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2013 Conference

du 10 au 12 April 2013

The Benson Hotel, Portland, Oregon

This section lists poster sessions as well as concurrent sessions by day, time, and room. Concurrent sessions have multiple presentations. You may search by title, author names, or keyword. A Schedule-at-a-Glance is posted on the Website and will provide the overview. This is the detail.

Project Navigator: Implementing a Civic Engagement Process to Fight Poverty in Four Mississippi Counties

jeudi 11 avril 2013 à 07:00–vendredi 12 avril 2013 à 14:45 PDT
Poster
Major Area of Focus

Other

If you selected "Other," please describe in 250 characters or fewer

Rural poverty and civic engagement

Secondary area of focus

Financial Services

Short Abstract

Turning the Tide on Poverty (Tide) was modeled after Horizons, a successful poverty-fighting initiative implemented in the northwestern US. Tide involves community members in seeking grassroots solutions to poverty. The process begins with a five-week study circles process where community members engage in dialogue and exploration before implementing a community action plan. Tide was first piloted in Southeastern U.S. in 2008 at eight sites in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. The Tide process was adapted for Project Navigator, funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, because it deals with building civic capacity in poverty-stricken communities. The four Project Navigator counties were chosen because of their rurality and their high poverty rates. The purpose of the project was to increase civic engagement, build capacity, empower communities, and help local groups take ownership in their community goals. The theoretical foundation used for this research was Flora and Flora’s community capital theory. A variety of measures were employed to determine the extent to which individuals become involved in the community process, feel empowered to contribute, and continue to take an active role in community improvement efforts.  Qualitative analysis of the data revealed several themes similar to year one pilot data. The results are discussed as related to these themes - sustainability, perceptions of leadership, community climate, race relations, and the presence of a community champion. 

Corresponding Author

[photo]
Sheri Lokken Worthy, PhD, University of Georgia
Job Title

Professor and Head, Department of Housing & Consumer Economics

City & State (or Province & Country)

Athens, GA

Additional Authors

Chargement en cours …