Walkabout Talkabout Book 2017/BlogtoBook

It's been a labor of love for community, and a community-relationship building experience to create the new (third) 2017 version of The Walkabout Talkabout Book.  The book originally was written and designed in 1988 by The Maverick Institute co-founders Leslie Johnston (graphic artist) and Anita C. Fonte (writer) and funded by the Arizona Humanities Council. It was reprinted by the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension and 4-H and used by 4-H Groups throughout the State.

In 2016, as part of the collaborative effort to Build UP^ Tucson & Beyond, others came into the process of envisioning how a revised version could benefit various community-building efforts.  These groups include:  the Southwest Fair Housing Council, the Pima County Ending Poverty Program, the Geospatial Collaborative LLC, the Limberlost Neighborhood Association and Feng Shui Planning.  

In 2017, Leslie Johnston/What We Think Design, created a new cover for the book which features a water-harvesting element.  Content suggestions from the City of Tucson's Trees for Tucson Program, the Pima County Ending Poverty Program, and Feng Shui Planning were added under the authorship and coordinationa of Anita C. Fonte/Community Renaissance & its pro bono program, The Partnership for Equity and Civic Engagement (PECE).

The Walkabout Talkabout Book is free and available to download at www.geospatialcollaborative.org.  It is a book that is friendly to children as well as adults.  Limited hard copies are printed by the Pima County Ending Poverty Program and the Geospatial Collaborative LLC.  

Please use the Walkabout Talkabout Book and let us know how it helped you and your neighborhood at anitafonte@gmail.com 

www.publicdomainpictures.net

UA Geo Spatial Planning Project, a collaboration with BuildUP^ Tucson & Beyond

While the TENWEST Festival was wrapping up the UA Collaboration Leadership Summit on Poverty was taking place.  It's impossible to be in both places--which is why it's so important to connect through social media resources.  And that's what Iris Patten and Anita Fonte have been doing since the first BuildUP^ Tucson & Beyond gathering in April.  Through the summer BuildUP^ gatherings face-to-face, the first UA GeoSpatial Project meeting in July, Facebook pages, and yes, the occasional phone calls, the trajectory of the UA's effort has been generating next steps.

Last week, through site visits to two neighborhoods (Barrio Anita and Barrio Blue Moon), 10/27-28 Summit sessions on how to measure project outcomes and how to impact local policies, how to frame the project with authentic community-based language, the effort is designing these actions:

• With the two, and possibly other engaged neighborhoods, conduct an "energy challenge" which measures concrete "energy" elements (water use, electricity, etc.) as well as the less concrete element of neighborhood activities/social capital. January 7-March, 20, 2017 
• Note:  The conclusion of the initial challenge will coincide with 3rd International Day of Happiness 
• Develop a partnership with Tucson Electric Power and other energy corporations.
• Apply for seed money 
• Create a University of Arizona "Planners in Residence" Program with graduate students embedded in the participating neighborhoods 2017 and into the future.

For more information on how to get involved in this effort, contact Iris Patten at ipatten@email.arizona.edu

One of several groups at UA GeoSpatial Summit, photo by Iris Patten

More highlights from the TENWEST Festival  www.tenwestfestival.com Field Notes by Anita, will be coming in the days ahead.

Photo by Anita C. Fonte

Updates for BuildUP^ and Intro to TENWEST "my notes from the field"

First of all--we are postponing our Innovate Our Neighborhoods/BuildUP^ event, originally scheduled for 11/12.  Look for a new date in early 2017--delayed for a few weeks since the holiday season "officially" begins with Halloween-New Year and folks are busy with other commitments.

Second--it's been an exciting week at the 2nd Tucson TENWEST Festival.  I have pages of notes to share (just my highlights) and will be making several short posts to cover them.  Please go to www.tenwest.com and www.startuptucson.com for continuing info on TENWEST going forward into 2017.

Here's a few of my smartphone photos to tweak your interest and short comments.  More will be coming next week.

Planning for the many sessions and events began in late Spring at Startup Tucson/CoLab.  Here is one of the Festival leaders, Greg Teesdale, and another event planner eyeing the schedule as we began our detailed sessions.

Here's an example of just one of this week's sessions where there was standing room only!  Sessions were held at CoLab or (as in this photo) at the UA SBS building, both locations in downtown Tucson.

For only $35.00 for all sessions (and Friday's Rialto events/TEDxTucson), Festival participants received this laser-cut id. badge.  And these are the first pages of my notes.

Updates for BuildUP^ and Intro to TENWEST "my notes from the field"

First of all--we are postponing our Innovate Our Neighborhoods/BuildUP^ event, originally scheduled for 11/12.  Look for a new date in early 2017--delayed for a few weeks since the holiday season "officially" begins with Halloween-New Year and folks are busy with other commitments.

Second--it's been an exciting week at the 2nd Tucson TENWEST Festival.  I have pages of notes to share (just my highlights) and will be making several short posts to cover them.  Please go to www.tenwest.com and www.startuptucson.com for continuing info on TENWEST going forward into 2017.

Here's a few of my smartphone photos to tweak your interest and short comments.  More will be coming next week.

Planning for the many sessions and events began in late Spring at Startup Tucson/CoLab.  Here is one of the Festival leaders, Greg Teesdale, and another event planner eyeing the schedule as we began our detailed sessions.

Here's an example of just one of this week's sessions where there was standing room only!  Sessions were held at CoLab or (as in this photo) at the UA SBS building, both locations in downtown Tucson.

For only $35.00 for all sessions (and Friday's Rialto events/TEDxTucson), Festival participants received this laser-cut id. badge.  And these are the first pages of my notes.

Build Up^ Continues and Evolves

At the August BuildUP^ Tucson & Beyond Meeting, info sharing focused on the outcomes of the UA's GeoSpatial Collaborative Planning Project and its October 2nd Session, the 20th and 21st.  Iris Patten has established a facebook page for continued participation and it can be found at www.facebook.com/geospatialcollaborativeinitiative .  Info was also shared about the continued outreach from the Mindfulness Education Exchange to offer classes to organizations as well as individuals www.mindfuledex.com and on the upcoming Rainbow Build event with Tucson Habitat for Humanity www.habitattucson.org. Updates on the TENWEST Festival was also shared and tickets for that event October 21-28 can be purchased at www.tenwest.com .

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT:  In continued support of the TENWEST Festival, Community Renaissancewill be purchasing four tickets to be raffled at the September BuildUP^ Tucson & Beyond gathering in late September.  The date is still pending for the September gathering, but it will take place at the usual location, La Cocina, 201 N. Court Avenue, 5:30-7 p.m.

BuildUP^ Tucson & Beyond is evolving into a next stage:  Innovate our Neighborhoods.  An initial intro and planning meeting for this collaborative effort is happening on November 12, 10-1p.m. at Tucson Habitat for Humanity.  This creative collaboration will combine resources from UA's GeoSpatial Project, ASU's Happiness Lab, Southwest Fair Housing Council's Opportunity Index, the Santa Monica Well-being Project's Toolkit and other local and national resources to produce new (i.e. innovative) methods of engaging and increasing neighborhood capacity for sustainability, economic opportunity, happiness and well-being.  More information on the content of this meeting will be posted here as well as via the BuildUP Tucson & Beyond googlegroup.  If you want to be part of the google group email me at anitafonte@gmail.com .

Community Renaissance and The Partnership for Engagement and Civic Equity (PECE) is also exploring both online and face-to-face opportunities to join with The Kettering Foundation's National Issues Forum Institutes dialogues on "Making Ends Meet: How Should we Spread Prosperity and Improve Opportunity?" www.nifi.org

Last item is we are at beginning stage of preparation for the 3rd International Day of Happiness, Tucson & Beyond which will be extended to two days in 2017: Sunday, March 19 the the official March 20th global celebration on Monday.  Let us know if your organization wants to be part of this event. www.facebook.com/dohappytoday

As you can see, we have a lot of positive energy flowing from the summer into early autumn, so join us as we work together to make communities Better for Us! www.communityrenaissance.biz

Two plus one events from Spring 2016 show how a community becomes Better for Us and Better for All

March 20, 2016 International Day of Happiness Tucson, convened by Do Happy Today at Limberlost Family Park, 75+ people participating

Also, March 20, 2016 at Valley of the Moon: more happiness, 150 people participating

A month later, Do Happy Today/Community Renaissance convene BuildUP^ Tucson and Beyond, hosted by Startup Tucson, 40 people participating

with special guest, Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, background image by Life is Good

Stay in touch with BuildUp^ and join our social media group on Facebook.