FAQ
Is Evanston150 an organization?
No, its not an organization, nor is it a program of the City of Evanston. Evanston150 is a collaboration of volunteers from across the community. The Steering Committee, and Idea Teams are volunteering their time to identify and implement 10 visionary projects that will improve the quality of life for Evanston community members now and in the future.
I missed the November 10 idea unveiling and the January 7 Get to Work Workshop – is it too late to get involved?
Moving from ideas to projects will continue to take community effort. Now is the time for these ideas to get traction and get going. People are welcome to join in any of these efforts now and in the future – that’s why we’ve asked each Idea Team to provide the name of a contact person and to share the group’s progress. Especially because Evanston150 is not a formal organization and because the teams forming around the ideas are not organizations either but community groups. Find the contact lead for the team you are interested in joining to find out the next committee meeting date — or look at the Evanston150 website calendar.
What are the Idea Teams working on now? How will these 10 ideas be funded?
Part of the work being done now by the Idea Teams is identifying who else needs to be at the table in order for each idea to morph into a project that will succeed. BIG ideas that have had broad acceptance thus far now need to engage the right “actors” from across the community in order to achieve the long-term positive impact that we’ve all envisioned. The Steering Committee encourages everyone not to be thinking now about how to fund the idea you’re working on. It’s important to think first about pulling together the right people, connecting with existing organizations working in this area, and thinking creatively about how to transform the idea into an actual project. Working in this way and also sharing the story of how your project is evolving will inspire private contributions or help you identify relevant local, state, or federal resources. It’s the project rather than the idea that will attract the financial resources-and the process to get there is critical to the ultimate success of the work we’re beginning here. Every idea needs to evolve into a project before funding can become a discussion topic.
How did Evanston150 get started?
Several years ago members of the Evanston Community Foundation, Evanston History Center, and Evanston Public Library met to discuss ideas for celebrating Evanston’s 150th anniversary in 2013. The group agreed that the usual celebratory events and focus on the past would simply not be enough getting the community excited and engaged with imagining Evanston’s future would better serve as a tribute to our rich past and a commitment to our promising future. A small steering committee of community members was formed to implement the visioning project we named Evanston150. The Evanston150 Steering Committee is designing and facilitating the process. But the final Top 10 Ideas for Evanston’s future will be imagined and chosen by you, the community!
What will the Evanston150 process be?
Evanston150 kicks off on March 26th, 2011 and continues through November 2011. From the kick-off through July 31, everyone who lives, works and studies here is invited to submit their ideas for making Evanston a better place to live, work and play. This Visioning Tool Kit is meant to help you conduct brainstorming sessions with groups you already meet with or groups you gather especially for this process. We hope to gather 2,013 ideas!
Once ideas are submitted they will then be reviewed by a Selection Jury. All Evanston residents are invited to apply to serve on this jury. The Selection Jury and the community will work through a process of narrowing the large list of ideas to a final group of the ten best ideas by early November. On November 11th 2011 the Top 10 Ideas will be announced. Community members and organizations will then be invited to collaborate, adopt projects, and start implementing ideas. We hope to have many underway and some completed by the 2013 celebration of Evanston’s 150 years.
Is there a successful model for this process?
In 2005, the community of Dubuque Iowa launched Envision 2010, led by a partnership of the Dubuque Community Foundation and the Dubuque Chamber of Commerce. By 2009, 57,000 people had engaged in the process and generated 2,032 ideas. Eight ideas were realities by 2009 and all ten were complete or in process by 2010, including a Federally Qualified Health Center with a dental clinic, and a revitalized riverfront with walking trails. The broader result: new pride and spirit in the community.
