SOMCAN Selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Convene Raising Places
Greater Good Studio, a social impact design firm headquartered in Chicago recently announced that the South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN) will participate in Raising Places, an innovative project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Raising Places is designed to engage residents and local leaders in creating healthy, “child-centered” communities through a nine-month interactive process that includes a series of learning labs.
“With over 150 applicants from across the country, our review panel had to make some tough decisions,” said Sara Cantor Aye, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Greater Good Studio. “SOMCAN demonstrated a deep commitment to resident engagement, including children and families, and embodied the balance between honoring the past and being open to innovative new approaches. Each grant recipient represents a diverse range of place types, regions of the country, population demographics, assets and challenges. From this, we expect to derive key lessons applicable to many other communities.”
In addition to a grant from RWJF, SOMCAN will receive technical assistance from Greater Good Studio, which will facilitate a series of workshops over nine months with teams comprised of participants from across different sectors to generate ideas and build relationships among residents and other community stakeholders. By engaging those same stakeholders in a collaborative process of brainstorming and prototyping, each team will develop and test a multitude of solutions and ideas designed to address specific community objectives.
“By participating in Raising Places, we hope to gain new tools in tackling some of the ongoing issues that are challenging the foundation of our community,” stated Angelica Cabande, Organizational Director, SOMCAN. “We want to grow with the changes that are happening within our neighborhood.”
The three challenges that the SoMa design team have identified as barriers to children and families thriving here are:
Unsafe streets for pedestrians
Displacement of longtime residents and families
Lack of accessible open spaces
The first ideas lab was held last Sunday, December 10 at the Bayanihan Community Center and was well-attended by local residents, workers, and community advocates, including parents and students from nearby Bessie Carmichael School. Raising Places will culminate in a national convening in April 2018.
Follow the progress of SOMCAN and each recipient community at www.raisingplaces.org or on Twitter at @RaisingPlaces.
