CARE Community Environmental Workgroup Meeting #8 …hennepin.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/...05.24.12 Agenda Page 1 of 1 Hiawatha CARE Project Community Environmental

05.24.12 Agenda Page 1 of 1

Hiawatha CARE Project Community Environmental Workgroup Meeting #8 

 Date:    Thursday, May 24, 2012     9:00 am to 11:00 am  Location:  Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church   4101 ‐ 37th Avenue South / Minneapolis, MN 55406      

CARE Project Objectives – Spring 2012 

CEW completes Risk Ranking of “issues” 

Community receives information on risks identified in CARE process  

Community ranks “issues” to identify top concerns 

Engagement activities are corridor‐wide and reach target populations  Agenda  9:00  Arrivals  9:05  Objectives and Introductions    Review current project objectives  9:15  Project Updates (Attachment A and B) 

Project Name / Project Timeline / Project Flyer / Fact Sheets / Maps Future Activities (Attachment C)  Discussion and Questions Action:  Volunteers to help design “traveling suitcase” for community meetings  

9:30  Risk Ranking Discussion (Attachment D)   Review Results from CEW Risk Ranking Exercise       Action:  Consensus on Ranking of CARE issues  10:30  U of MN Citizen Professional Center – Families and Democracy (Attachment E)   Learn about unique model for “citizen professionals” to identify and address 

community health and social challenges – and how we can use this model with communities as part of the CARE process. 

     Presentation and Questions  10:55  Next steps  11:00   Adjourn 

05.24.12 Meeting Notes Page 1

Hennepin County CARE Project Community Environmental Workgroup Meeting #8 

 Date:    Thursday, May 24, 2012 ‐ 9:00 am to 11:00 am Location:  Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church   4101 37th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55406      CARE Project Objectives – Spring 2012 

CEW completes Risk Ranking of “issues” 

Community receives information on risks identified in CARE process  

Community ranks “issues” to identify top concerns 

Engagement activities are corridor‐wide and reach target populations   I.  Introductions ‐ Attendees  

Jon Hunter – American Lung Association of Minnesota  

Carol Pass – East Phillips Improvement Coalition 

Kirsten Saylor – Gardening Matters 

Robb Luckow – Hennepin County Community Works 

John Evans – Hennepin County Environmental Services 

Jay Bad Heart Bull – Little Earth of United Tribes 

Nou Ka Yang – Little Earth of United Tribes 

Ruth Romano – Longfellow Business Association 

Spencer Agnew – Longfellow Community Council  

Pastor Dan Ankerfelt – Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church 

Larry Burt – St. James AME Church 

Karen Clark – Women’s Environmental Institute 

Aisha Gomez – Women’s Environmental Institute   II.  Project Update  Project Name:  At the April CARE meeting, the CEW discussed several “name” options for the CARE project.  The group suggested setting up an online poll through which the CEW could rank their name choices.  The online poll was open through May 1, and received 15 responses.  The name Hiawatha CARE Project received the most votes.    Project Timeline (Attachment A):  The CEW reviewed an updated CARE project timeline.  Eleven of 19 tasks have been completed, and another two will be completed within a month.  The remaining tasks focus on community risk ranking and prioritization and developing the project’s Action Plan.   

05.24.12 Meeting Notes Page 2

Project Flyer (Attachment B):  Project staff updated the Project Flyer to simplify/ refine some of the language and to improve the look of the flyer.  The flyer will be available through www.minnehaha‐hiawatha.com or via email or mail for hard copies.   Fact Sheets (Attachment C ‐ sample ):  The Fact Sheet format was revised based on comments at the April CEW meeting.  Nou Ka Yang found some great photos for the Fact Sheets.  The text of the Fact Sheets was broken up to make it easier for people to read.  Fact Sheets will be available on the web page.  Maps (Attachment D ‐ sample):  The project team is developing several maps to show some of the environmental and health issues in the corridor.  Hennepin County, Gardening Matters, and Minnesota Department of Health have provided technical assistance and/or data to help develop these maps.  These maps will also be available on the web site.   Action:  CEW members will provide comments to the project team.   III.  Risk Ranking – Process Review Results    Robb Luckow reviewed the process used for evaluating the 24 community‐identified environmental and health risks in the corridor.  This risk ranking process is the next step in moving the Hiawatha CARE Project forward and will facilitate prioritization of the top issues and development of an action plan to address them.  At the April meeting, the CEW recommended using three criteria for evaluating the 24 risks:  impact on health, impact on the environment, and impact on the economy.  Project staff developed a one‐page Risk Ranking Sheet, which was sent to the CEW members in May.    Fifteen people responded to the survey, with results summarized in Attachment E.  Each box in the Risk Ranking Sheet identifies the average score of the 15 respondents for that risk and that criterion.  The last column shows the average of all risks with 1/3 score based on the health average, 1/3 on the environment average, and 1/3 based on the economic average.  As an example:  “Pollution from vehicles” rated the highest risk, with an average 4.20 health impact, 4.07 environmental impact, 3.07 economic impact, and 3.78 overall.    CEW members read through the ranking of issues.  Kirsten Saylor facilitated a discussion of initial reactions to the results:  Initial Observations and Surprises:  There was some surprise with the results of the ranking exercise.  Some noted that community health risks, such as asthma, seemed to rank pretty low.  It was noted that, in the previous CEW meeting, the CEW decided to simplify the risk ranking process by only using three criteria.  This simplification eliminated most of the health‐related criteria, and as a result, the health issues were ranking low.  Attendees discussed whether weighting “economic impacts” equal to health and environmental impacts is negatively 

05.24.12 Meeting Notes Page 3

impacting important issues that do not have a well‐defined economic impact.  Other initial observations included: 

Broad categories (e.g. sustainability and health disparities) tended to rank highest, probably because their impacts are more far‐reaching than a very specific issue (mold or radon).   

Immediate issues and risks tended to rate higher than risks that show up through long‐term exposure (e.g. radon and toxics in the home) 

Many of the averages are very close together – making it hard to get differentiation.  Combining Risks:  Some attendees felt categories could be merged together (such as pollution from vehicles and air pollution).  Other categories could fit into multiple other areas or were interrelated with other issues.  Other attendees wondered whether the list was comparing issues of similar scale.  The group briefly discussed combining or clustering issues into fewer categories.  Attendees noted that some issues that ranked on the bottom of the list could fit into some issue categories on the top of the ranking.  What Next – Process:  The group discussed several options for revising the risk ranking process for the community, including: 

Picking the group’s top 10 and replacing the “vague” issues on list with more specific issues that ranked lower. 

Doing a “double ranking” – one of broad issues and one of specific issues. 

Changing the categories so there are a half dozen broad issues, with two or three sub‐issues identified under each one. 

 What Next ‐ Criteria for Future Evaluation:  Attendees also identified several criteria that could be used to help during the risk prioritization phase: 

Does this risk affect people’s future in the corridor? 

Can we do something about it now? 

Can our actions make a difference?  Can we have an impact?    Action:  The project team will review comments from the CEW and make recommendations to 

the group.   IV.  Families and Democracy Model  Bill Doherty, Professor in the Department of Family Social Science and Director of the Citizen Professional Center at the U of M, gave a presentation on the Families and Democracy model.    The model builds off the premise that “the greatest untapped resource for improving health and social well being is the knowledge, wisdom, and energy of individuals, families, and communities who face challenging issues in their everyday lives.”  In this model, the local 

05.24.12 Meeting Notes Page 4

community identifies a pressure point or serious challenge facing the community.  Through an extensive process, the community identifies the deeper challenge and mobilizes to address the problem (see Attachment F for more details).  Hennepin County has a contract with the University to train professionals to use this model in communities.  The CARE project is a potential fit given the work already done in the community.  The appeal of the Families in Democracy model is it would allow the project to begin addressing community concerns almost immediately, and it does not rely on government or outside funding for success.  CEW members reacted very positively to the opportunity with several indicating they would like to be further involved in this process.  Action:  The project team will update the CEW as the Families and Democracy effort moves forward.   V.  Adjourn  

CARE PROJECT TIMELINE

TASK Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov

Task 1: Convene collaborator's meeting to develop Community Environmental Workgroup (CEW) xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx

Task 2: Facilitate kick off meeting with CEW to discuss partnership and process / EPA provide technical assistance for meeting

xxxxxx xxxxxx

Task 3: Hold meeting with CEW, LCC, WEI to share existing risk data, develop community engagement plan xxxxxx xxxxxx

Task 4: Submit quarterly reports and final reporting to EPA20 20 19 18 20 18 20 20

Task 5: Work with LCC and WEI to begin implementing community engagement plan xxxxxx xxxxxx

Task 6: Facilitate community meetings to understand concerns, assets and vulnerabilities - DEVELOP FINDINGS SUMMARY

xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx M C

CA

RE

5 Task 7: Work with CEW to collect all existing cumulative environmental health data on all risks, identify information gaps - DEVELOP FACT SHEETS

xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx M C

Task 8: Identify and map presence of environmental risks, EPA provide technical assistance - DEVELOP MAPS xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx M Draft

Task 9: [EPA] collect cumulative environmental health data on all environmental risks xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx

Task 10: Continue community engagement to talk about environmental and health risk xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx

Task 11: Report back to CEW on learnings from community meetings xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx

Task 12: Submit Data Report to EPAM C

Task 13: Work with CEW, with technical assistance from EPA, to identify methodology for risk screening and prioritization -- Risk 101

xxxxxx

Task 14: Facilitate community engagement to rank environmental risks - Concurrent with Task 17 xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx //////// //////// ////////

Task 15: Report back to CEW on risk assessment results - identify information needs for next meeting xxxxxx xxxxxx //////// ////////

Task 16: Submit Risk Ranking methodology and associated document to EPA M Draft

CA

RE

8 Task 17: Work with community to rank and identify priority risks - DEVELOP SUMMARY OF PRIORITIES xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx M //////// ////////

Task 18: Develop final Action Plan document to address prioritized risks xxxxxx xxxxxx M ////////

Task 19: Submit final action plan to EPAxxxxxx M

M = Milestone May 24, 2012

2011 2012

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What is the Hiawatha CARE Project? Hennepin County started the Hia-watha CARE Project in early 2011. The project is working in East Phillips and western Longfel-low to tackle environmental health risks in the area. The pro-ject aims to bring together com-munity members to identify and prioritize ways to make a healthi-er local environment. Who is Doing It? Hennepin County is collaborating with the Longfellow Community Council and Women’s Environ-mental Institute to involve those living, working, visiting, and wor-shipping in the community. In addition, a partnership of com-munity groups, businesses, non-profit organizations, and govern-ment agencies is guiding efforts to identify and prioritize risks. What has Happened so Far? During summer 2011, the CARE team talked to over 700 people in the area to learn the “assets” and “concerns” people saw in their community. Twenty-four environmental and health con-cerns stood out as important to them (see inset on back). The CARE project team created a set of Fact Sheets to help community members learn more about these concerns. What is Next? Through spring and summer 2012, the CARE team will be hosting community discussions to talk more about these concerns.

Project Partners Alexander’s Import

Auto Repair

American Lung Association of MN

Blue Construction

City of Minneapolis

East Phillips Improvement Coalition

Environmental Justice Advocates of MN

Gardening Matters

Hennepin County

Hennepin–University Partnership

Little Earth of United Tribes

Longfellow Business Association

Longfellow Community Council

Longfellow Lutheran parishes / Minnehaha

Communion

Minnehaha Creek Watershed District

Minnesota Department of Health

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Mississippi Watershed Mgmt Organization

Preventing Harm Minnesota

St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church

Women’s Environmental Institute

April 2012

Hiawatha CARE Project Project Update

Project Area

Did You Know?

One-third of Minnesota homes have a radon level that poses a significant health risk [MN Department of Health]

There were 3,819 asthma hospitalizations among Hennepin County residents between 2006 - 2008 [MN Department of Health]

25% of Minnesota adults were obese; 38% over-weight in 2010 [MN Behavioral Risk Factor Surveil-lance System survey]

39% of non-smoking 6th to 12th graders were ex-posed to secondhand smoke in a room, vehicle, or workplace in 2011 [MN Department of Health]

56% of electricity in Minnesota comes from burning coal [Energy Information Administration]

Community members identify community

assets and concerns.

CARE team shares info on health and

environmental concerns.

Community ranks and prioritizes top concerns.

Community develops Action Plan to

address top concerns.

Access to health care, health disparities

Access to healthy food

Air pollution

Asthma

Bugs and pests

Community blight

Crime and personal security

Economic instability

Empty storefronts and

business vitality

Energy consumption

Environmental sustainability and climate change

Lack of community

Lack of green space

Lead

Mold

Nutrition and obesity

Pollution from vehicles, traffic

Radon

Second-hand smoke

Soil contamination

Toxics in the home

Trash

Unfriendly bike and pedes-trian environment

Water quality and storm water management

Community-Identified Environmental and Health Concerns

CARE Process

For More Information: www.minnehaha-hiawatha.com/care Robb Luckow — 612.348.9344 — [email protected]

Page 2

Create advisory group of business, community, government, and non-

profit stakeholders.

The CARE team will also be at several community events through-out the summer. Check www.minnehaha-hiawatha.com/care or call 612-348-9344 to find out more. In fall, community mem-bers will prioritize their top issues and decide how the community and partners might address them. How Does this Project Affect Me? Environmental health risks affect your family, finances, health, and well-being. This project aims to bring community members together to figure out how to improve quality of life and health for everyone in the community. What is CARE? CARE stands for Community Action for a Renewed Environment. It is a program of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deal with toxic pollutants in the environment. The EPA award-ed Hennepin County $100,000 for the Hiawatha CARE project in December 2010. The Hiawatha CARE project is part of Henne-pin County’s Minnehaha-Hiawatha Community Works project.

Spring ‘11 Sum

mer ’11

Spring ’12 Sum

mer ’12

Fall ’12

Hiawatha CARE Project

Why is Community Blight Important?

Blighted conditions may stem from deteriorating buildings, empty storefronts, foreclosed properties, stalled developments, and poorly maintained proper-ties. Blighted conditions negatively impact the visual aesthetics of the urban environment and create safe-ty concerns.

Blight diminishes business and community vitality and may discourage people from living, working, or visiting an area. Neighborhoods exposed to blight have an increased risk of physical-health, economic, and social disparities.

How Does Blight Affect Us Locally?

Blighted conditions worsen over time due to neglect and disinvestment. Several factors contribute to blight: building age, crime, economic conditions, property ownership, property values, and vacant and foreclosed properties.

Hiawatha CARE Project : Fact Sheet Issue: Community Bl ight

Hiawatha CARE Project Partners

Health Impacts Blight can increase depression, stress, apathy, and

anxiety.

Poorly maintained buildings can be a safety hazard as they deteriorate.

Unkempt yards can attract vermin and other animals.

Blighted areas may have issues with lead in homes, underground tanks, and contaminated soil.

Environmental Impacts

Blighted areas attract illegal dumping, which contrib-utes to air and water contamination and creates envi-ronmental nuisances.

Waste from deteriorating buildings or vehicles can seep into soils or run off into the groundwater and nearby creeks, rivers, and lakes.

Financial Impacts Blight can occur in conjunction with poverty and lack

of economic opportunity.

Alexander’s Import Auto Repair American Lung Association of Minnesota Blue Construction City of Minneapolis East Phillips Improvement Coalition Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota Gardening Matters

Hennepin County Hennepin - University Partnership Little Earth of United Tribes Longfellow Business Association Longfellow Community Council Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church & Longfellow Lutheran parishes Minnehaha Creek Watershed District

Minnesota Department of Health Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Mississippi Watershed Management Organization Preventing Harm Minnesota St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church Women’s Environmental Institute

Blight contributes to decreased property values and discour-ages business development – which leads to less tax revenue to support public infrastructure and services.

Vacant and boarded properties may attract vandals, squatters, graffiti, and arsonists.

What Can Individuals Do? Report suspicious or illegal activity by calling 9-1-1.

Maintain businesses, homes, and yards.

Keep non‐operative vehicles off properties. Report conditions that need to be addressed by property

owners to city inspectors.

What Can the Community Do? Join with neighbors to "adopt" vacant and abandoned

buildings and properties. Organize community clean-ups to build a sense of com-

munity. Operate financing programs that help residents and busi-

nesses maintain and improve their properties. Organize volunteers to help those who are not capable of

maintaining their properties by themselves. Start and maintain community gardens to help neighbors

be involved in the community.

What Can the City, County, and State Do? Enforce city codes for building and property maintenance. Support grant and low-interest-loan programs that help

residents and businesses maintain and improve their properties.

For More Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/cha03.htm

City of Minneapolis, www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/residents/ hous-ing.asp, www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/residents/ neighborhoods.asp, www.minneapolismn.gov/results/vacant.asp

Gardening Matters, www.gardeningmatters.org

Hennepin County, www.hennepin.us/, search: Neighborhood Stabilization Program

Photo © Stephanie Frey - Fotolia.com

What is the CARE Project?

The Hiawatha CARE Project is a new effort to address environmental toxins in western Longfellow and East Phillips. The project brings together two dozen business, community, government, and non-profit agencies in a community-

driven effort to identify, prioritize, and address environmental risks in the area.

The project was initiated in December 2010 when Hennepin County received a $100,000 Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) award from the

US Environmental Protection Agency. The CARE program supports local collaborations to reduce toxins in the local community.

More Information: www.minnehaha-hiawatha.com/care 612.348.9344.

Hiawatha CARE Project - A project of Minnehaha-Hiawatha Community Works

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CARE Area Issues: Access to Food

® 0 1,000 2,000 3,000Feet Hennepin County

Department of Housing, Community Works & Transit

Data Sources: Hennepin County, Metropolitan Council, MN-DNR, MN-DOT,USDA-FSA, NRCS, USGS

Map Creation Date: 03/26/2012

Disclaimer: This map is a compilation of data from various sources and is furnished "AS IS" with no representation or warranty expressed or implied,including fitness for any particular purpose, merchantability, or the accuracy and completeness of the information shown.

Project AreaWater BodyParkRail StationLRT Line

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1/4 mile walk

HIAWATHA CARE PROJECT – RISK RANKING SHEET Rate the impact that each of these 24 issues has on public health, environment, and the economy.    Use the 1 to 5 scale listed below. 

  1 = Very Low      2 = Low  3 = Medium  4 = High  5 = Very High 

Issue  Health Impact (1 to 5) 

Environmental Imp. (1 to 5) 

Economic       Impact (1 to 5) 

Average (1 to 5) 

Pollution from vehicles, traffic  4.20  4.07  3.07  3.78 

Air pollution (grain dust, fumes, smoke) 

4.53  3.67  2.87  3.69 

Energy consumption,  Reliance on fossil fuels 

3.13  4.27  3.60  3.67 

Environmental sustainability, climate change 

2.87  4.40  3.67  3.64 

Economic instability,  unemployment, poverty 

3.60  2.27  4.53  3.47 

Food access and security  4.13  2.67  3.20  3.33 

Health disparities,  access to health care 

4.53  1.67  3.64  3.29 

Lead  4.20  2.87  2.60  3.22 

Nutrition and obesity  4.53  1.80  3.27  3.20 

Trash (hazard. waste, recycling, composting, illegal dumping) 

2.53  3.93  3.13  3.20 

Second‐hand smoke  4.13  2.29  2.71  3.11 

Water quality,  storm water runoff 

2.60  3.93  2.73  3.09 

Asthma  4.53  1.67  2.93  3.04 

Soil contamination  3.27  3.53  2.33  3.04 

Toxics in the home  3.80  2.93  2.40  3.04 

Community blight (graffiti, litter, rundown buildings) 

2.07  2.87  4.20  3.04 

Lack of green, open space  3.00  3.47  2.60  3.02 

Unfriendly bike and pedestrian environment 

3.20  2.93  2.80  2.98 

Crime and personal security  3.07  1.67  4.00  2.91 

Mold  3.80  2.07  2.40  2.76 

Empty storefronts, business vitality 

1.46  2.00  4.46  2.64 

Radon  3.67  2.00  1.93  2.53 

Bugs and pests  2.93  2.00  2.36  2.43 

Lack of community  2.47  2.00  2.73  2.40 

THE FAMILIES AND DEMOCRACY/CITIZEN HEALTH CARE MODEL

The Citizen Professional Center University of Minnesota

www.CitizenProfessional.org

Starting point: A pressure point for families and communities. Pressure points are serious health or social challenges that are important to a community but cannot be solved by traditional programs or professional service approaches. Pressure points are usually “wicked problems” with many causes and no clear, simple solutions. Central premise: The greatest untapped resource for improving health and social well being is the knowledge, wisdom, and energy of individuals, families, and communities who face challenging issues in their everyday lives. Core Principles 1. See all personal problems as public ones too: the I and the We. 2. Look to family and community resources first. 3. See families and communities as producers, not just clients or consumers. 4. See professionals as partners, not just providers. 5. Let community members drive programs rather than programs service communities. 6. Make sure every initiative reflects the local culture. 7. Grow leaders, then more leaders. 8. Make all decisions democratically. 9. Go deep before taking action. 10. Think big, act practically, and let your light shine. Implementation 1. Identify a pressure point for professionals and for an identifiable local community. 2. Get buy-in from key institutional and community leaders. 3. Consultation group: identify and meet 3-4 times with a few people who are connected to the

community and have experience with the issue. If they buy into the pressure point and this democratic model of working on it, invite them to help recruit a citizen action group.

4. Citizen Action Group: a group of 8-12 people who plan the project. 5. Planning phase: generally takes at least 15 meetings before taking action, and involves:

a. An organized, democratic process of going deep into the challenge b. Exploring community resources to address it c. Developing an action initiative that is consistent with the model and is feasible within

existing or readily accessible resources. 6. Scope of projects: Some projects involve sustained community action over years. These are

usually connected to a community institution that embraces the philosophy. Some projects are designed as short term “cultural organizing” initiatives aimed to naming a problem, activating new voices, and starting a cultural conversation locally or nationally.

7. Role of the citizen professional: facilitates the meetings, coaches on the democratic model, and participates in the planning. Generally requires 6-8 hours per month of the citizen professional’s time.

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CITIZEN PROFESSIONAL CENTER UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

www.citizenprofessional.org

FAMILIES AND DEMOCRACY/CITIZEN HEALTH CARE PROJECTS

CURRENT Citizen Father Project. Based in the FATHER Project of Goodwill/Easter Seals, the Citizen Father Project features a group of urban single fathers who have developed an initiative to make a difference in the lives of children, fathers, and mothers in the community by fostering healthy, active fathering, challenging false images of manhood, and rebuilding family and community values. The men are delivering community presentations to fathers, including incarcerated fathers, and to mothers, youth, and professional groups. The project has taken on a second generation of Citizen Fathers and is now part of a leadership development track at the FATHER Project. A recent federal grant has funded the dissemination of the project to other sites. Citizen Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project (S.M.A.R.T.: Sexually Mature and Responsible Teens). Based at South High in Minneapolis, this group has developed messages and peer outreach strategies to address teen pregnancy as a community problem. Starting with a boys group and girls group separately, the two groups combined to develop their action steps, including lunch table conversations, wearing S.M.A.R.T. shirts on the same day to promote informal conversations, and posters around the school. Supported by the Minneapolis Department of Health. Family Education and Diabetes Series (FEDS). This health promotion initiative was created through the collaborative efforts of providers affiliated with the University of Minnesota and local leaders in the Saint Paul/Minneapolis American Indian community. Begun in 2001 and funded through a variety of internal and external grant monies, it works to engage low-income, urban-dwelling American Indians and their families in an active forum of education, fellowship, and support. Its mission is to improve the health and well-being of American Indian people through diabetes education, fellowship, and support in manners that embrace their heritage, values, and culture. Solid evaluation data on weight and blood sugar control. Students Against Nicotine and Tobacco Abuse (S.A.N.T.A.). This initiative, started in 2006 and funded by ClearWay-Minnesota, engages local providers in partnership with students, teachers, and administrators in the HHH St. Paul Job Corps community to address on-campus smoking (and the concomitant reduction of students’ stressors and the adoption of healthier lifestyles). Its mission is to improve the health and well-being of students at Job Corps through smoking cessation, education, stress reduction, and support. Play It Forward—Paha Sapp. Emerging from concerns about childhood obesity, this project in Burnsville, MN involves parents in one neighborhood (Paha Sapa) joining together to plan joint ways for families to be active and healthy. They have held 15 informal community play events

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and a large event on the theme of having an active winter. All events feature parents and children playing together. Evaluation is underway. Selling Sexiness to Children Project. A group of parents is organizing to influence the culture of oversexualization of young children. They have gone beyond the current professional concerns about this issue to examine why parents go along with the trends and explore what parents collectively can do about it. They are developing a strategy to identify exemplar and bad example companies, and to assemble best practices from parents. Citizen Health Care Home. Based in HealthPartners’ Como Clinic, this project has developed a framework for deeper engagement of patients in the Health Care Home. This citizenship has three levels: personal and family responsibility for one’s own health care, a vehicle to do health care together via peer Health Goal Groups, and opportunities for patient leadership development and co-responsibility for the health mission of the clinic. They have developed and piloted an Active Member Project with health goal groups, and are working on a patient-to-patient resource bank. African Family Health, Child Success. This project emerged from concerns of African immigrant community leaders in northwest Hennepin County about their children’s mental health. The citizen action group identified the goal of breaking the silence in the community about the ongoing impact of war and trauma on children and families. The group developed a public performance with youth acting out their stories and those they had heard about, with big picture commentary from an elder. This is followed by a community conversation about challenges and resilience in the face of war and trauma. First performance has been held, evaluation underway.

CITIZEN PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROJECT

Hennepin County Citizen Professional Project. The goal of this initiative is to increase the capacity of Hennepin County for community engagement by expanding training in democratic, civic engagement that activates the resources of the community to solve health and social problems. Initiated in 2010 through the efforts of the Hennepin/University Partnership, we have worked with a group of six Hennepin professionals to learn the core principles and craft of Citizen Professional work. This group is now generating projects that engage communities in the following areas: reducing youth violence in the American Indian community; improving the health of African American women in the Brooklyn Center area; school readiness in the Latino community; and high school retention in the Latino community. Now that this pilot project has demonstrated proof of concept that Hennepin professionals can develop their capacity for democratic engagement with communities outside of a conventional service delivery mode, it is entering a second phase by adding more participants from different departments. As current and new professionals engage in this work, the goal is that they will serve as resources to other Hennepin County professionals in this new way of working with communities.