Clear Vision is a nonprofit that aims to strengthen local communities through civic engagement. It held an Empowerment Summit with 4 sessions to develop community ideas. The first session set the stage by having participants discuss community values, the history of Clear Vision, and testimonials. Participants then generated ideas to improve the community and the top 10 ideas were selected. The next steps are to develop those ideas into projects over the next 6 months with the help of volunteer coaches. The goal is to empower ordinary citizens to solve community problems.

1. Session 1: October 4, 2012
Hope Lutheran Church

2. Welcome
Vicki Hoehn
Clear Vision Board President

3. Thank You Donors:
9to5.org
City of Eau Claire
Community Health Partnership
Eau Claire County
Hope Lutheran Church
Peace Lutheran Church
RCU
Sacred Heart Hospital
UW- Eau Claire Foundation
UW-Eau Claire Learning and Technology Services
Wipfli

4. Empowerment Summit Process
Session 1: Set the Stage for Engaging the
Community for the Common Good and Idea
Development
Session 2: Choose Priority Ideas, Select
Coaches, Develop Work Groups
Session 3: Work Group Training on Clear Vision
Process and Begin Work Group Work
Session 4: Work Group Training and Work

5. Agenda
• Values House Exercise
• History of Clear Vision
• Testimonials
• Break (7:30)
• Clear Vision Framework – Process
• Idea Identification and Development
• Public Evaluation
• Wrap Up

6. Values House Exercise
Catherine Emmanuelle
Tom McCarty
Clear Vision Board Members

7. Values House Meeting
These are
structured
conversations
through which
participants will
identify civic values
and discuss
strategies for civic
vitality.

8. Values House Meeting (cont.)
•What are the values
and traditions that
are important to this
community?
•What are the
trends, forces or
challenges that
endanger these
important values and
traditions?

9. History of Clear Vision
Don Mowry
Clear Vision Board Vice President

10. Clear Vision Eau Claire
Strengthening Local Communities and
Democracy Through Civic Engagement

11. Clear Vision’s Goals
• Build Community Capacity
• Enhance Community Outreach and
Engagement
• Support working groups and Clear Vision Eau
Claire Programs
• Create a Sustainable Organization

12. Clear Vision’s Core Values
• Respect for people, process and ideas
• Receptivity to innovation
• Commitment to active inclusiveness
• Belief in the citizen as co-creator in change
• Members noted for
energy, inspiration, dedication, persistence
and civic-mindedness

13. Phase One
• 2007 citizen visioning
initiative
• Ten stakeholder meetings
• Facilitated by National Civic
League
• Months of
discussion, collaboration , &
planning
• 6 performance goals/125
priority actions
• Comprehensive Report
• Formation of an
Implementation Committee

14. Phase Two
• 25 Member • 38 citizens trained in
Implementation October and December
committee charged with 2008; 32 trained in March
supporting and of 2009; and 14 citizens
monitoring action plans trained to be coaches
• Partnered with the Center • Enhanced sustainability
for Democracy and (move from committee to
Citizenship for training in official non-profit status;
public work publish a toolkit; move to
a train the trainers
model)

15. Phase Three
• Public Work 101 Training
• Relational organizing
concepts and practices
• Issue-based civic work
groups supported by co-
coaches and the board of
directors
• Ultimate goal—train at least
300 more citizens in public
work over a 3-5 year period
• Empowerment Summit is
first big step

16. Civic Action Teams
• 10-20 member work groups
• Diverse membership
• Shared self-interest in issue
• Recruited to participate
• Co-coaches trained to facilitate process
• Action oriented – fixed duration
• High-energy participation

17. 2009-2010 Eau Claire Teams
• Jobs for underemployed
• Treatment instead of incarceration
• Public parks funding
• Collaborative education
• Community events facilities
• Veterans re-entry
• Regional Transit Authority

18. 2011 Eau Claire Teams
• Fairfax Pool Funding
• County Exposition Center Future
• Community TV
• Neighborhoods
• Homeless Shelter (Sojourner House)
• Immigrant Drivers License Cards

19. Successes
• Education—books for 5,000
• Jobs map, resources map, food security
resources
• Sojourner House
• Community Day Revival at The Community
Table
• Regional Transit Authority development
• Sustainability advances

20. The Confluence Project

21. Validation of Work
“Americans concerned about civic renewal and
democracy are watching Eau Claire, which is already
regarded as a leader in constructive civic work. Clear
Vision Eau Claire is an impressive next step that will
set the standard for other American cities.”
Peter Levine,
Director of CIRCLE
Tufts University
Boston MA

22. Testimonials
Nancy Robinson
Ben Richgruber
Clear Vision Participants

23. Break
Ten Minutes
Refreshments
Restrooms
Networking

24. Clear Vision Framework & Ideas
Julie Keown-Bomar
Mike Huggins
Clear Vision Board Members

25. Clear Vision Framework
• Values Idea Public Achievement
• Scope of the work
• Ordinary people solve problems
• Garner resources to get results

26. What to Expect
• Tools
• Democracy is messy
• Fun and work!
• Dates: October 25th, November 8th and 15th
– Idea speed-dating
– Coaching
– Action
• Empowerchippewavalley.com – keep the
conversation going!

27. Idea Generation Process
1. Think and record ideas YOU have for improving the
community (1-2 minutes)
2. Round robin idea sharing at your table. Record all
ideas on Idea Form( 20 min.)
3. Consolidate similar ideas(1-2 min.)
4. Circle Top 10 ideas on Idea Form. Copy 1 idea per
post-it note (10 min.)
5. One person posts ideas on Idea Wall. Another person
quickly reports Top 10 ideas to audience (10 minutes)
6. Is there a burning issue that you can’t let go of?

28. Next Steps
• Push out the ideas to the community on
Empower Chippewa Valley website.
• Comment, add ideas, talk to people!
• Get excited and bring people to the next
session!
• Those ideas that get the most support will be
chosen as projects for the next 6+ months
• Think about being a work team coach!

29. Public Evaluation
What is it?
Time set aside at the end of each meeting to reflect on the
meeting, outcomes, changes to be made to improve
How to do it?
At each table, in the next THREE minutes, each participant
should in one or two words describe how the meeting
affected you or your outlook on the process
Make it Public:
One evaluation from each table

30. Wrap Up
Next Meeting:
October 25 at Peace Lutheran Church
Coaches Job Description & Registration Form
Grab one if you are interested in being a
coach for a work group.

31. Thank You
Thank You to our Donors
Clear Vision Board & Committee Members
Ann Rupnow Jane Lokken Ann Schell
Emily Moore Heidi Fisher John Stoneberg
Dave Morley Bob McCoy Selika Duckworth
Sue Bornick Mike Rindo Laurelynn Wieseman
Tom McCarty Mike Huggins Julie Keown-Bomar
Don Mowry Vicki Hoehn Catherine Emmanuelle