Engaged Citizens. Innovative Ideas.

Crowdsourced Conversations – A Forum Series Curated by the People for the People.

Get ready for Year 3 of our conversation-based forum series that brings Heights residents together to talk about topics that matter to us all. Voting to determine our 2024 topics took place from December 1, 2023 until January 5, 2024.  We were thrilled to see an increase of 229% participation in this phase of voting.  Thank you to everyone who filled out a ballot!

The 2024 Topics:

Active Transportation Planning: Living Less Car-Centric in the Heights

  • Survey was conducted in March 2024.
  • Forum took place on Tuesday, April 30 from 7pm-8:30pm at Made Cleveland (1807 Coventry Road)
    • Resource Page here.

Turning the Noble Neighborhood & Business District Into a Destination

  • Survey was live May 2-June 1.
  • Forum took place on Wednesday, June 26, 7pm-8:30pm at the Noble Library branch (2800 Noble Road).
    • Resource Page here.

Our Public Parks

  • Survey was live July 1-July 31.
  • Forum took place on Thursday, August 29, 7pm-8:30pm at Forest Hill Park.
    • Resource page here.

Looking at Severance Town Center as a Case Study: How Can Heights Residents Become Meaningfully Involved

  • Survey will be live September 15-October 15. Survey link here.
  • Forum will take place Tuesday, November 12, 7pm-8:40pm at Heights High School.  RSVP here.

DETAILS ON HOW THIS SERIES FLOWS

Crowdsourced Conversations begins with a community-wide survey on a specified topic.  The data collected is turned into a report and also used to help create small group discussion questions for a forum where residents can gather to determine action steps (small, medium, or large) that they can take to feel meaningfully engaged in this topic they care about.  After the event is over, FutureHeights generates a resource page and event attendees are given the opportunity to stay connected to their groups and continue the conversation.

Pre-event: Each forum will have a pre-survey that will be widely circulated through the Heights for approximately one month.  After the survey closes, we will generate a report and we will also use the survey responses to formulate action-oriented discussion topics for forum night.  Survey reports will be posted on our website in addition to being shared with community partners and event attendees.

  • NEED ASSISTANCE COMPLETING A SURVEY? Heights residents interested in participating in the survey who don’t have online access at home are able to utilize computers for no charge at any branch of Heights Libraries during their standard hours (more info here) or by appointment at the FutureHeights office. If you’d like to set up an appointment with FutureHeights, please connect with Sarah – swolf@futureheights.org – or call the office at 216-320-1423 to make arrangements.  If anyone interested in completing the surveys needs additional assistance, please connect with Sarah for accommodations.

Event day: During each forum, participants will enjoy the company of small breakout groups where, with the assistance of facilitators and notetakers, they will engage in dialogue around the evening’s topic.  Discussion questions will be geared towards ways that participants can find something actionable they can do in regards to this topic they care so much about.  After the small group discussion, we will reconvene as a group-at-large to share what ideas were generated.

Post-event: We recognize how huge the Crowdsourced Conversations topics are and would never presume we’d cover everything in one evening.  So, with that in mind, we send each group their notes and any other handouts/resources that were presented during the forum — and we invite the groups to stay in touch as well!  We encourage participants to stay connected post-forum and hope they will return to their group for the next in the conversation series to keep the conversation flowing, build community connections, and continue to brainstorm actionable ideas.  Additionally, each forum topic will have a resource page on our website that includes group-generated ideas, survey results, small group questions, and more!  These resource pages will be co-created by all of our community partners, event participants, and others with expertise on the topic.

Program goal: We began this series in 2022 in response to feedback that so many community events are “all talk and no action or no follow through.”  With Crowdsourced Conversations, we amplify participant voices and connect residents with one another to have action-oriented discussions.  Sometimes a participant’s follow-up actions may be seemingly small (for instance, at one of our 2022 forums, a resident learned about and then downloaded the Access Cleveland Heights app — a game-changer for that individual!) or seemingly large (one volunteer-based group used both the survey findings and what came up in in the small group discussions as a means to create their programming for the rest of the year).  While it’s true that some of the issues we want to see action on might be the responsibility of a larger entity, our hope is that participants can find something actionable that they feel empowered to do. 

We believe “everyday residents” hold immense potential to generate change in their community!

 

2023 SERIES TOPICS & DATES:

#1: Our Public Schools. Visit the resource page here.

#2: Traveling Around Town. Visit the resource page here.

#3: Rental Properties & Absentee/Negligent LandlordsVisit the resource page here.

#4: Planning and Development for the Heights. Visit the resource page here.

2022 SERIES TOPICS & DATES:

#1: Sustainability. Visit the event resource page here.

#2: Housing & Neighborhood Preservation. Visit the event resource page here.

#3: Community Safety. Visit the event resource page here.

#4: Civic Engagement. Visit the event resource page here.

This forum series will be an opportunity to connect with other Heights residents about topics that impact us in a variety of overlapping ways. We hope you can join us for all four conversations! Any questions, connect with Sarah – swolf@futureheights.org.

THANK YOU!

The 2024 forum series is being planned in partnership with FutureHeights Community & Civic Engagement Committee, Heights Libraries, Home Repair Resource Center, Cleveland Heights Green Team, Heights Bicycle Coalition, City of Cleveland Heights Racial Justice Task Force, representatives of Cleveland Heights City Council, and more.  Thank you for the joy, wisdom, and enthusiasm you bring to the table!

If you are interested in becoming a Crowdsourced Conversations volunteer, please complete this form.

 

HELP US KEEP CROWDSOURCED CONVERSATIONS FREE!  Become a FutureHeights supporter here.