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The Brown Bag Series is sponsored by the Community Partnership Project at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, working in cooperation with University of Missouri Extension, and is cosponsored by the UMSL Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program. These monthly gatherings are designed for students and community members and are part of the Community Building Fellowship Program at UMSL. Stay tuned for future sessions! |
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Community Development Corporations: What's Working in St. Louis Neighborhoods
Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are nonprofit community-based organizations that work on a variety of initiatives related to housing, commercial development, youth programming, etc. Join us for a series of conversations with leaders of St. Louis area CDCs, exploring how they are making a difference in their neighborhoods. Dr. Todd Swanstrom, Des Lee Professor of Community Collaboration and Public Policy Administration at University of Missouri–St. Louis, led the discussions. February 1, 2012: Focus on Rental Housing
Panelists: - Tom Pickel, Executive Director, DeSales Community Housing Corporation
- Ernecia Coles, President, Northside Community Housing, Inc.
March 7, 2012: Focus on Art as a Revitalization Tool
Panelists: - Mel Watkin, UMSL Photography Project
- Sister Mary Ann Nestel, Carondelet Housing Corporation
- Charlie Vinz, Rebuild Foundation
PPRC Photography Project Presentation
April 4, 2012: Focus on Youth and Summer Programs
Panelists: - Vickie Forby, Emerson Park Development Corporation
- David Carroll, North Grand Neighborhood Services
Community Development Corporations: What's Working in St. Louis Neighborhoods
Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are nonprofit community-based organizations that work on a variety of initiatives related to housing, commercial development, youth programming, etc. Join us for a series of conversations with leaders of St. Louis area CDCs, exploring how they are making a difference in their neighborhoods. Dr. Todd Swanstrom, Des Lee Professor of Community Collaboration and Public Policy Administration at University of Missouri–St. Louis, led the discussions. November 2, 2011: Focus on Job Development Panelists:- David Carroll, Executive Director, North Grand Neighborhood Services
- Vickie Kimmel Forby, Executive Director, Emerson Park Development Corporation
December 7, 2011: Focus on Retail Development
Panelists: - Chris Krehmeyer, President and CEO, Beyond Housing
- Dan Krasnoff, Executive Director, Park Central Development Corporation
Faith Based Activism The election of Barack Obama in 2009 was significant for many reasons, but his prior experience as a community organizer has put a distinctive stamp on his presidency. His familiarity with community-level mobilization influenced both his campaign as well as his view of the role of locally based organizations in the well-being of the nation’s urban areas. As a person of faith, President Barack Obama has thrust a spotlight on the activism of religious groups as problem-solvers. How are faith based organizations playing a role in neighborhood renewal and our country’s economic recovery? Join us for a series of conversations about faith based and neighborhood partnerships in the age of Obama. At each session you’ll learn from a panel of leaders of faith based organizations what they are doing, how it’s going and the impact they are having. Dr. Nancy Kinney, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, and Director of the Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program, will lead each of the discussions. - Wednesday, February 10
- The Role of Congregations in Rebuilding Urban Communities
- Howard McAuliffe, Exec. Dir., North Grand Neighborhood Services
- Kim Plank, Ministry Outreach, Windsor Crossing Community Church
- Listen to this Brown Bag conversation
- Wednesday, March 3
- Faith Based Approaches Under an Obama Administration
- Bridget Flood, Executive Director, Incarnate Word Foundation
(member, special task force of President Obama’s Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships) - Listen to this Brown Bag conversation
- Wednesday, April 14
- Faith-Based Community Activism
- Beth Damsgaard-Rodriguez, Exec. Dir., Interfaith Partnership/Faith Beyond Walls & Katie Jansen Larson, Exec. Dir., Metropolitan Congregations United
- Listen to this Brown Bag conversation
Housing Strategies for Neighborhood Renewal: A Three-Part Series
The shift in population from the inner core of our region to the suburban and rural fringes has left neighborhoods in the city and the inner-ring suburbs with a significant decline in population, an increase in abandoned or foreclosed properties, and housing units now considered “obsolete.” What are these neighborhoods doing to attract new people to their communities? How are housing strategies playing a role in revitalizing these communities? Join us for a series of conversations about housing strategies for neighborhood renewal. Each session will feature a different community and housing strategy. You’ll hear what each community is doing, how it’s going, and what overall impact their strategy has had on the quality of life in the community. Dr. Todd Swanstrom, Des Lee Endowed Professor of Community Collaboration and Public Policy Administration at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, will lead each discussion. Session 1: Session 2: Session 3: April 15, 2009: Building Community through Community Gardens Spring is here, and with the change in weather there are opportunities to bring together neighbors through gardening. Hundreds of community gardens, located in neighborhoods throughout the St. Louis region, will be worked on this spring. How can community gardens build stronger communities? What is the impact that community gardens can have on the sustainability of the surrounding neighborhoods? Join us for a conversation with Danielle Kusner from Gateway Greening and Amber Dover from Seeds of Change, a community garden located in the Benton Park West neighborhood, to learn about the goals, the latest trends, and the impact community gardens can have on the quality of life for surrounding neighborhoods. Dr. Mark Tranel, director of UMSL's Public Policy Research Center, who has conducted research on the impact of community gardens, will lead the discussion. March 18, 2009: Facing the Financial Crisis: Using the Media to Address Community Issues
Listen to this CPP Brown Bag Seminar
Thousands of people in the St. Louis area are facing foreclosure this year and even more are experiencing family financial crises due to job loss, credit issues, and other factors. Resources are available to help individuals understand their financial options and prevent further crisis. What are the challenges in connecting people to resources? How is the media playing a role, and what are the benefits of using the media to address community issues? Join us for a conversation with Dale Berenc, manager of education services for KETC Channel 9, and Debbie Irwin, Missouri Foreclosure Prevention coordinator, as they share their unique work using a media outlet in educating people and connecting them to the resources available. Tom McPhail, UMSL professor of media studies, who also serves as a media and Internet analyst for national media outlets, will lead the discussion. March 4, 2009: Community-Based Food Pantries: Meeting Needs During a Financial Crisis As the financial crisis worsens, unemployment rates continue to climb. The total number of jobs lost last year reached 2.5 million, the highest total since 1945. Our national government is working to stimulate the economy and put people back to work. In the meantime, private organizations in communities throughout the region are trying to keep up with the increased demand for emergency assistance. How are community-based nonprofit organizations meeting the needs of their neighbors? What's new about the way food assistance is handled? What's being done to assist people who never thought they'd need to turn to a food bank for help? Join us for a conversation with Glenn Koenen, executive director of Circle of Concern, and Major Janice Love, pastor and corps officer for the Salvation Army Euclid Center, as they share how their community-based organizations are working to provide emergency food assistance to those impacted by the financial crisis. Dr. Nancy Kinney, associate professor of political science and public policy administration and director of UMSL's Nonprofit Management & Leadership Program, will lead the discussion. November 12, 2008: A Comprehensive Approach to Neighborhood Revitalization City neighborhoods across the country are striving to revitalize and overcome urban decline and the effects of suburban sprawl. A major challenge is balancing the interests of diverse stakeholders, including preservationists, real estate developers, affordable housing advocates, social service providers, investors, and long-term residents. What are the keys to developing a comprehensive strategy for revitalization? How can neighborhood leaders work with divergent groups to find common ground for the good of the community? Join us for a conversation with Sean Thomas, executive director of the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, who will share revitalization strategies, challenges, and successes in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood. The conversation will be led by Dr. John McClusky, affiliate associate professor of Public Policy Administration and Political Science, director emeritus of the Nonprofit Management & Leadership Program at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and former consultant to the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group.
October 22, 2008: Meeting the Needs of Homeless Students The foreclosure and financial crisis is impacting more than just homeowners, banks, and communities. The national child advocacy group First Focus estimates that the crisis will impact 2 million children, leaving them without a home. The educational impacts of losing a home and moving can be lower academic performance and higher rates of students being held back and/or dropping out. What are school districts doing to meet the needs of homeless students? Join us for a conversation about meeting the needs of homeless students with Vince Estrada, director of Student Services at the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District, who will share about their work creating Joe’s Place. He will be joined by Vikki Collier, homeless coordinator for the Normandy School District. The conversation will be led by Dr. Margaret Sherraden, professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. September 24, 2008: The Sociology of Health: Creating Healthy and Active Communities Where you live can hinder or contribute to good health. According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lack of access to health care accounts for only about 10 percent of total mortality in the United States. Much of the rest is explained by environmental conditions, social and economic factors, and health behaviors. How do community factors affect health? And what is being done in St. Louis communities to promote better health at the neighborhood level? Join us for a conversation about creating healthy and active communities with Ann Mack, executive director of Trailnet. The conversation will be led by Dr. Teresa Guess, professor of sociology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. |
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Brown Bag Series
