Neighborhood leaders in West Michigan get trained to host The Neighborhood Story Project in their community.
Discovering the Gifts of Culture and History
Every neighborhood is full of gifts including people with dreams and talents, places for connection, and local groups and organizations that provide resources.
The process of discovering these gifts is known as Asset Mapping (watch our webinar Getting Started with Asset Mapping for an overview). When rooted in the principles of Asset-Based Community Development, asset mapping is a proven way to discover the overlooked resources within a neighborhood.
In this blog, we’ll dive into how you can discover one of the six gifts found in every neighborhood — the gift of culture and story within a community.
How would you describe your neighborhood’s culture?
For many of our neighbors, this may not be a question they’ve thought of before. Often residents can name aspects of local culture (i.e., it’s a quite neighborhood, lots of young families, cultural diversity, etc.) but don’t understand how to activate this gift.
In short, the gift of culture is the norms, expectations, and ways we live together over time, and the stories this creates. This includes social norms (i.e., waving at neighbors, sharing resources) and cultural assets like cuisines, languages, and arts.
In their book, the Connected Community, John McKnight and Cormac Russell share that “Culture finds it’s voice through stories.” When identifying this gift in the neighborhood, pay attention to the stories shared about who we’ve been, who we are, and what our future holds. This gift can be valuable for residents to discover as neighborhood culture can fuel connection and collaboration, or perpetuate isolation and division.
In Weakly County, Tennessee, a group of nine residents came together to collect stories about the local elementary school which had recently shut down through The Neighborhood Story Project. This school was an important community hub to bring residents together and it’s closure was a loss of connection.
The group gathered archival data, interviewed community elders, and held a local celebration to share their findings.
Their work uncovered an overlooked cultural asset and in the following months, the City Board sold the property to the alumni alumni association for $1 to turn it into a museum to honor the school’s legacy in the community.
This is the power of uncovering cultural gifts—it brings residents together and creates norms of connection and collaboration to build a resilient future.
Below are a few ways you can map the gifts of story and culture in a neighborhood.
Note: Asset Mapping is as much about the process as the end result. These activities are designed to foster neighbor-to-neighbor connections, not just create a spreadsheet. Schedule a Discovery Call with us here for a free asset mapping coaching session to dive deeper into best practices for your role.
Activities to Discover the Gifts of Culture and Story
Conversation Starters
Conversation starters are a great way to engage residents and learn about other’s experience in the neighborhood. The following can be used in one-on-one conversations or in group settings:
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If someone new was looking to move into the neighborhood, how would you describe it to them?
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Do you feel our neighborhood is accurately reflected in the news or by those outside the community? Why or why not?
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Which holidays or cultural celebrations are common in our neighborhood? Are there any celebrations that we’ve lost?
Local News Review
Find 2-3 articles from local news outlets featuring the neighborhood. Print copies out and have groups of 3-4 residents review the article together to identify how accurately this article represents their community.
What do they agree with? What do they disagree with? Is there any context or knowledge missing?
The Neighborhood Story Project
Through The Neighborhood Story Project, residents have made meaningful contributions to their local community such as full-length documentaries, cultural events, and even a comic book on zoning laws. If you’re looking to mobilize residents to discover the cultural gifts in their neighborhood, schedule a call today to learn how to bring this program to your community.
The gift of culture and story are just one of the six types of gifts found in every community. Check out the blogs below for resources and ideas to discover the:
Do you want to activate residents to be the community builders and change makers in their neighborhood?
You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Check out the Discover the Gifts training to become certified to facilitate asset mapping workshops in your community. This workshop has been used from South Carolina to Florida to Texas to help residents move from focusing on problems to creating new possibilities in their community.