hispanic), but about half of the congressional districts do not have as high of a proportion of Latino/Hispanic people as we do. We know that the number of people who identify as Latino/Hispanic has increased in Sarasota County since 2000 (see this previous Data Byte), but this resource helps us see how the proportion of people who identify as Latino/Hispanic in our congressional district has increased since 2008-2009, from 9.8% of the total population.

As a resident, I would be interested in seeing where people who identify as Latino/Hispanic are living within Sarasota County, and how many people speak Spanish as either their first or second language. Which schools have a higher proportion of children who are Latino/Hispanic, and are there teachers at these schools who speak Spanish? What other information could we be paying attention to with regard to the growing number of Latino/Hispanic residents, in order to make our community an even more hospitable place for everyone who lives here? What do Latino/Hispanic residents believe are the most important quality of life indicators here in Sarasota County?

What questions come to mind for you?