Press release from United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County:
Asheville, NC – March 22, 2022 | Asheville City and Buncombe County residents are invited to participate in what is expected to be the first in a series of Community Conversations designed to solicit feedback in achieving a community-wide shared goal: By 2035, ALL Asheville City and Buncombe County students graduate from high school ready and fully prepared to pursue their goals and dreams.
This goal was developed by United for Youth, a growing multi-generational, cross-sector cradle-to-career partnership built on the principle that “Equity and Educational Excellence are Inseparable. The purpose of these conversations is to listen to, learn from, and work with the community; building the necessary relationships that allow all voices to be heard in creating solutions that elevate student success, support families, and engage communities throughout Buncombe County. They provide a safe place where residents can come together to talk about their concerns and future aspirations for their communities.
“Building relationships and partnerships with those most impacted by our work are key components to our success. We’ve been in this community for 100 years, providing support with our work, and now we are being more intentional about expanding and centering community voices. When I was tasked with building United Way’s Community Engagement Department, I knew that if we were to truly have a positive impact on our community, we needed to co-create innovative solutions and create space for our community to participate. That’s what these Community Conversations are all about, stepping aside and providing a space for residents to be part of the solution.” stated Aisha Shepherd, United Way’s Vice President of Community Engagement.
What: Community Conversations will gather community input on what it will take to support youth to be “ready and fully prepared to pursue their goals and dreams”, and also what it will take for our community to be ready for them to pursue those goals and dreams here, in our own community.
When:
April 2, 12 pm-1:30 pm
Black WallStreet: 8 River Arts Place, Asheville, NC 28801April 5, 6:00 pm-7:30 pm
Edington Center: 133 Livingston Street, Asheville, NC 28801April 7, 11:00 am-12:30 pm
CIMA/LaMilpa: 610 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC 28806How:
For more information and to register, visit unitedwayabc.org/community-conversations.
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