Recently, the White House Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative issued a new report on promising neighborhood-based initiatives, citing five key elements of an effective local strategy.  The first was "promoting resident engagement and community leadership."  Here at SCOPE, we agree.  And as a community engagement organization, we appreciate how challenging this can be.  What does it take for any of us to become genuinely engaged as residents, for the sake of not just ourselves, or our own families, but our entire neighborhood?  Click here to read more, and to lay claim to your own core assumptions about the nature of community change. 

Calling All Residents of Sarasota County - Wisdom Needed for Re-Districting

How fair and just are the voting district boundaries here in Florida for those of us living in Sarasota County?  How do we as citizens propose to adjust the boundaries so that they are as fair and just as possible?   

On Tuesday, August 30, we will have a special opportunity to come together as a community to exchange ideas about redistricting.  (See this article in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune for further details.) A discussion will be hosted by a panel of Florida state legislators - it will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Harry Sudakoff Conference Center on the New College campus.  

Check out the "My District Builder" software on the FloridaRedistricting.org website to create your own proposed map for redistricting, and click here to find out how SCOPE is planning to help examine the extent to which district boundaries promote fairness and justice here in Sarasota County.    

There are many great places to eat in Sarasota County. We don't have to go far to find something tasty.

But are we eating too much fast food? Are we paying too much for a gallon of milk? How is our food environment affecting our health?

These are just several of the things you can find out in the USDA's (United States Department of Agriculture) "Food Environment Atlas". This interactive map provides a lay of the land about how all sorts of things food related can affect us in our community. Check out our Blog for more commentary on the "Food Environment Atlas".

SCOPE will present an update on the Aging with Dignity & Independence initiative at the Florida Council on Aging conference in St Pete next week. Speakers are Kathy Black, PhD, USF Sarasota-Manatee and Suzanne Gregory from SCOPE.

The ADI initiative is a partnership with The Patterson Foundation, SCOPE and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The goal is to develop innovative ways to enhance aging with dignity and independence in our community. 

Stay tuned for more information this fall, as the key themes and issues emerging from the listening and discovery phase are shared with our community.

Visit the Institute for the Ages website here.