Resident Engagement and Leadership to Improve Results

Without the meaningful and central involvement of parents and other community residents, efforts to achieve results are almost certain to fall short. Parent and community residents know best what their children experience and what is needed to ensure that they thrive.

The working group embraced the notion that change efforts work best when they build upon the uniqueness of each community. This approach ensures that attention is given to culture, language, race, ethnicity and traditions of each city, community, and/or neighborhood.

The ability to demonstrate that residents are engaged in the plans to re-design and develop these projects can help to circumvent opposition, reduce costly court challenges and public criticism that often accompanies urban renewal and change in traditionally vulnerable communities.

Making the commitment to utilize the leadership of residents in community change efforts requires a long-term commitment and on-going resources, supports, and investments in capacity building. A much bigger challenge is to sustain resident participation over time.