We believe that community initiatives, in order to be really visible, accessible, and inclusive, need to exist in the public space. The Community Builder Kit (CBK) is a customizable booklet that invites people to reflect on and identify community groups and public spaces in their neighborhood, as well as the relationship between both. All sections of the CBK are available for download, and each community is encouraged to use it as they see fit.
These are the components of the CBK:
Introduction sheet
One of the faces of our introduction sheet contains a summary of what beyond green and the CBK are. The other is a poster that you can put wherever you want!
Anonymous shout out
This sheet is a sort of thank-you note from one community builder to another. These shout outs come from community builders filling the people around you sheets (read description for “People around you” below). Each of their responses goes into the next set of community builder kits to be sent.
Informed consent form
This sheet tries to answer all the questions people might have before using the kit. At the end of it, there’s a space for the community builders to authorize the use of the information they’ll be providing to us.
People around you
People around you encourages neighbors to recognize each other and the work they’re doing to build community in their neighborhood. Each of these sheets points to new community builders who are the next round of people to receive the CBK in a community scan.
Places around you – Neighborhood map
These sheets explore the relationship that individuals and communities have with their neighborhood, and especially with their public spaces.
Community builder gift:
One of the goals of the CBK is to acknowledge people’s dedication and efforts in creating community around them. Giving these people a gift of thanks, even if it is small, makes them feel that their work is being recognized and rewarded. It also becomes a token of identification for the network that the CBK uncovers.
