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The Blog of NSR

Strategy: Connectivity

Grow Sto-Rox

The Grow Sto-Rox collaborative exists to improve the quality of life of Sto-Rox residents through programs which are trauma informed, strengths based, and create equitable economic impact.

 

PARTNERS

Communities in Schools of Pittsburgh Allegheny County (CISPAC) – Bridget Clement, Executive Director

Focus on Renewal (FOR) – Cindy Haines, Executive Director, Adrienne Roberts, Dorian Glenn

McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation (MRCDC) – Taris Vrcek, Executive Director

Sto-Rox School District (SRSD) – Frank Dalmas, Superintendent, Samantha Levitzki, School Board

Zellous Hope Project (ZH) – Denise Zellous, Executive Director 

 

BACKGROUND

The Sto-Rox community is composed of the racially-diverse, Pittsburgh rust belt communities of Stowe Township and McKees Rocks Borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In 2014, an Allegheny County Department of Human Services study ranked Sto-Rox as a “Distressed Community”– the highest designation of rural and suburban poverty based on the number of single-mother households, unemployed males, housing vacancy and transportation scarcity. The Sto-Rox School District (SRSD), serving approximately 1,500 students 100% of whom qualify for free-and-reduced price lunch, has historically been one of the lowest performing school districts in Pennsylvania, known for significant gaps in digital access and struggles with charter school competition.

Despite these challenges the Sto-Rox community has many resources: over 10 Early Childhood Educational facilities, 5 Out-of-School (OST) providers, an active Community Development Corporation (MRCDC), revitalizing business and manufacturing bases, and a strong anchor human services organization (FOR) which runs a Community Resource Center and a powerhouse community arts center.

In 2014, when faced with budget and capacity constraints, SRSD called on local organizations to support critical youth and family programming. In response, the McKees Rocks CDC (MRCDC), Focus on Renewal (FOR) and over 15 other local organizations convened to form the “Sto-Rox Youth Partnership,” (SRYP) aimed at improving outcomes for youth and families. The SRSD and community partnered with Communities In Schools Pittsburgh – Allegheny County (CISPAC) to help guide the vision and resources. In 2017, the MRCDC, FOR, SRSD and CISPAC strengthened the efforts of the SRYP by forming an executive level steering committee and identifying key focus areas to support the work happening on the ground.

Concurrently, the McKees Rocks CDC (MRCDC) and Focus on Renewal (FOR) partnered with New Sun Rising (NSR) in 2016 to lead the development of a revisioning and activation plan while more deeply engaging the Sto-Rox community. The plan emphasized the voices and empowerment of stakeholders throughout the process, with special attention to underrepresented citizens. Building upon this research and feedback on the community’s development priorities, NSR, MRCDC, and FOR facilitated the Ignite Sto-Rox startup workshop in 2017 to identify local social entrepreneurs and provided ongoing intensive development support to 10 organizations through the Launch Sto-Rox incubator in 2018. 

Building upon this period of increased collaboration throughout the community, New Sun Rising (NSR) began to meet with stakeholders to identify opportunities for transformational collective impact.  Existing workforce and economic development assets were numerous but disconnected, including: Youth Workforce programs (Studio Sto-Rox Career Readiness, STEAM, Project Future and Learn & Earn), Adult Workforce programs (Pre-Apprenticeship Academy, Career Placement Services, and Asset Building), plans to establish a “Learning Campus” where Sto-Rox H.S. serves as a hub for learners of all ages, a “Maker & Co-Working Facility (The Joinery) that would include establishing a light manufacturing space, and most importantly a commitment to prioritize community outreach and engagement to vulnerable residents in all decisions through programs like “Voices of the Community” and related support from The Zellous Hope Project.

In August 2019, the Grow Sto-Rox founding partners (listed above) first met as a collaborative and committed  to increase their efficacy by fully embracing the tenants of collective impact planning as it works to improve the quality of life of Sto-Rox residents through trauma informed, strength-based programs that improve the equitable economic future of the community. The founding partners acknowledge that this work is not possible without building trust, engaging the community, eliminating locally defined disparities, developing a culture of continuous improvement, and leveraging existing assets.

In acknowledgement of this shared vision and commitment, the Grow Sto-Rox collaborative was accepted into the inaugural year of The Forbes Funds C3 (Catalyst Community Cohort) program in late 2019.  The C3 program provides funding and mentorship that will serve to advance the collaborative’s planning and capacity building efforts as they move towards implementation.

 

GOALS

Grow Sto-Rox creates pathways to the middle class for multi-generational residents by achieving the following goals, which are informed by local research presented in “Recommendations for an Equity, Justice, and Inclusion Agenda for Pittsburgh” from Urban Kind and based upon “The Path to an All In Pittsburgh” from Policy Link.

G1: Grow good accessible jobs that provide pathways to the middle class

G2:  Increase the economic security and mobility of vulnerable families and workers

G3: Cultivate homegrown talent through a strong cradle-to-career pipeline

G4:  Create a healthy, opportunity-rich neighborhood for all

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The founding partners of the Grow Sto-Rox collaborative fully believe that our goals can only be achieved by implementing solutions which are Trauma informed and Strengths-based.  Initial activities include training and community engagement on developing these two competencies – as well as systemic racism education.

Trauma informed is realizing that every individual’s experience results in varying levels of trauma that plays a big role in how they respond to everyday interactions.  People develop masks to hide the fact that they are traumatized. In community, these masks manifest in real ways, such as mental health with addiction, indifference in hyper masculinity, and false confidence hiding fear in educators. Trauma-informed approaches allow you to take your own mask off and engage with the real person. Being vulnerable and recognizing that trauma is manifesting in another human being provides people with a different experience, avoiding the reinforcement of their current mental model. Providers must be aware of our own triggers, levels of chronic stress, and ability to avoid escalation by reframing conversations. Dealing with trauma has been relatively absent in our community and is critical for people to move into strengths-based approaches and ultimately, equitable economic growth.

Strengths-based means genuinely getting to know the people that you are working with and valuing that their knowledge and experience can be used to help them reach their goals. Providers, leaders, and peers must develop the ability to truly meet people where they are at – sometimes that can mean admiring people for just showing up. People who are caught in generational poverty are made to feel less important than others. In order to break this cycle we must understand what success looks like to each individual, help them to see their strengths, and build upon them.  People who feel powerless need to be given options and have the opportunity to share how they feel. By facilitating a greater understanding and practice of strengths-based approaches throughout the broader community, Grow Sto-Rox will help to lift the power of individuals in poverty to participate in their own growth. Not by leading, but by following their lead.

The Partnership Network (TPN)

The Partnership Network (TPN) is a group of intermediary funders and/or capacity building organizations working to mobilize the community and economic development sectors in the Pittsburgh region. TPN creates the conditions for change by solving complex community challenges at the macro, meso, and micro levels of our communities. Partner organizations include Allegheny Conference, The Forbes Funds, Neighborhood Allies, NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania, New Sun Rising, Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience (PULSE).

Collectively, TPN is focused on capacity building for the Community Development System to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). TPN members, and as a collective group, work at both the organization and resident-level with a commitment to being people-centered in their work. In order to achieve this goal the members have agreed to the implement the following practices which are critical to how they will manage their intra-network relationships and expectations:

  • Aligning resources
  • Creating transparency
  • Articulating shared outcomes

Read more from TPN members:

  • The Partnership Network | Member Story: Neighborhood Allies
  • The Partnership Network | Member Story: New Sun Rising
  • The Partnership Network | Member Story : NeighborWorks Western PA
  • The Partnership Network | Member Story: PULSE

Ignite Vibrancy: Collective Impact

A mentoring workshop + pitch competition to ignite collective action

Do you have an idea for a collaborative project to improve your community? Get support and the opportunity to pitch for $30,000 in total grants during the one-day Ignite Vibrancy workshop. Participants receive guidance from mentors and peers to further develop their project.  Awardees will also receive 12 months of ongoing support from New Sun Rising’s GIT-COL initiative (Growing Impact Through Data + Collaboration).  NOTE: this workshop has already occurred

 

THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT PROJECTS

On September 7, 2019, over 30 community leaders representing 10 collective impact projects received support from 8 mentors to develop their collective impact projects and pitches. Special congrats to our pitch winners who will receive an additional year of capacity building from NSR:

  • $15,000 to Coraopolis Community C.A.F.E (Coraopolis Alliance for Excellence), a central resource hub organized by Coraopolis Youth Creations, Coraopolis Community Foundation, and When She Thrives to increase access to services for community members of all ages help them move from surviving to thriving.
  • $10,000 to SURGE Braddock, a pilot program developed by Greater Valley Community Services (GVCS) and Paradigm Global Innovations (PGI) to work with 15 – 20 community youth members partnering with local businesses to develop analytical business and design skills acknowledged by Braddock’s small business owners as high needs.
  • $5,000 to C.H.A.M.P.S Northview Heights + Crafton (Change Agents Mentoring Peers in Sport), a partnership between Open Field, JFCS Pittsburgh, Somali Bantu Community Association of Pittsburgh, ARYSE, Youth Places, and the Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh, which utilizes the global game of soccer to promote social cohesion, increase life skills education, and improve the health and well-being of young people in Northview Heights and Crafton Heights.

 

THE WORKSHOP

The facilitated activities with your mentor will focus on concept development following a Collective Impact Lean Canvas. Mentors will assist project leaders through the design and development of their idea, identifying key steps and necessary resources. Project leaders will leave more able to:

  1. Clearly explain the purpose and value of the project to the broader community and potential funders
  2. Develop and follow a plan to inclusively engage your community and potential funders
  3. Create agreements on how the group will operate as a collective
  4. Understand best practices for collective impact
  5. Explore the role of data and storytelling in their project

 

THE PITCH

Each group will also have a chance to “pitch” to a panel of judges. Selected organizations will receive funds and capacity building support to further implement the project. In addition to economic impact, businesses and projects supported through the Vibrant Communities Framework prioritizes a triple bottom line, which includes people and planet.  Collective Community Impact project winners will be reviewed considering these indicators:

CULTURE: Access to learning, capacity building, community development, engagement, connectivity, equality, and empowerment

SUSTAINABILITY: Responsible management and restoration of water, energy, food, air, and land resources

OPPORTUNITY: Developing equitable opportunities for entrepreneurs, employment, housing, and wealth building

At NSR, we believe that collaboration is the key to scaling up equitable social, environmental, and economic solutions. However, we understand the challenges that may arise when multiple organizations, sectors, and community stakeholders come together to design and implement strategies for change. Ignite Vibrancy is designed to be the starting point for these new ideas to form and strengthen relationships between partners.
The Ignite Vibrancy workshop is made possible in part through the support of the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, UPMC Center for Engagement and Inclusion, and Google.

 

About New Sun Rising
New Sun Rising (NSR) co-powers initiatives that create economic opportunity, solve social challenges, and strengthen the vibrancy of place. Through our Vibrant Communities Framework, NSR strengthens organizations, increases their impact, and helps to improve quality of life. Our focus is on under resourced communities and how regenerative growth strategies can be utilized for equitable economic and social development. The overarching goal of the Vibrant Communities Framework is equitable revitalization, by building Culture, Sustainability, and Opportunity; through Planning, Connectivity, and Resources; to develop an authentic community Identity.
Please email leigh@newsunrising.org with questions or for more information

PGH Map Lab

PGH Map Lab is a social enterprise that empowers neighborhoods, non-profits, and municipalities to make data-driven decisions through the creation of maps, apps, and storytelling tools. We are motivated by healthy, equitable, resilient communities. It is our belief that a holistic approach to community development starts with good planning, which requires the best data possible. Our interest is to help organizations and municipalities find, use, and analyze this data to make better informed decisions.

PGH Map Lab is dedicated to enhancing the GIS capacity of individuals and organizations for the benefit of the greater good. Our vision of the Map Lab is an accessible, hand on learning space to test out innovative geospatial and data technologies. We will connect social justice, art, environment, and land use planning through the use of maps. It is our hope that these unique applications will provide clear communication and positively impacting local communities.

The 2020 Vibrancy Awards

Join New Sun Rising to Celebrate the People Building Vibrant Communities

New Sun Rising (NSR) is pleased to invite you to the 2020 Vibrancy Awards – live streamed from the Millvale Food + Energy Hub on June 20, 2020.

We understand that the past few weeks and months have been extremely difficult. Please join us for an evening of reflection, restoration, and celebration through the critical work being done by nonprofits and social enterprises throughout the region. The event will be hosted by Day Bracey, co-founder of Fresh Fest and Drinking Partners Podcast.

RSVP Now

View Sponsorship Opportunities

Virtual attendees will enjoy segments with the 2020 Impact Awardees in Culture (Brown Mammas), Sustainability (Triboro Ecodistrict), and Opportunity (South Hilltop Men’s Group), and wrap with a restorative DJ set and dance performance with virtual lounges. Make it a special night and invite some friends to enjoy a catered meal from Sprezzatura and special infused tea mixer from Tupelo Honey Teas (pre-order by 6/18 at 5PM)

Community Partner Awardees for Planning (Sharpsburg Community Vision Plan), Resources (Breathe Project), Connectivity (RiverWise), and Identity (Casop: A Requiem for Rice) will also be honored.

In this time of great pain we see the opportunity to rebuild something better. We ask that you join us and show support for the nonprofits and social enterprises who keep our communities sustainable and vibrant. Whether purchasing a ticket, making a donation, or joining as an event sponsor, NSR appreciates your commitment to helping us to strengthen the organizations and communities we serve.

Since 2005, NSR has been a champion for community-driven change by supporting nonprofits, businesses, and coalitions to create a better future for Southwestern Pennsylvanians. NSR works hard to provide accessible training, funding, and networking programs which are inclusive of underinvested populations and their neighborhoods.

Each year, over 170 innovative leaders benefit from NSR capacity building support. Since 2005, our Vibrancy Funds initiative has provide over $4.5 million in early stage funding and financing through fiscal sponsorship, grants, loans, and awards. Your contribution through the Vibrancy Awards will allow us to provide these training and funding programs at low or no cost.

The Vibrancy Awards are made possible through the generous support of:

2020 IMPACT AWARD SPONSORS

 

 

Learn More About Sponsorship Opportunities

A Peace of Mind

A Peace of Mind is a therapeutic art, dance, and fitness studio located at 620 Wood St offering a variety of programming from hip hop aerobics and Zumba®, to yoga and Pilates, all at an affordable community space.  APOM, Inc. will soon offer a 20-hour daycare service for children 6 weeks to 12 years of age.  Their goal is to initiate collaborative community wellness with reasonable, relevant and overall enjoyable programming.  Led by Felicia Robinson, APOM, Inc. encourages community involvement and active participation in our current and future endeavors.

Center for Civic Arts

Center for Civic Arts is led by Jody Guy with a vision to inspire civic engagement through the arts and humanities. They accomplish this by valuing citizens as the creators of culture, and stewards of their environment. CCA expand opportunities for people to connect through arts education, public arts and creative placemaking. Programs include socially engaged art programs, formal and informal arts education programs, public arts, and creative place-making. Civic Arts provides a third civic space catalyzed around the arts, as a place to develop independent thinking, and new perspectives and solutions for communities.

Gizmo’s Dog Bar

Dog-lover Khalil Stanback is building a diverse community for dog parents to unwind in a safe and comfortable environment with their 4-legged friend. Gizmo’s Dog Bar plans to launch in 2018 and plans pop-ups in Wilkinsburg throughout the year.

Ignite Culture

A mentoring workshop + pitch competition for projects building community culture

New Sun Rising believes that embracing the unique characteristics and knowledge of people is critical to promoting equitable change in our region. By building awareness of our culture, we can better understand the shared values that lead to trust and resiliency.  

Projects which creatively engage, explore, or express culture within their community are encouraged to register for the Ignite Culture workshop on March 24th. Participants will be eligible for awards (taxable) to start their project. While everyone can apply, we strongly encourage projects from NSR Launch communities (Allentown, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, McKees Rocks, Millvale, Northside, Wilkinsburg) and fiscally-sponsored projects.

Registration is full

What to expect

Ignite Culture propels idea development for businesses, projects, and their leaders through a one day ignite & pitch workshop. Bring your new idea to work through with peers. Those who are interested (up to 10) have the option to enter the pitch competition for $5,000 in total financial awards.

Through a one-page business plan, workshop participants will receive mentoring and a quick primer on pitching your idea. Awarded projects must be completed by November 30th, 2018 and help create community vibrancy.

Vibrancy Funds

New Sun Rising is pleased to announce the Vibrancy Funds, a new funding opportunity to launch organizations and collaborations who build culture, sustainability, and opportunity within their community. Led by the generous support of the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, the fund will support people who promote innovation, engagement, and equity in the Pittsburgh region.

 

Supported by:

Choolaah Indian BBQ

 

Wilkinsburg Chamber of Commerce

Since 1893, the Greater Wilkinsburg Chamber of Commerce nurtures the growth, prosperity and sustainability of businesses in Wilkinsburg and surrounding communities. They accomplish this by empowering members and giving them access to networking opportunities, exposure for their businesses and resources to make informed business decisions that can impact their bottom line.

The purpose of the Wilkinsburg Chamber of Commerce is to:

  • Build and sustain community partnerships
  • Provide resources and network to new and expanding businesses
  • Act as a leader in the greater Wilkinsburg business community
  • Act as a catalyst for new development projects

Speak Life Poetry Community

A collective community established for the purpose of being a positive voice through various forms of communication and performance, including spoken word, rap, singing, dance and other artistic expressions. Speak Life Poetry Community brings these elements together to collaborate and unify artistically in order to engage community and break down barriers of race, sex, creed, and religion. They accomplish this through meetings and discussion, writing workshops,  performance workshops, open mics, and national and local slams. More information about the diverse backgrounds and skills of their team can be found on their website.

 

Community Forge

Mission of Organization
“To grow an inclusive Community Space dedicated to creating opportunities for Wilkinsburg by supporting small business, promoting learning, contributing to neighborhood wellbeing, and cultivating regional partnerships.”

Brief History of Community Forge
Community Forge was formed in January 2017 with the purpose of revitalizing the recently closed Johnston Elementary School in
Wilkinsburg as a community asset, incubating people, programs, and opportunities in the community. Starting with a partnership between
Pittsburgh Learning Commons and Xpogo, a group of eight young adults with roots in Pittsburgh and backgrounds ranging from Ph.D.
Scientists to Educators to Extreme Sports Athletes purchased the building from the Wilkinsburg school board in July 2017. We have since
brought community members onboard as board members, staff, and volunteers.

Community Forge opened doors in January 2018 and is now home to artists, educators, and entrepreneurs looking to grow their efforts,
run community events, and provide new and unique programs to the Wilkinsburg community. As an organization, we are building programs
and creating inclusive, locally-oriented opportunity geared toward Wilkinsburg residents and the East Pittsburgh region. Our primary focus areas include youth enrichment, community well being, and small business support.

Read more in the Community Forge 2018 Impact Report

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