2025 CDS Annual Conference

Overview: 
This panel will explore the challenges, opportunities, and transformative potential of community engagement as a cornerstone of neighborhood development. Using Franklin Park, Allentown, as a case study, the panel will share how intentional, place-based collaboration across sectors can address systemic challenges and create thriving communities. Presenters will share lessons learned, practical strategies, and the role of community engagement in achieving lasting impact. 
Panel Description: 
Why community engagement? This panel will delve into why meaningful, resident-centered engagement is critical to effective community development. Through real-world examples, presenters will highlight the challenges of building trust, navigating cross-sector collaboration, and aligning diverse perspectives. They will also share the opportunities community engagement creates for fostering civic infrastructure, amplifying local voices, and driving systemic change. 
Using frameworks such as Vital Conditions and neighborhood-centered approaches, the panel will showcase the layered strategies employed in Franklin Park and how they have successfully linked grassroots efforts with institutional support to amplify impact. 
Panel Presentations: 
1. Why Neighborhood Engagement is the Way Forward 
This presentation will focus on their organization’s role in leveraging the Fellowship for Health to empower cross-sector capacity building. By aligning healthcare, education, and housing initiatives beginning in one geographic space, they will demonstrate how engagement creates a foundation for addressing systemic health disparities while fostering a culture of collaboration. 
2. The Slow Work of Trust: Challenges and Lessons from Franklin Park They will highlight the challenges of building relationships in Allentown neighborhoods, including Franklin Park. This presentation will detail the trust-building process, including navigating skepticism, fostering resident leadership, and maintaining momentum in the face of slow progress. They will also share how community engagement has unlocked opportunities for civic participation and systemic influence. 
3. Layering Approaches: What South Atlanta Teaches Us About Community Engagement 
They will share its neighbor-centered methodology honed in South Atlanta, emphasizing
the importance of listening to residents, building civic infrastructure, and layering initiatives for long-term transformation. They will highlight how they have come alongside and influenced the partnerships in Franklin Park for systems change. 
Key Discussion Topics: 
● Challenges of Community Engagement: Building trust, overcoming institutional silos, and aligning diverse stakeholder priorities. 
● Opportunities Through Engagement: Fostering civic infrastructure, amplifying resident voices, and bridging gaps between grassroots and systemic change. 
● Frameworks for Success: Practical insights from Vital Conditions, cross-sector capacity building, holistic neighborhood development, and collaborative partnerships. 
Learning Objectives: 
Participants will: 
1. Understand the challenges and benefits of prioritizing community engagement in development work. 
2. Learn practical strategies for navigating trust-building and fostering cross-sector collaboration. 
3. Explore frameworks like Vital Conditions and their application in addressing systemic disparities. 
4. Gain actionable insights for replicating these approaches in their own contexts. Program Structure: 
● Introduction (10 minutes): Why community engagement matters, led by Samantha Shaak. 
● Presentation 1: (10 minutes): Cross-sector capacity building 
● Presentation 2: (10 minutes): Navigating challenges and unlocking opportunities in Franklin Park. 
● Presentation 3: (10 minutes): Lessons from South Atlanta and their application to Franklin Park. 
● Interactive Discussion (20 minutes): Audience Q&A and reflections on applying these strategies in other contexts. 
Theme Alignment: 
This panel aligns with the conference theme, “Innovative Pathways to Thriving Communities”, by emphasizing: 
● People-Driven Solutions: Empowering residents to lead change through meaningful engagement. 
● Place-Based Collaboration: Linking grassroots efforts with systemic partnerships to maximize impact. 
● Cross-Sector Innovation: Combining institutional resources, community leadership, and shared frameworks to address complex challenges.
Conclusion: 
Through this panel, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the “why” behind community engagement, the challenges that arise, and the transformative opportunities it creates. By sharing the journey of Franklin Park, this session will inspire participants to embrace community engagement as a key pathway to building thriving, equitable neighborhoods.