Erin McKenzie Virtual Welcoming Blog

THE ART OF COMMUNITY - Learning With Each Other And Discovering Our Passion!

2011-03-18T13:50:00.008-05:00

Barb...When I think of stories about community, I always think of what our family and many others learned from our daughter. Erin was a young woman with Down syndrome and her life demonstrated the rich connections and relationships that result from an inclusive learning community. Among her passions was theatre and she met and celebrated with many friends through that love. It began at Westerville South High School and introduced her to Otterbein University and many wonderful and reciprocal relationships with other theatre lovers! Real friendship often comes from our shared interests and passions and not our shared abilities.

Facilitating Community

2011-02-02T09:25:00.004-05:00

Kelley…Sometimes we are in situations that are stressful or intense and that can help a group come together in community. In my visual I wanted to represent the members of my methods class who have come together largely because of our instructor and especially because of an activity that she facilitated. We each shared stories about ourselves and then reflected back to each other what strengths we heard from those stories about each of us. It has helped to create a supportive learning community.

Some Things to Think About…
How do we create welcoming communities where each person can feel comfortable and supported?
Are we open to discovering the gifts in each person?
Do we see the glass as half full or half empty?

Reflecting and Sharing Stories

2011-01-13T10:21:00.007-05:00

Steven…I love to travel, see new places and meet new people. I also value learning and that was handed down to me by my grandfather, a run-away slave. My neighborhood community back in Youngstown has a reunion every few years and a scholarship is offered to a college student in memory of my grandparents. We support each other. It is important to reflect on the past as we move forward to the future.

What have we discovered from our life journey so far?
What have we learned from our experiences and relationships?
Do we welcome and celebrate ALL diversity?

The Art of Community - Belonging and Participating

2011-01-01T17:46:00.005-05:00

Jane…I feel grounded and surrounded by love in my Westerville and Otterbein College community. I graduated 60 years ago and have lived here ever since. Belonging, participating, and contributing to this college community continues to enrich my life.

Some Things to Think About…
What makes you feel welcomed?
How do you welcome others?
Do you accept the hospitality of others when it is offered to you?
How do you participate?

The Art of Community, "Offering hospitality…"

2010-12-10T15:25:00.004-05:00

Dana…When I think of community I think of eating together! I think of welcoming guests and enjoying each other’s company. I think of family and friends and not forgetting the importance of our relationships.

Some Things to Think About…
⇒ What makes you feel welcomed?
⇒ How do you welcome others?
⇒ How do you accept the hospitality of others when it is offered to you?

Connecting (from the Art of Community collage)

2010-11-30T12:16:00.005-05:00

Kat…I found community in a sorority – something that is not always thought of as inclusive and welcoming to all. Our small, local sorority welcomes and celebrates diversity. We are free-spirited yet connected in our support of one another and women’s issues.

Remember a time in your life when you felt most engaged,most included, most welcomed in your community. Create a poem, image, or story that resonates with your experiences.

Listening and figuring out how to include everyone...

2010-11-20T13:55:00.007-05:00

Petie…Thirty three years ago I was teaching theatre in high school and directing a Children’s Theatre production which the students would perform for various elementary schools. One of the students involved had autism. We all had to figure out how to ensure his active participation. Another student really modeled how to be open to his differences and respect his involvement. We structured the performance much differently than we would have without him. It was a wonderful learning experience for all us. We all were stars!

Remember a time in your life when you felt most engaged, most included, most welcomed in your community. Create a poem, image, or story that resonates with your experiences.

Another Story - Acting on Diversity

2010-11-17T09:49:00.004-05:00

Jordan…I’m a little more politically minded as part of the DIY (Do It Yourself) scene in Columbus. We try not to rely on corporations and focus on community activities like pot luck dinners and supporting musicians traveling through town. It is important to have a common vision, but I also feel that we each need to be an independent thinker and share our individual uniqueness to create a richly diverse community. I disagree that “patience pays off.” I think there must be a sense if urgency and that “action pays off.”

Remember a time in your life when you felt most engaged, most included, most welcomed in your community. Please share that by creating a poem, image, or story that resonates with your experiences.

A Story from the Art of Community Collage - Love and Togetherness

2010-11-12T16:29:00.007-05:00

Lois…The sense of community is extremely important to me. As I was picking the pictures and objects to use I thought about the things that I love about my life, including friends, family, books,animals, and music. The pictures I chose represent to me togetherness, love, family, fun, laughter, and adventure - all things I feel are important in a vibrant community.

Remember a time in your life when you felt most engaged, most included, most welcomed in your community. Please share that by creating a poem, image, or story that resonates with your experiences.

Singing together in community!

2010-11-07T13:01:00.011-05:00

"I'll sing and joyful be, and through eternity, I'll sing on, I'll sing on!"

What Wondrous Love Is This

The Art of Community@the Library...Making it Happen

2010-10-05T13:54:00.011-05:00

The Erin McKenzie Virtual Welcoming Space at Otterbein Courtright Memorial Library encourages conversations and facilitates discovery of cultures, experiences, struggles and how we are connected. The welcoming space celebrates the gifts and talents in each of us in hopes of creating inclusive communities where all are valued. Annual events are planned with this vision in mind.

In 2009, participants representing the areas of Women Studies; Black Studies; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered & Queer (GLBTQ); International Education; Disability; and Diversity discussed making connections and community building at Otterbein College. This event resulted in two key findings:
1. The need to create spaces where all feel welcome to share and interact and
2. The need to engage more students, listening and hearing their voices and perspectives.

With those findings in mind, on April 18, 2010, a diverse group of students, staff, and community members gathered to further our knowledge about how to create community at Otterbein. We enlisted facilitator and artist, Candee Basford (http://www.candeebasford.com/), to guide our discussion using a process of arts-based appreciative inquiry.

“Appreciative Inquiry is about the co-evolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. To inquire means to be open to seeing new possibilities and potentials. Arts based inquiry is the act of exploration and discovery through the arts.” http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/intro/whatisai.cfm

Each member of the group was asked to remember a time in their lives when they felt most engaged, most included, most welcomed in their college and in their communities. Then, each selected various images and artifacts such as fabric scraps, buttons, tree bark, magazine cutouts, metal, etc. that resonated with his or her “story.” Participants arranged these resonating pieces into a story or pattern onto mat board. This created a visual representation or reflection of their story and the insight within. When completed, each member of the group shared his or her creative image and the story or stories that elicited the completed image.

"Art exists in the absorption in the tasks of putting existing things together in ways that have meaning; and inversely, in the engagements that make personal connections to things others have made." Michael Herman

The visuals have been combined into a collage which is now displayed in the library. In the next few months, individual stories and visual representations from the collage will be shared on this blog.

We would love if you would share your story. Remember a time in your life when you felt most engaged, most included, most welcomed in your community. Create a poem, image, or story that resonates with your experiences.

What is a "normal" life?

2010-02-21T12:04:00.012-05:00

I confess that I never watch Family Guy, never saw the entire episode recently in the news, and do not know how the story of a young woman with Down syndrome going out with a boy who does not have it was set up or even if the words Down syndrome were used in the episode. All that I have seen is the now famous line about the governor of Alaska. From that clip, I must admit I wondered what the problem was around Down syndrome. I kept searching to find more about that. I found this quote from the actress who voiced the character, Andrea Fay Friedman, who does have Down syndrome. "My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life. My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes." No matter what your political thinking, her perspective is interesting.

I found myself thinking more about Andrea's comment on being raised "to live a normal life." What is a "normal" life? Jonathan Mooney in his book, The Short Bus, A Journey Beyond Normal, explores that. The question is crystallized in Chapter 12, "Katie's Book of Life." View a short documentary at his web site, http://www.jonathanmooney.com/. The last four minutes feature a conversation with Katie and Candee Basford on this topic. Candee talks about how the concept of "normal" gets in the way of valuing what diverse gifts each human being offers and how that can limit a person's opportunity to have an ordinary life.

In a letter sent to thank the Basford family for their participation, Jonathan says, "One of the deepest scars for me from my experience in special education was the feeling that I had to be something other than what I was-that I had to be exceptional to be valued at all. I learned from my day with you how wrong that was-how our lives are intrinsically linked."

When I share my stories of Erin, I try to convey that Erin was not an extra-ordinary person with a disability. What was extra-ordinary was that she had the opportunity to have an ordinary life. More importantly, those people that got to know her had the opportunity to discover what Jonathan realized and wrote to Katie and Candee. "You gave me the gift of seeing how when we are together, we are so much more than when we are alone."

Spinning in Community with Others

2010-01-24T08:30:00.003-05:00

Erin’s life inspired the creation of the Welcoming Space in
the Library of Westerville South High School and the Erin
McKenzie Virtual Welcoming Space Web site at Otterbein
College Courtright Memorial Library. Both provide a
diverse mix of media styles and information to encourage
conversations and facilitate our discovery of one another’s
cultures, experiences, and how we are connected; celebrate
the gifts and talents in each of us; and help us to build
inclusive communities where all are valued.

The mural on the wall of the high school library’s space was
inspired in part by an article my friend Candee found about the
Whirling Dervishes of Turkey. The spinning of the dancer is
an intentional act of participation in what is believed to be the
shared similarity and revolution of all other beings.

Student artist Sarah Boatright took that theme and combined it
with the significance of the circle in Native American culture to
create a beautiful painting of a young woman with long,
flowing hair who looks very much like Erin spinning within
a dream catcher. On a wall to the side are the words,
“Mitakuye Oyasin,” which is taken from the Lakota/Dakota
language and can be translated, “We are all related,” or “All
my relations.” It is a belief of oneness and harmony with the
universe.

This connection was also important to Erin. My husband
was involved for many years with the central Ohio Native
American community. When we attended events, Erin was
always genuinely welcomed and invited to dance in the
circle.

Sarah’s artwork has marvelously captured how two very
different cultures celebrate the importance of community.
Erin’s life powerfully demonstrated that too.

May we all spin happily together.

from, REFLECTIONS OF ERIN - THE IMPORTANCE OF BELONGING, RELATIONSHIPS, AND LEARNING WITH EACH OTHER
Copyright 2008, Barbara McKenzie.

The Art of Disability

2009-11-04T07:57:00.003-05:00

“Disability is not a ‘brave struggle’ or ‘courage in the face of adversity’. Disability is an art. It’s an ingenious way to live.”
Neil Marcus – a poet, humorist, writer, actor, and adventurer who is “creatively endowed with disability”

This quote was shared at a presentation I attended this past summer. It immediately brought up memories of a play that has always bothered me since I first saw it when Erin was in high school - "The Boys Next Door" by Tom Griffin. The story is about four men who live together and have cognitive and developmental disabilities. It does not paint a pretty picture of living with disabilities.

At a pivotal point in the play, one of the men shares a very sad monologue. “I stand before you, a middle-aged man in an uncomfortable suit, a man whose capacity for rational thought is somewhere between a five-year-old and an oyster. (Pause) I am retarded. I am damaged. I am sick inside from so many years of confusion, utter and profound confusion. I am mystified by faucets and radios and elevators and newspapers and popular songs. I cannot always remember the names of my parents. But I will not go away. And I will not wither because the cage is too small. I am here to remind the species of the species. I am Lucien Percival Smith. And without me, without my shattered crippled brain, you will never again be frightened by what you might have become. Or indeed by what your future might make you.”

Unfortunately this description of disability is the perception of many people, not just the playwright. To counter-act this perception, we go overboard trying to show the "super stars" with disabilities. We talk about those extraordinary individuals who have overcome their deficiencies; have worked hard to become more "normal."

Neil's quote is about valuing all people with disabilities; looking at differences and not perceived deficiencies; discovering and celebrating the gifts in each of us.

What We Need Is Each Other

2009-10-31T20:05:00.004-05:00

No matter how hard they try, our very best institutions cannot do many things that only we can do.
by John McKnight, posted Aug 05, 2009 on Creative Commons

There is a new worldwide movement developing, made up of people with a different vision for their local communities. They know that movements are not organizations, institutions or systems. Movements have no CEO, central office, or plan. Instead, they happen when thousands and thousands of people discover together new possibilities for their lives. They have a calling. They are called. And together they call upon themselves.

In many nations local people have been called to come together to pursue a common calling. It would be a mistake to label that calling ABCD, or Community Building. Those are just names. They are inadequate words for groups of local people who have the courage to discover their own way—to create a culture made by their own vision. It is a handmade, homemade vision. And, wherever we look, it is a culture that starts the same way:

First, we see what we have—individually, as neighbors and in this place of ours.

Second, we know that the power of what we have grows from creating new connections and relationships among and between what we have.

Third, we know that these connections happen when we individually or collectively act to make the connections—they don't just happen by themselves.

We also know that these three steps leading our way can often be blocked by great corporate, governmental, professional and academic institutions. They often say to us, "You are inadequate, incompetent, problematic, or broken. We will fix you."

It is our calling to ignore these voices that create dependency, for we are called to find our way—not follow their way.

We are striving to live in a democracy. A democracy is a politics that gives us the freedom to create our vision and the power to make that vision come true. We strive to be citizens—people with the vision and the power to create our own way, a culture of community capacity, connection and care.

Unfortunately, many leaders and even some neighbors think that the idea of a strong local community is sort of "nice," a good thing if you have the spare time, but not really important, vital or necessary. However, we know strong communities are vital and productive. But, above all, they are necessary because of the inherent limits of all institutions.

No matter how hard they try, our very best institutions cannot do many things that only we can do. And what only we can do is vital to a decent, good, democratic life.

People in the new movement know what only we have the power to do as local neighbors and citizens.

First, our neighborhoods are the primary source of our health. How long we live and how often we are sick are determined by our personal behaviors, our social relationships, our physical environment, and our income. As neighbors, we are the people who can change these things. Medical systems and doctors cannot. This is why scientists agree that medical care counts for less than 10 percent of what will allow us to be healthy. Indeed, most informed medical leaders advocate for community health initiatives because they recognize their systems have reached the limits of their health-giving power.

Second, whether we are safe and secure in our neighborhood is largely within our domain. Many studies show that there are two major determinants of our local safety. One is how many neighbors we know by name. The second is how often we are present and associated in public, outside our houses. Police activity is a minor protection compared to these two community actions. This is why most informed police leaders advocate for block watch and community policing. They know their limits and call to our movement.

Third, the future of our Earth—the environment—is a major local responsibility. The "energy problem" is our local domain because how we transport ourselves, how we heat and light our homes and how much waste we create is a major force factor in saving our earth. That is why our movement is a major force in calling us and our neighbors to be citizens of the Earth and not just consumers of the natural wealth.

Fourth, in our villages and neighborhoods, we have the power to build a resilient economy—less dependent on the mega-systems of finance and production that have proven to be so unreliable. Most enterprise begins locally, in garages, basements, and dining rooms. As neighbors, we have the local power to nurture and support these businesses so that they have a viable market. And we have the local power to capture our own savings so that we are not captives of our notorious large financial institutions. We also are the most reliable sources of jobs, for in many nations word-of-mouth among neighbors is still the most important access to employment. The future of our economic security is now clearly a responsibility, possibility and necessity for local people.

Fifth, we are coming to see that a part of our domain is the production of the food we eat. So we are allied with the local food movement, supporting local producers and markets. In this way, we will be doing our part to solve the energy problem caused by transportation of food from continents far away. We will be doing our part to solve our economic problems by circulating our dollars locally. And we will be improving our health by eating food free of poisons and petroleum.

Sixth, we are local people who must raise our children. We all say that it takes a village to raise a child. And yet, in modernized societies, this is rarely true. Instead, we pay systems to raise our children—teachers, counselors, coaches, youth workers, nutritionists, doctors, McDonald's, and MTV. We are often reduced as families to being responsible for paying others to raise our children and transporting them to their paid child-raisers. Our villages have often become useless—our neighbors responsible for neither their children nor ours. As a result, everywhere we talk about the local "youth problem." There is no "youth problem." There is a village problem of adults who have forgone their responsibility and capacity to join their neighbors in sharing the wealth of children. It is our greatest challenge and our most hopeful possibility.

Seventh, locally we are the site of care. Our institutions can only offer service—not care. We cannot purchase care. Care is the freely given commitment from the heart of one to another. As neighbors, we care for each other. We care for our children. We care for our elders. And it is this care that is the basic power of a community of citizens. Care cannot be provided, managed or purchased from systems. Our way is made possible by the power to care. Democracy is the way we care for our freedom and responsibility. So it is the new connections and relationships we create locally that build community because in joining each other together, we manifest our care for the children, neighbors and the earth.

Health, safety, economy, environment, food, children and care are the seven responsibilities of our movement. They are the necessities that only we can fulfill. And when we fail, no institution or government can succeed. Because we are the veritable foundation of the society.

Fortunately, at the heart of our movement are three universal and abundant powers. The three basics of our calling are:

The giving of gifts—the gifts of the people in our neighborhood are boundless. Our movement calls forth those gifts.

Second, the power of association—In association we join our gifts together and they become amplified, magnified, productive, and celebrated.

Third, hospitality—We welcome strangers because we value their gifts and need to share our own. Our doors are open. There are no strangers here. Just friends we haven't met.

Ours is the movement of abundance. There is no limit to our gifts, our associations, and our hospitality.

We have a calling. We are the people who know what we need. What we need surrounds us. What we need is each other. And when we act together, we will find Our Way. The citizen's way. The community way. The democratic way.

We are called to nothing less. And it is not so wild a dream.
________________________________________
John McKnight is a professor at Northwestern University, where he is Co-Director of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute and Director of Community Studies of the Institute for Policy Research. He delivered this address to the Coady International Institute in Nova Scotia.

Social Justice Guided Mary Travers

2009-09-23T08:48:00.002-05:00

I think the thing that is so special about folk music is that it is a reaffirmation of the celebration of the human spirit and human life.- Mary Travers

September 17, 2009 - Mary Travers became a singer at a time when there was no shortage of things to sing about.

Along with Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey, Travers participated in civil rights marches and Vietnam War protests. They helped provide a soundtrack to the times that catapulted Peter, Paul and Mary from coffee houses to the Billboard charts.

Travers, who died Wednesday at 72, was raised on folk music. She grew up in Greenwich Village in the 1940s where she heard her parent's recordings of The Weavers and Pete Seeger.

In a 1983 NPR interview, Travers explained how Peter, Paul and Mary tried to move the folk tradition forward.

"When we first began to sing together, we attempted to do some of the chestnuts. But to attempt to do them in a more complex and more musical form as opposed to just trying to take a straight three-part harmony and a lot of gusto and energy," she said.

The group had 12 hit singles. One of them, "If I Had A Hammer," became an anthem for the civil rights movement.

Another, "Puff the Magic Dragon," became an anthem of a different sort.

Peter, Paul and Mary put a Bob Dylan song on the charts for the first time and introduced the work of other new folk singers and songwriters — like John Denver, whose "Leaving on a Jet Plane" became a hit when the group released it.

The trio broke up in 1970 but got back together eight years later. Peter Yarrow told NPR why in 1983.

"When we got together and we sang on stage, it was very clear that we had great meaning to each other for the audience and that we missed each other," he said.

This time they were singing about apartheid and deadly violence in Central America.

In 1986, Travers said the principle of mixing social justice with music guided her career.

"I think the thing that is so special about folk music is that it is a reaffirmation of the celebration of the human spirit and human life," she said.

Travers was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004, but Peter, Paul and Mary continued to perform off and on until earlier this year.

by Felix Contreras from NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112909435

Hopefully the conversation will continue...

2009-05-22T14:54:00.005-05:00

Notes from Do Diverse Worlds Connect @Otterbein College

Some opening thoughts…

Individualism: Perspective of dominant micro culture in the US – European Americans (Families, Professionals, and Exceptionality by Turnbull, Turnbull, Erwin, and Soodak)
• Values Independence
• Values Competition
• System Centered Approach – laws and government

Collectivism: Perspective of diverse racial ethnic micro cultures in the US (Families, Professionals, and Exceptionality by Turnbull, Turnbull, Erwin, and Soodak)
• Values Interdependence – contributions of/to/with the group
• Relationship Centered Approach
• Robert Two Crow on the wall at the National Museum of the American Indian in DC “The Lakota Universe can be described as Mitakuye Oyasin. That means everything is connected, interrelated, and dependent in order to exist.”

Shared words from Candee Basford http://www.candeebasford.com/
“…Envisioning higher education as a place of transformational learning and deep social change that requires the full participation of citizens with diverse experiences and ways of knowing and an equal appreciation for each person’s contribution."

Thomas Ahrens: Representing Gateway Program and International Studies
• Broad international spectrum is represented at Otterbein
• More emphasis in education for global learning
• More schools are sending students abroad
• He feels that Otterbein is welcoming and inclusive, but we need to hear the student perspective
• Would like to see more intentionality for spaces and events to welcome students to come together

Leah Monaghan: Representing Disability Services
• Students are required to qualify for college entrance and can only receive accommodations and other services with documentation
• Increase in students with disabilities over the years especially with learning disabilities and some mental disorders and also serve those with visual, hearing, and some physical and medical issues
• She does feel that more students are crossing barriers, but would also like to hear the perspectives of students, however, most students with disabilities are less likely to identify themselves as being disabled first

Marsha Robinson: Representing Black Studies
• Many people of African descent have difficulty accessing libraries
• Libraries can be a political treasure or a political issue
• Has personally not felt welcome in some libraries – lack of materials – but Otterbein does seem to have more and is more welcoming
• Would like to increase inclusiveness of Otterbein College, but some students do not want to become one human family
• Would like to see film nights offered by the library/college
• Would also suggest soapbox – space/opportunity for students to speak

Suzanne Ashworth: Representing GLBTQ
• Uneven pockets on campus
• Still grouping especially in campus center
• Some are more welcoming and inclusive but tensions still exist (graffiti, swastikas, backlash to Vagina Monologues) which reflects attitudes prevalent in Ohio
• Agree that we need some intentionality – a truly diverse advisory group
• Need to hear from the students
• Curriculum expanded to add courses with GLBTQ focus and identify as such

Lisa Patterson Phillips: Representing Office of Diversity
• Originally began with a more ethnic focus, but now broader to look at all diversity
• What is diversity in 2009?
• Easier to find differences, but we need to find points where we connect
• Worlds connect at Otterbein at a superficial level – like bubbles bumping we touch but don’t really get to know each other and have those uncomfortable conversations – we are “nice”
• We need to start those conversations

Shannon Lakanen: Representing Women’s Studies
• Classes are rarely diverse – preaching to the choir
• Otterbein is welcoming within the limitations
• Inclusiveness needs to be embedded in the curriculum
• Need to hear student voices

Feedback from the small group discussions:

SURPRISES from what the panel members shared…
• Students present were surprised at how positive the faculty panel members were about the welcoming of diversity at Otterbein. Students are less positive and do not feel that most students are accepting. Concerns about grouping in the Campus Center was mentioned often by students. Students coming from small towns often think the campus is diverse and welcoming. The higher you go in your major, the more you are around the same people. Commuter students “fall thru the cracks.”
• Thinking of library as a source of power
• Backlash to Vagina Monologues being advertised and shown on campus and other incidents

OUR VISION FOR BUILDING A WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY AT OTTERBEIN…
• We will learn to get along – more so, we will discover and appreciate each other
• There will be more diversity in the classrooms
• Challenge is good
• Getting out of our safety zone
• The power of students teaching students; faculty learning from students
• We will intentionally create spaces where all feel welcome to share and interact
• This vision will be integrated into the curriculum and supported through instruction
• Celebrating diversity – welcoming diverse community members to join with us in our celebration; all of us sharing gifts and customs

ACTION STEPS WE WILL TAKE…
• Personal Reflection – How do I handle various situations?
• More possibilities and opportunities shared and encouraged in freshmen classes/first year experience
• Infusion in curriculum and classes
• Classmate invitations to participate
• Including/inviting commuters in conversations and activities
• Embedded representations in classes
• Working with Otterbein’s Center for Community Engagement http://www.otterbein.edu/academics/CCE/index.asp
• Infusion in service learning discussions; remembering to value all and not create helpers and helpees who never get to change roles
• Bringing community in
• Intentional dialogues
• Sharing/modeling skills to help with challenging conversations
• Opportunities to share/learn about customs, foods, music, ideas, struggles, dreams
• Seeking CONNECTORS from students and adults in our community

ADDITIONAL NOTES ABOUT CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD CONNECTORS, per
John McKnight: http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/community/introd-building.html
1. Gift centered (looking for the gifts/assets in each person)
2. Well connected and has been part of the community for a long time
3. Trusted
4. Believes community is welcoming (seeing glass as half full)
• This is about CONNECTING rather than leadership. A good connector is not necessarily a leader.
• A good connector is born and cannot be trained.
• Thinking as a “server” can be limiting and focused on benevolence which is different from thinking as a “connector.”

A final question to ponder…
Colleges are innately exclusive places – tests to take in order to apply with limited accommodations for some labeled groups; standardized intellectual levels to qualify; applications to complete; other requirements depending on the institution; acceptance or rejection; competition to get in and stay in; financial issues to attend, etc.
Can an exclusive place be inclusive?

Do Diverse Worlds Connect @ Otterbein College

2009-04-29T21:42:00.009-05:00

Monday, May 18
2:00 - 3:30 pm
Courtright Memorial Library
138 W. Main St., Westerville, Ohio

Join us for a discussion on diversity, making connections, and community building at Otterbein College. Panel members will represent the areas of Women Studies, Black Studies, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered & Queer (GLBTQ), International Education, Disability, and Diversity.

We need to hear your voices on these important issues!

An Erin McKenzie Virtual Welcoming Space Event, Sponsored by the Friends of the Otterbein College Courtright Memorial Library. All are welcome to attend at no charge. Refreshments will be served. For more information contact Lois Szudy, Library Director at LSzudy@otterbein.edu

Reflections of Erin

2009-03-24T13:39:00.005-05:00

A NEW BOOK ABOUT REDISCOVERING THE VISION OF INCLUSION

Reflections of Erin - The Importance of Belonging, Relationships, and Learning with Each Other

By Barbara McKenzie, Design by Chris McKenzie, Art of Possibility Press, 2008

Conveyed in the form of keen observations, heartfelt surprises, and insightful reflections, the stories and images inspired by Erin McKenzie’s life demonstrate the rich connections and relationships that result from an inclusive learning community.

“The book is truly wonderful. It leads us ahead while looking back.” – John McKnight, CoDirector, Asset Based Community Development Institute, Northwestern University

“This book is not only a wonderful legacy of Erin's amazing impact on others, but will serve to challenge and inspire so many people who just don't seem to understand the power and value of true inclusion and community.” – Michael Giangreco, University of Vermont, Center on Disability & Community Inclusion

"In her short life, Erin was able to show us more about what is possible than all the research in the field. Every apprehensive educator or parent needs to have this book in hand." – Norman Kunc and Emma Van der Klift, authors of A Credo for Support

When the inclusive education movement began several years ago, many used the argument that it was purely for social benefits. The curriculum used for children with disabilities that were placed in general education classrooms was often very different from what was being taught in those classrooms. Slowly the movement began to stress the importance of accessing the curriculum and making accommodations, modifications, or enhancements as needed so that ALL students could learn together.

In recent years the focus has been on academic standards and identifying deficits, which has often led to more sorting, pull-out, and remediation for a variety of students, including those with disabilities, rather than inclusive classrooms and schools. The importance of discovering the gifts of each person, developing relationships, and embracing our interdependence are often not considered as valid in evidence-based research and standards, curriculum development, or instructional practices.

Barbara McKenzie hopes to shift the focus back to creating inclusive learning communities by sharing evidence that she and others have gathered from the experience of knowing and loving Erin. Conveyed in the form of keen observations, heartfelt surprises, and insightful reflections, the stories and images inspired by Erin McKenzie’s life demonstrate the rich connections and relationships that result from an inclusive learning community.

Learn more about the book at Art of Possibility Press http://www.candeebasford.com/Books.htm
To order at the special price of $15.00 (quantity discounts available)
email the author at bmckenzie@columbus.rr.com

Visit Candee Basford's web page

2009-03-23T17:17:00.008-05:00

Please consider going to Candee Basford's web page at http://www.candeebasford.com/ . While you are there make sure you check out her blog. As she says on her web page: "Feel free to browse the art, writing and ideas found here...."

Website Updated

2008-09-08T09:27:00.002-05:00

Hope you are enjoying the newly redesigned Erin McKenzie Virtual Welcoming Space website. The page that we changed the most was the bibliography page. We decided that the bibliography was getting so long, due to the growing collection, and it needed to be organized differently. Now to search the bibliography you can click on the links on the website to go to the Library's OPAL online catalog and explore the Erin McKenzie Virtual Bibliography. Enjoy!

Jonathan Mooney Coming Soon to Otterbein College

2008-01-25T17:44:00.005-05:00

We hope you can join us for the 3nd annual event for the "Erin McKenzie Virtual Welcoming Space" when Jonathan Mooney will be presenting:

THE SHORT BUS: A JOURNEY BEYOND NORMAL

Sunday April 13, 2008
2:00 PM

Riley Auditorium

Battelle Fine Arts Center

Otterbein College

Westerville, OH

Jonathan has written two books, Learning Outside the Lines and The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal.

"In the summer of 2002, Jonathan bought an old short school bus—the kind that transports students in many school districts to special education classes—and converted it into an RV. For four months, he drove 35,000 miles through 45 states to explore disability culture in America. What surprised him was that this journey led him straight to the myth of normalcy.

Jonathan, like many labeled abnormal, spent his life chasing that myth before his trip. But on the Short Bus, he learned that people with disabilities make up a nation-wide movement that actively resists the constraint of normalcy for all of us."

Two of the people that Jonathan interviewed for his book were Katie and Candee Basford. See a short video on Jonathan's web site under documentary and hear a little of their story. http://www.jonathanmooney.com/

Summary of Participants Reflections from John McKnight's Presentation on 10/1/07

2007-10-07T14:33:00.002-05:00

Building Communities from the Inside Out (Post 5 of 5)

ADDITIONAL NOTES ABOUT INGREDIENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD CONNECTORS…

http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/community/introd-building.html

Ingredients that are “mapped” to discover all of the assets of the community:

Individual citizen and his/her gifts http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd/abcdci.html - one example of an inventory but others have been created by local citizens and associations
Local Associations – less formal and much less dependent upon paid staff than are formal institutions, are the vehicles through which citizens in the U.S. assemble to solve problems, or to share common interests and activities
Institutions – government, schools, hospitals, businesses, other services, etc.
Physical characteristics – the land, buildings and infrastructure of neighborhood
Local Economy – exchange

#1 and #2 are the basis of democracy and will take more time to discover. All of the community assets should be mobilized.

Characteristics of a good CONNECTOR:

Gift centered – universal characteristic
Well connected – been part of the community for a long time – universal characteristic
Trusted
Believes community is welcoming

This is about CONNECTING rather than leadership. A good connector is NOT a leader. A good connector is born and cannot be “trained.”

Summary of Participants Reflections from John McKnight's Presentation on 10/1/07

2007-10-07T14:26:00.002-05:00

BUILDING COMMUNITIES FROM THE INSIDE OUT (Post 4 of 5)

Things I want to know more about...

how I can overcome the effects of spending my days in a labeling environment

beginning to connect

finding connectors

our organization being a “case study” in Westerville

how to encourage people to connect in their communities

any local efforts like this in Columbus area

the other 4 assets for building community

how I can apply gift inventories

“gift inventory”

more of the above

skills/how to identify connectors

ways to reach “fringe” groups/people

Could some of this be applied to issues as well as persons?

What gifts does the Otterbein community possess?

How do we find enough people to accompany those who would give?

guides to emphasizing the gifts of the marginalized

more connections

other examples of how people get connected

how the community can continue their commitments to the individuals – What keeps these connections going?

the other 4 ingredients to the recipe and how to accomplish this – how to get our busy world to care, etc.

how to reconcile needs with gifts – say alcoholism, clinical depression

how asset based community building transforms communities in more of a macro sense – I see how it enriches individual lives and believe there would be a ripple effect
future studies and positive stories

how to go about making effective connections

developing a good interview tool to discover community gifts

involving people with behaviors in community – I hope John will consider speaking in Northwest Ohio

what I can do where I am to share my gifts with others and discover the gifts of others

organizations in my local community that are doing this

Summary of Participants Reflections from John McKnight's Presentation on 10/1/07

2007-10-07T14:23:00.002-05:00

BUILDING COMMUNITIES FROM THE INSIDE OUT (Post 3 of 5)

What seems most important among all the stories I heard...

the depth of probing and reflection that allowed people to find the gifts of “those on the edge”
the embracing of individuals that without sharing their gifts would not have build relationships
focusing on the gifts
the importance of recognizing and connecting peoples gifts to bring about community transformation
need to focus on gifts and find “connectors”
finding the gifts – the work behind that
that I overlooked people who I marginalized through my own perceptions
need for others to appreciate benefits to themselves by accepting gifts from others who were overlooked before
the examples of success stories in Chicago – real people we all know
the stories confirmed what I have experienced throughout life – only we need to know more
New Prospect Baptist Soup Kitchen story – the pastor’s story about God’s message to him
You can uncover tremendous resources in your community by focusing on the part of the glass that is full
Probably a need to run counter to or undo training/education that made me aware of deficit, problems, etc.
The people who get “connected” don’t have to always have an agenda
“Blessed are those who give…” – to best serve a group is to give them power to serve others – share their gifts
the transformation of a community through the welcoming of the gifts of everyone
the good & bad affects of Eddie’s job to co-workers
being connected and all having opportunities to share gifts
don’t think in terms of deficits
the impact that committed individuals can make
Being part of a community is more than being “served” or having 1:1 paid staff time to go in the community for activities AND it is possible one person at a time.
the community connections
keeping in mind in giving service to also offer/ask what they would like to offer, what they would like to do with the community
how we can be empowered by looking at a person’s asset
the importance of making the connections and the importance of finding the gifts of people
who have been deemed less than – especially the damage of school systems in setting up those labels
I can do this! It begins with my positive attitude about accomplishing this.
that ALL of us, everyone – period – have gifts to offer others
SIMPLICITY – seems so simple
reach out to others and welcome all
the need for civilian involvement in connection

Summary of Participants Reflections from John McKnight's Presentation on 10/1/07

2007-10-07T14:18:00.002-05:00

BUILDING COMMUNITIES FROM THE INSIDE OUT (Post 2 of 5)

What I learned I didn’t know or acknowledge before...

my day-to-day experience in a labeling environment is affecting how I regard people and approach problems
the value of communities needing and utilizing everyone’s gifts
the many gifts of citizens in a small community
the source of John and his work
it’s easy to focus on gifts of others rather than focus on deficits
the work of connecting is one person at a time
limits of thinking as a server verses a connector
key to effective connectors
very helpful to carry the image of half empty/half full as deficit/asset descriptions
resistance can occur even within organizations designed to help others
the idea of giving gifts and helping people see what gifts they have to offer – even when others may not see them as valuable
a different perspective, way to gain insight
the various stereotypes (phrases) that we make without even knowing it – like “homeless”
2 new thoughts connecting people were important – I’ve known but felt wrong to say that groups honor problems.
the importance of connectors for community building
gifts of “effective connectors”
how I could use in my job every day in the school setting
the tremendous power of positive thinking
how much the Puerto Rican community became involved with the disenfranchised in their neighborhood
what asset based community building is
how open some of the communities were
the devastating effects of labeling
it begins in neighborhood; doesn’t have to be on some grand scale
as John said, so many of these things we probably already knew but he “reminded” us of them and challenged us to apply & reflect upon them so beautifully and effectively
the devastating impact of labels
how important we are to each other
programs are easy to manage, fund, and control, but individualized connections take effort from the community and need to be micro-managed

Summary of Participant Reflections from John McKnight's Presentation on 10/1/07

2007-10-07T14:15:00.003-05:00

BUILDING COMMUNITIES FROM THE INSIDE OUT (Post 1 of 5)

What surprised me the most…
• how much the stories touched me on an emotional level
• HOSPITALITY!
• “Soup Kitchen” story – hadn’t thought of that angle before
• the simplicity of the process
• how simple yet important the message was
• hearing John’s stories, though a second time, and that they still had such an impact
• how to separate the levels of building community and recognize the gifts in everyone
• realized that as a parent, I’ve viewed my children by their deficits – small, keep leaving laundry on the floor & big, not getting a better grade
• the story of “more blessed to give than receive” – soup kitchen story
• felt like I was back in church with the gospel story of Lazarus and the rich man from yesterday and the feast of Guardian Angels tomorrow
• the simple question: What have people done here to make things better?
• how well accepted these people became after they being a part of an organization
• concrete, down-to-earth presentation
• the various ways communities connected citizens with each other
• how poorly impersonalized “helpful” institutions can harm the very community they wish to help
• damaging effect of deficit marketing
• That this was free! What a wonderful speaker and knowledge.
• how simple it may be to connect
• how simple the message and building blocks are
• how committed the community was
• that many of the people in the story that had become homeless had started businesses
• how attitudes can change when you look at the ability!
• how different things can be if you look at the cup as half full
• how easy it seems to work
• the gifts we share with each other
• the information on misery/need based surveys

Looking Forward to John McKnight's Presentation!

2007-03-26T10:16:00.000-05:00

Wow! What an amazing opportunity.
I'll happily drive the two hours it takes me to get there to be a part of this presentation. John McKnight is a fabulous storyteller and revolutionary thinker. He gets to to the heart of real community and what we can do to help make it happen. John is also the author of The Careless Society: Community and Its Counterfeits. http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/publications/community/careless.html

Candee Basford
www.LivingTheQuestion.com

BUILDING COMMUNITIES FROM THE INSIDE OUT

2007-03-21T13:52:00.002-05:00

Please join us for the Rescheduled 2nd Annual "Erin McKenzie Virtual Welcoming Space" Event! John McKnight will speak on Buiding Communities from the Inside Out. All are welcome and admission is free.

When: Monday October 1, 2007 3:00 - 5:00 PM

Where: Courtright Memorial Library
138 West Main Street Westerville, Ohio 43081

Speaker Quote: "Finding the gifts of ALL of our residents, including many who have been overlooked, and connecting them is vital to building our community. John McKnight will share how many communities are doing this."

Speaker Background: John McKnight is a Professor of Education and Social Policy as well as a Co-Director of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute of Northwestern University. For nearly three decades, John has conducted research on social service delivery systems, health policy, community organizations, neighborhood policy, and institutional racism. He currently directs research projects focused on asset-based neighborhood development and methods of community building by incorporating marginalized people.
http://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/abcd/

Welcome to Erin McKenzie's Blog

2007-03-21T13:47:00.000-05:00

We hope y0u will join us in a conversation on building communities. This blog is intended to provide a way to help us think differently about how we listen, observe, reflect, learn and share our stories.