Together We Know a Lot
Together we know a lot and we can do more.
As a newcomer to the Foundation’s Funded Partner Convening, I was impressed with the commitment and investment to make High Point a place where all people can live a full and productive life. It was a refreshing opportunity to connect, re-connect, and engage with people across multiple sectors; turning ideas into opportunities, and opportunities into collective action to achieve systems change.
I loved the opportunity to reflect on the incredible work that’s been accomplished, examine and identify ways to work together, while also keeping our eyes on the future and live in possibility.
The activities reminded me of one of my favorite ground rules – together we know a lot – which means that we are intentional about creating space to practice humility and trust the collective intelligence of the group to make healthy decisions. It recognizes that when we gather, we bring our unique skills, opinions, expertise, and lived experience. While each of us knows something, together we know a lot and we can do more!
Co-creating and reimagining nutrition & physical activity in Guilford County.
As a registered dietitian, my expertise lies in using a whole-person approach blending nutrition, scientific research, behavioral science, and social science to help people, like you and I, to live a full and productive life. I know that where people are born, grow, live, work, and play impacts their health, wellbeing, and quality of life. Because these determinants are interconnected and complex, I understand that no single organization can address complex issues alone – and, therefore, need to take a collective approach to promote and enhance nutrition and physical activity across Guilford County.
The Convening provided an opportunity to hear from experts, such as Courtney from the Collective Impact Forum, and be reminded of the importance of building and fostering trust to create a collaborative ecosystem that works. One of my main priorities will be to bring people together to co-create a common agenda and re-imagine what it means to align and uplift each other’s work. Without taking the time to build trusting relationships, however, any initiative may be at risk of falling short of its full potential.
Below is an example of what our process may look like as we move forward.
Sparking change.
This framework is built using a human-centered design focused on inviting, involving, and centering the people being impacted by our initiative(s) to fully engage in the process. It emphasizes the use of results-based strategies to make data-driven decisions, share accountability, and the integration of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging principles. It also recognizes that each initiative may look different based on community context, conversations, results, and strategies.