1. Bridges to Sustainable Communities Overview
Philip DeVol
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2. A Challenge All Communities Will Face: Is Your Community Sustainable?
How do you describe the quality of life in your community now?
Socially
Economically
Environmentally
Can this generation pass on a high quality of life to the following generations?
Can this generation pass on a high quality of life to everyone in the community?
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3. Viewing Economic Class issues through the
“Triple Lens”
Slides 5 and 6:
Establish our triple lens approach – a unique and important feature of Bridges.
Establish that we have a comprehensive approach for communities to use.
Walk them through the Bridges Continuum handout to illustrate the value of Bridges to the community and sectors.  There is a description of this on pages in Bridges to Sustainable Communities. The most recent Bridges Continuum can be found in the Facilitator Notes for Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World, page
Copyright J. Pfarr Consulting
Copyright

4. Address poverty at every stage of life
The Bridges Continuum A Comprehensive Planning Tool for Bridges Steering Committees
Address poverty at every stage of life
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5. Postsecondary Community of Practice
Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Danville Area Community College, Danville, IL
Fresno City College, Fresno, CA
Hutchinson Community College, Hutchinson, KS
Ivy Tech Community Colleges, IN
Kent State University, Salem, OH
Lansing Community College, Lansing, MI
Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, VA
NW Louisiana Technical College, Minden, LA
Ohio Campus Compact, OH
Peru State College, Peru, NE
Riverside Community College District, Riverside, CA
Southwestern Oregon Community College Coos Bay, OR
Sussex County Community College, Newton, NJ
Trinidad State Junior College, Trinidad, CO
Riverside Community College, Riverside, CA
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Walla Walla Community College, Walla Walla, WA
Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH
Zane State College, Zanesville, OH
The font used on this slide keeps getting smaller as more and more colleges across the country understand the power of this work at so many levels.
If you are not on the list, add it!

6. Business and Workforce Development
Community of Practice
Cascade Engineering
Grand Rapids, MI
Working Bridges
Burlington, VT
Future Story Project
South Bend, IN
The Source
WorkLife Partnership
Denver, CO
Cincinnati Works
Cincinnati, OH
Clarian Health Systems
Indianapolis, IN
Vectren Corporation
Evansville, IN
Goodwill’s Good Signs for Getting Ahead
It’s important to establish an accurate mental model of what instability looks like in your business and community.
This activity will lead us to more of a common understanding of what it is like for employees and families living with instability, especially where resources are low.
This module uses a co-investigative process, not a “telling” approach.
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7. Cascade Engineering Grand Rapids, MI
Plastics Firm
Welfare-to-Career Employee Retention Rates
1991: 29%
1999: 80%
Annual Retention Rate: 69%
Bradley, J. R. (2002). Welfare-to- Career at Cascade Engineering, Inc., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
aha! Process success in a business setting.
Source: Bradley, J. R., “Welfare-to-Career at Cascade Engineering, Inc.,” Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Organizational change is hard to do, but when organizations are healthy, remarkable changes can be achieved. The Cascade Engineering story is inspiring.
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8. Courts and Criminal Justice System Community of Practice
Ohio’s 4 year, 4 phase Initiative
Columbiana County Municipal Court
Marion Municipal Court
Montgomery County Juvenile Court
Clermont County Municipal Court
Allen County Superior Court, Indiana, Judge Charles Pratt
Orange County, Vermont, Assistant Judge Prudence Pease
Oklahoma Reentry Programs
Dixon Correctional Facility, Baton Rouge, LA
NE Colorado Jails and Prisons
Utah Department of Corrections
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9. Getting Ahead Community of Practice
Bartlesville, OK
Inkster, MI
Presov, Slovakia
Baton Rouge, LA
Lewiston, ID
Riverside, CA
Billings, MT
Lisbon, OH
Salem, OH
Boulder, CO
Marshall, MO
Salina, KS
Bucks County, PA
Menominee Nation, WI
Schenectady, NY
Burlington, VT
Muskogee, OK
South Bend, IN
Columbus, OH
Newark, OH
Springfield, OH
Evansville, IN
Newton, KS
Sterling, CO
Farmington, NM
Newton, NJ
Syracuse, NY
Gettysburg, PA
Owen Sound, Ontario
Toledo, OH
Indianapolis, IN
Pensacola, FL
Youngstown, OH
There are over 200 sites where GA is being used in communities that prosperous and poor, rural and urban, in every region of the U.S., in Canada, Australia, and Slovakia. By sharing their experiences with Getting Ahead facilitators, sponsors, and Investigators have formed a Community of Practice. The Community of Practice provides supports to new sponsors and facilitators.
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10. Youngstown State University
Health Care Career Pathway Initiative for low-wage workers funded by the KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Professional development for hospital staff and regional education providers
Used Getting Ahead as entry point to career pathway
Full-time employment increased from 31% to 76%
Of the 312 enrolled, 58% continued on to additional postsecondary education
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11. The Bridges Model is not a program
People and organizations use Bridges to develop programs and strategies that:
Improve relationships at the individual level.
Improve outcomes at the organizational level.
Change systems at the community level.
Bridges helps:
Prevent poverty.
Alleviate suffering.
Support people in transition.
Eliminate poverty.
A Community of Practice existed before we recognized it, as is often the case.
One of the first innovators was Cascade Engineering.
Bridges can be applied in almost any community or organization because it is not a program. It is always local and relevant.
Use video clips from the website to illustrate these and other slides.
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12. Mental Model for Poverty
Concrete information inside the circle; analytical categories outside
Tyranny of the Moment,
Time Horizon
Concrete,
Abstract
Reactive problem-solving,
Proactive problem-solving
Powerless,
Powerful
This mental model was first created by a group of people in poverty in central Ohio. This model would be somewhat different by region, race, ethnicity, and cultural history, but it has common features that appear in all situations.
It’s important to learn to analyze poverty situations for stability, time horizon, and problem-solving strategies.
BEWARE of making judgments – this is about gaining understanding.
Unstable,
Predictable
Math doesn’t work,
Financial security
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13. Mental Model for Poverty
Analysis of mental models through diverse experiences
12 COMMUNITIES
Boom Town
Campus and Careers
Emptying Nests
Evangelical Epicenters
Immigration Nation
Industrial Metropolis
Military Bastions
Minority Central
Monied Burbs
Mormon Outposts
Service Worker Centers
Tractor Country
Our Patchwork Nation, 2010, Chinni and Gimpel
DIVERSITY
Age
Culture
Disability
Ethnicity
Gender
GLBT
Immigrant
Race
Religion
This mental model was first created by a group of people in poverty in central Ohio. This model would be somewhat different by region, race, ethnicity, and cultural history, but it has common features that appear in all situations.
It’s important to learn to analyze poverty situations for stability, time horizon, and problem-solving strategies.
BEWARE of making judgments – this is about gaining understanding.
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14. “The need to act overwhelms
Tyranny of the Moment
“The need to act overwhelms
any willingness people have to learn.”
Source: The Art of the Long View by Peter Schwartz.
“The healthier you are psychologically, or the less you may seem to need to change, the more you can change.”
Source: Management of the Absurd, (1996), by Richard Farson.
Do people in poverty need to act on concrete, immediate problems all day? That feature of poverty results in a life in the tyranny of the moment, a time horizon of one day. This is why the “change” plans of middle class organizations don’t always make sense to people in poverty.
People in poverty are solving concrete problems and usually don’t have the time or energy for the abstract, or new, learning. Do you think this statement is true, and if so, how does it impact your work with customers from generational poverty?
SEQUENCE:
This slide links the past discussion about the unstable, unpredictable environment to future topics of the hidden rules, resources, and planning. (In the slide show on mental models, there’s a set of slides that detail the barriers to change created by poverty. It’s important to establish this point before we offer a theory of change of our own.)
This slide also explains why education doesn’t tend to be part of the mental model of poverty. Will education be involved in the mental model of middle class? Let’s look at the next slide.
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15. What the Abstract Consists of:
Theory of Change from Getting Ahead
What the Abstract Consists of:
Detachment
Objectivity
Analysis
Thinking
New ideas
New information
Education
Plans
Support
Sharing the process of change with investigators is respectful, and it can be the freeing agent of this work. The thing that frees them from being stuck in poverty can be the choice to go to the abstract, to think, in the midst of chaos.
The red arrow symbolizes what happens in the tyranny of the moment. You’re stuck in the concrete reality, a problem happens, you react, you solve the problem, you remain stuck, the same problem recurs, you solve it the same way, and nothing changes. It’s about moving from the concrete problem to a concrete solution. It is reactive problem solving. It’s a great skill and one that is necessary for civilian populations in war, victims of natural disasters, and people living in persistent and concentrated poverty. It should be honored, but it’s unlikely to bring about new solutions that move a person to a stable environment.
The blue arrow symbolizes what the process of change is that underlies this work. A problem occurs within the context of the concrete reality. You pause and consider new, abstract information and how it might be applied. You come up with a plan that solves the problem in a new way, perhaps eliminating it or at least reducing the likelihood that it will recur.
No matter what, the plans need to be concrete, with clear, specific steps.
Writers from many disciplines and fields who influenced this work:
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16. Human and Social Capital in the Community
Community Sustainability Grid A Comprehensive Planning Tool for Bridges Steering Committees
Individual Behavior
Human and Social Capital in the Community
Exploitation
Political/
Economic
Structures
Individual
Action
Organizational
Community
Policy
Address All Causes of Poverty
Establish that we address all causes of poverty by taking action at four levels: individual, etc.
Establish that this allows liberals and conservatives to be a the table, IF they can lighten up on their favorite point of view enough to recognize that there is good research on all causes of poverty and that community discourse doesn’t have to follow talk radio and cable television, or think tank fodder (smile) with the EITHER/OR thinking but with BOTH/AND thinking and action. Listen to people in poverty and you’ll find out what the barriers are to poverty and you’ll figure out how to build concrete resources and solutions.
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17. DRIVING FORCES POVERTY MIDDLE CLASS WEALTH
Survival, relationships, entertainment
MIDDLE CLASS
Work, achievement
WEALTH
Financial, political, social connections
YOU MUST TELL A WORKPLACE STORY for each of the hidden rules. YOU MUST. Do the hidden rule overview, then give an example.
If you have used the terms “relationship-based” and “achievement-based” in the mental models, you can easily make the point here that organizations get their best results when they design programs that combine relationships and achievement.
Cascade Engineering and Cincinnati Works have environments rich in relationships of mutual respect; they “feel” healthy, and the walls are covered in relationship information, pictures, statements, and celebrations.
Drug courts are successful because they bring the judge, treatment staff, and defendant together in long-term relationships while they work toward the achievement of sobriety. Another key point: The whole team provides support for the expectation (sobriety) set forth by the judge.
You can also tell stories about “accountability” in business settings from Cascade Engineering or your own examples.
To support achievements, design programs and approaches that bring the driving forces of relationships and achievement together. Use examples from work and court. Develop relationships of mutual respect. Know who it is in the organization that has the best relationship with the employee. Joyce?
A part-time receptionist for a local organization, Ellen, arrived for work on time, but a half hour into the day, she got a call that her grandson was being called before the judge. She told her supervisor that she would be back in a half hour because she had to be at court for her grandson and it was just across the street. But her supervisor told her she couldn’t just walk off the job. She left anyway.
OR: Tim had worked three years as a banquet server and had been recognized as being a good employee. He had even trained new servers before shifts. One weekend he was scheduled, his sister was receiving an award. He had not told his supervisor not to schedule him, but he figured he was a good employee and it wouldn’t be a problem if he left early. When he told his supervisor he was leaving, the supervisor said he couldn’t just leave without warning and expect to keep his job. He was fired, but he didn’t understand why they would fire him when he was a good employee for so long. He assumed the relationship would cover him, and he even said, “I was a really good worker; they owed me that time off.” This was a double relationship—he was respecting his relationship with his sister and relying on his previously good relationship with the employer.
Identity
Career vs. job
Middle class doesn’t have it all right.
PD: You might have the audience review these stories from the perspective of the three environments/classes … seeking understanding of the environment different from your own would be the first goal. It would be interesting to have the group discuss how these problems (grandson to court, award for sister) would play out in all three environments.
PD: These could be case studies that would become win/win if the accountability system is working well. As they were described here, the first was heading for disciplinary action, the second led to a firing, and both bad outcomes for the employer. Now that the audience knows more about poverty, how could they change the process to support a better outcome?
Bridges, pages 44 and 45
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18. BRIDGES’ DEFINITION OF POVERTY
“The extent to which an individual does without resources.”
Situational Poverty: A lack of resources due to a particular event (divorce, natural disaster, etc.)
Generational Poverty: Having been in poverty for at least two generations

19. DEFINITIONS OF RESOURCES
EMOTIONAL
Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without engaging in self-destructive behavior. Shows itself through choices.
MENTAL
Having the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, computing) to deal with daily life; education; trade or skills.
SPIRITUAL
Believing in (divine) purpose and guidance; one’s cultural base.
FINANCIAL
Being able to purchase the goods and services of that class and sustain it.
SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Having friends, family, and backup resources available to access in times of need. These are external resources.
PHYSICAL
Having physical health and mobility; appearance, fitness, athletic abilities.
RELATIONSHIP/
ROLE MODELS
Having frequent access to adult(s) who are appropriate, nurturing, and who do not engage in destructive behavior.
KNOWLEDGE OF HIDDEN RULES
Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group.
Also Integrity & Trust, Motivation & Persistence, Formal Language

20. Social Capital Bonding Capital Bridging Capital Neighbors and Family
Clubs
Bonding
Capital
Religious
Organization
Work
This mental model identifies the bonding and bridging capital that an individual has. It helps build a future story in which people can have many diverse relationships.
Bridging
Capital
Formal
Organization
School
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21. Resources 5 4 3 2 1 Hidden Rules Support System Relationships
Financial
Emotional
Motivation
Spiritual
Physical
Mental
Integrity 5 4 3 2 1
Module 8 – Self Assessment Regarding Resources
Key Points:
This mental model summarizes the hard work of doing a self assessment.
It show us where our strengths are and which resources need to built up.
This is from Kim Wilt, Springfield Ohio. She said that after doing this she wept for twenty minutes. When she went into the restroom her motivation was a one, when she came out it was a four. She said, “Until then I didn’t realize that it was my job to build my own resources, or that I could build the resources of my children.”
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22. RESOURCES
Have the institution complete the grid. Regarding financial resources, list the programs that bring those resources to the participant and which ones help build them. For example, a program that just gives participants money would be listed under “brought.” A program that compensates participants as they educate themselves on financial matters and supports them by lobbying for livable wages would be listed under “builds.” If an institution does not address financial resources, leave it blank. If an institution collaborates with (not partnerships but collaborates with) another institution to address financial resources, then write that collaboration in that box. This grid will show clearly which resources an institution addresses and how they address it. Ideally you would want all the resources to be addressed in the “building” line either by collaboration or directly by your institution.
Reprinted with permission. Copyright J. Pfarr Consulting.
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23. All three classes come to the decision-making table to solve community problems
Solving
problems
Building
resources
Poverty
Middle Class
This is mental model you might build for Module 10. It simply illustrates that Bridges Communities and Guiding Coalitions want people from all classes at the decision-making table. This helps build a future story for those who want to participate in that way.
Wealth
Module 10

24. of change; early adapters are.”
“Innovators
are often not
the principal agents
of change; early adapters are.”
–Michael Fairbanks
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