Bluegrass Community Connector Project Connecting and Empowering Community Leaders
The project will identify 100 key connectors in Central Kentucky, based on analysis of nominations from the public. Those connectors will then be connected with each other, which should naturally increase communication and cooperation across city limits and county lines.
Karen Stephenson, a cultural anthropologist who has taught in the design and management schools of Harvard and UCLA, will be a major contributor to the project. She has applied it to the cities of Philadelphia, Louisville, Tucson, and Portland.
Community Shift or Drift
The most significant barrier to change is “cultural drift,” whereby heroic efforts to swim against conventional community beliefs start strong only to weaken and eventually be set adrift in a larger, steadier cultural current of “status quo”.
Because we know change can only come about by a committed group of citizens, we want these individuals to know their commitment to our community or civic efforts is important to all of us. We recognize that the day-to-day demands of community issues may prevent these connectors from being appreciated for the great things they accomplish and for the important role they play in making our community a better place to live. Their personal commitment of time and resources to make a contributory effort on behalf of the greater good of the community is what it means to be civically engaged.
We have initiated this connector study because we want to recognize these people and we want them to know how important they are to us. They have something we all respect - an authentic and unwavering commitment to make our community a better place. This community connector project is an effort to "shine a light" on these unsung heroes for their work on behalf of the greater common good. It is the beginning of our payback to them for the great works they perform in our community.
Soliciting Nominations
There are nominations of individuals from all economic sectors and walks of life in a 3-6 month time period. To do this, we put out a call to community leaders, the print media, social media, and the everyday citizen. NetForm, a network analysis company which has provided the same service for several similar studies in Philadelphia, Louisville and Portland, cleans the data for any evidence of gaming and culls the nominations for the top 100 or so individuals generally from a list numbering in the thousands. We will then contact the nominees for permission to publish their names. We recognize that some may prefer to work in anonymity and we will honor their wish to remain in anonymity.
Project Outcomes
Once permission is received from the nominees, the list will be published, interview them where possible and then organize an event whereby they come together to meet one another. It is likely they may have colleagues in common but may have not met each other personally or collaborated together. Experience shows that by coming together, their connection will produce an exponential "lift" in civic engagement based on the new ideas they may develop together. We do not generate projects for them; our facilitator role is only to provide the opportunity for them to meet. We stand apart from any political bias or agenda. We are doing this project because research has shown that all too often these connectors work in isolated pockets of trust. Experience shows us that if we bring these community leaders together, a greater community fabric can and will be created and we all benefit from that. Previous connectors have expressed that it is a great comfort to know there are others like them "out there" that they can turn to for ideas, resources and collaboration.