Join the POINT Initiative and re:TH!NK Healthy Winnebago County for a learning session on social connectedness on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. 

Family Support and Social Connectedness is one of the four key drivers of POINT and this learning session represents our first deep learning into the topic and how it intersects with poverty. re:TH!NK's community engagement approach to creating a healthy community also includes a focus on social connectedness. re:TH!NK spent the last two years exploring the issue in Winnebago County along with area partners and have local data, stories, and expertise to share.

Paul Born, President of the Tamarack Institute and co-founder of Vibrant Communities will be one of the content experts and our main guide throughout the day. As director of Vibrant Communities, Paul helps cities and local leaders develop and implement large-scale change initiatives through learning networks. Those learning networks include: Cities Reducing Poverty - more than 175 cities working collaboratively to end poverty in their communities and Cities Deepening Community -  67 cities seeking to strengthen neighborhoods and develop community plans to grow citizen engagement, civic leadership, and a sense of belonging. 

Learning Session Goals:

Our main goal for this day-long learning session is just that to LEARN.  We’ll be doing that through a few different ways:

• Engage through stories, research and discussion to help us understand the role social connectedness plays in improving our communities' economic and social well-being.
• Hear from local organizations across the region who are intentionally integrating social connectedness approaches into their work, how they are doing it, and its impact and influence.
• Dive into data emerging from Winnebago County to learn who is most impacted by disconnectedness and the impact of social support on health outcomes. 
• Explore tangible examples and actions each of us can advance within our communities.

Paul and Tamarack’s work was recently highlighted in David Brooks’ column in the New York Times.  In addition to his extensive work in poverty Paul understands how social connectedness plays a key role in the resiliency and strength of individuals and communities through hands-on work as well as through his books Deepening Community and Community Conversations.

Come explore this topic with us, understand what's happening locally, and learn what we can do as individuals, organizations, and communities to create more opportunities for connection. 

Working Agenda 

8:15 - 8:50   Registration and continental breakfast

9:00 - 9:30 Welcome - POINT and re:TH!NK

9:30 - 10:00 Explore findings from Winnebago County Data

10:00 - 12:00  Context-Setting with Paul Born

LUNCH

1:00 - 1:30 Local community social connectedness examples

1:30 - 3:45 Paul Born - Social connectedness - data, research and discussion
                  Applying what we know to our collective work

3:45 - 4:00  Closing

Event space is limited. Register before June 20, 2019.

Register Now!