Our Vision. Our Dream
All people live in communities of inclusion, healing, and equity.
Our Mission. Our Promise
We build bridges. Bridges in the form of relationships between residents and institutions, bridges of trust between communities and organizations, and bridges of dialogue between community building research and practice.
Our Core Values. We C.R.A.V.E.
We believe that bridges between people who work in institutions, community-based organizations, and residents are key to making long-lasting, impactful change. We believe in bringing these groups of diverse people to the table, equitably, to develop community solutions, together.
We know that our society is not a level playing field. We acknowledge the systems that have put some ahead and held others behind. We strive to bring as many tools as possible for all people to chip away at the chains of oppression that have been systemically built into the structure of our communities and institutions. For us, in Cleveland, Ohio, this inequity is primarily between black and white people.
People are at the center of our work. Human beings do not live divided lives. We reject a culture that forces people to check themselves at the door of institutions. We believe that every person has gifts and that every gift can be used to bring about meaningful change, together.
We believe in centering the voices of people who have been marginalized and/or oppressed. We strive to strengthen their agency and efficacy to speak truth to power by bringing people with institutional power and privilege to the table as listeners, learners, and equitable partners.
We believe that when we create spaces that are fun and creative, people are encouraged to set egos aside, and show up for the hard work of building community across differences.