Turning Ideas Into Action, the Chicago Community Trust Announces Six Collaboratories Resulting from on the Table

CHICAGO, Sept. 2 -- The Chicago Community Trust issued the following news release:

Building on the great enthusiasm and strong participation cultivated through its On the Table civic engagement initiative earlier this spring, The Chicago Community Trust announced today a new project - "collaboratories" - that will help move six promising ideas heard through On the Table into action.

"On the Table was designed to generate new ideas, inspire bold solutions, and cultivate relationships and collaborations. Participant feedback showed us that our region's residents are looking for opportunities to work together to improve communities," said Terry Mazany, president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust. "We're excited about the potential and possibilities of this continued initiative."

In honor of the Trust's 99th anniversary, On the Table brought together more than 11,500 participants at nearly 1,100 tables throughout the Chicagoland region on May 12, 2014 for mealtime conversations to discuss how to collaboratively build and maintain strong, safe and dynamic communities. Participants were invited to share ideas with the Trust following their On the Table conversations. The Trust received nearly 1,000 ideas from the day's participants. Trust staff reviewed and identified 25 ideas for further consideration. Over the past month, an external selection committee, including representatives from Chicago Ideas Week, the Starter League, Redbox, and other civic and business leaders further evaluated these submissions to select six for further refinement and development.

The collaboratory six finalists are:

* Asset Mapping: Developing of a digital platform to connect community needs to resources available across Chicagoland by mapping nonprofit and government services.

* The GenG Project: The Generation Green Project connects youth to opportunities within the growing fields of sustainability and the green industry.

* Opportunity Hubs: Opportunity Hubs will seek to revitalize vacant properties to create innovation hubs in underserved communities promoting community change, selfdetermined by local communities.

* Parent Engagement Roadmap: Empowering parents to navigate and improve their local neighborhood school system.

* Sister Neighborhoods: Organizing and facilitating the exchange of cultural awareness and barrier breaking activities across communities in the city and suburbs.

* Where is your Bench?: Creating a campaign to encourage people to identify, establish and leverage safe spaces on their own blocks where people can gather (or already do) and get to know each other on a regular basis.

The Chicago Community Trust will continue to steward these six ideas into action by convening six "collaboratories" or working groups of On the Table participants who shared complementary ideas in a process that begins next month. Through the Trust's partnership with Chicago Ideas Week, these six ideas aimed to advance the quality of life in our communities will be refined during lab sessions led by Chicago-based innovation firms Doblin, Gravity Tank, Greater Good Studio and IDEO.

After Chicago Ideas Week, over the course of the fall and winter, the Trust will continue to support the six collaboratory working groups in their efforts to develop a sustainable plan and begin to put their ideas into action. In April 2015, each team will have the opportunity to pitch their proposals to a panel of potential investors and influencers in the hopes of securing support for the implementation of their ideas moving forward.

Chicago Ideas Week will be held October 13-19 at locations throughout the city. Trust CEO Terry Mazany will take the stage at Chicago Ideas Week on October 15 for a talk titled "Instigators: Voices for Change." The talk features and honors accomplished individuals who tapped into their own talents to advance causes - and discusses how attendees can change the world for the better. Tickets for the On the Table idea concept labs, Mazany's talk and other Chicago Ideas Week activities are available for purchase at www.chicagoideasweek.com.

On the Table was made possible through the financial support of corporate sponsors, including Allstate Insurance Company, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bank of America, BMO Harris Bank, Comcast NBCUniversal, ComEd, Holland Capital Management LLC, JMB Realty Corporation, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and PNC Bank.

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