SOMERPLAY PILOT SUMMER 2013
DESCRIPTION: The City of Somerville is launching the SomerPlay program as a pilot for the summer of 2013. The goal is to cultivate and support leadership as residents identify ways to strengthen community connections, with a particular focus in the pilot year on enabling joyful play among children in neighborhoods. The initiative grew out of a workshop on how to create "Playborhoods" that was held in March. To learn more about Playborhoods, please watch a video of the workshop here, view the workshop slideshow here, or see take-aways from the event here. WHAT MAKES A SOMERPLAY ZONE? One or more neighbors, organizers, friends getting together to plan community building activities this summer. Zone teams will be asked to attend a few planning meetings, to report out on how their activities went, and to share any lessons learned at the end of the summer. See here for more information on what makes a zone.
HOW CAN THE CITY HELP? Once zones have submitted their proposals, we will work to get permits and otherwise trouble shoot.
CONTACT: Please contact Stephanie Hirsch, shirsch@somervillema.gov, 617-625-6600 ext. 2340 with any questions.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Thursday, May 16th, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., Recreation Building, 19 Walnut Street: Planning workshop for prospective SomerPlay Zone teams and City Departments. Please send at least one representative if possible, or contact Stephanie if you are unable to send someone. Groups may discuss their ideas with each other and with City staff so that we can come up with manageable plans.
Monday, May 20th: Plans due back to City. Please submit plans online here:
Wednesday, May 22nd: SomerPlay Zones approved with any necessary revisions
Summer 2013: Implementation
Fall 2013: Debriefing sessions
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Here were a few questions that have come up...
Is this a competition, with only some proposals getting approved? No - the intent is to approve all feasible ideas!
I don't know of anyone else to join up with, can I still apply? Even if you have a very simple idea and can't find anyone else to help with it, I'd encourage you to participate and make it part the SomerPlay initiative. A proposal could be as simple as to hold planning meetings to identify possible partners.
I might not be able to pull together my ideas or my team until later in the summer. Is that okay? Yes! We will have multiple deadlines for submitting ideas, especially one that require permitting by City departments.
CHILDREN AND YOUTH STUDY TEAM
In the Fall of 2012, the Mayor and Superintendent created the Children and Youth Study Team. The Study Team is a group of representative stakeholders who are meeting monthly to carry out data-informed discussions of school, municipal, and community issues affecting quality of life and opportunities for success for children and youth in Somerville. The Mayor and Superintendent's Office launched the group because of their belief that rigorous and thoughtful discussions among a diverse group will build consensus around shared goals and strategies of how to make Somerville a model location to raise a family.
- The Team will be meeting monthly, at least for one year.
- Team discussions will focus on an initial set of School and Municipal issues related to children and family well-being.
- Each discussion will be based on data compiled in advance of each meeting.
- Discussions will result in follow-up tasks that will be tracked closely.
- The Team will maintain a website and will regularly report out to stakeholders.
- Monthly meetings will be open to the public, but group members will have priority for participation. The Team will facilitate forums with the general public to share information and solicit feedback and/or use other methods to collect feedback.
MATERIALS FROM MEETINGS: Below are materials from meetings held to date. The next Study Team meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 21st, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the West Somerville Neighborhood School.
OCTOBER 2012:
Slides
Notes
OCTOBER 2012:
Slides
Notes
NOVEMBER 2012:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please note that you are about to comment on a blog moderated by the City of Somerville. Questions and comments will be moderated, edited, and responded to as time allows.
Also note, there are certain legal terms associated with posting to this website which include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. No comments or posts may endorse any candidate or political parties for political office;
2. No comments or posts may advertise or offer to sell any goods or services; and
3. No comments or posts may defame or otherwise violate the legal rights of others.
A complete version of the legal terms and conditions for posting to this website is available here: http://somervilleresistat.org/uploads/Blog_legal_terms.pdf