Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 11-8-19

Feature
Unique Technique ‘Connect & Propel’ Can Help To Move Things Forward
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Suamone Harris- Jones wants a better world for herself and others, so she’s taking charge – now.
The 16-year-old Cham- berlain High School student is on a mission to improve the quality of living in Tampa and she’s got quite a list of demands.
“I want to see healthcare for everyone,” she said. “I want to see affordable hous- ing for everyone.”
On Monday, the Tampa Convention Center served as Harris-Jones’s classroom for the day. It was here that she exchanged ideas with hundreds of other students, residents, and stakeholders as part of Connect & Propel Tampa, a three-day event that brings large groups of people together to solve problems.
It’s based on appreciative inquiry, a theory founded by Case Western Reserve Uni- versity professor David Cooperider. It’s been used mostly by dozens of compa- nies, including Apple and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to help boost pro- ductivity and revenue.
Cooperider, who at- tended the Tampa event, said there’s also documented success with several cities using the model. Cleveland adopted it 10 years ago and has used it to achieve num- ber of objectives including nabbing $40 million for a re- newable energy project using freshwater and wind, he said.
The goal is to move the community forward with input from as many people who can partake in the con- versation, Cooperider said.
“It’s a large group plan-
ning method to discuss the visions of the future and go beyond a good dialogue,” he said.
To do that, participants in the conference will break off into 30 to 35 groups that continue to meet and de- velop plans that tackle their adopted issue.
Group members are free to decide how best to move forward and invite other cit- izens to join them in their
work, Cooperider said. Using appreciative in- quiry to address Tampa’s myriad of problems is ideal, said Mike Eschevarria, who organized the confer-
ence with Sherri Sutton. “We are having conversa- tions with representatives from the whole of Tampa – different races, ages – to talk about what is the value of our community and what we want it to become,” he said.
“If you really want to have good results...you better have (everyone) in the room.”
The conference is a jump start to what Eschevarria hopes is a viable methodol- ogy that moves the needle on mass transit, economic de- velopment, and other local matters. T. J. Pearson, 18, said he thinks appreciative inquiry has the potential to do that.
The Hillsborough Com- munity College student said the method’s basis for inclu- siveness helps ensure that marginalized communities are represented.
“Minorities, we don’t feel like our voices are heard,” Pearson said.
“Equally important is having young people at the table.”
“I’m the future,” Pear- son said.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9-A