Helping Pittsburgh Tell Our Tree Story

Tree Pittsburgh and its steering committee project partners are creating Pittsburgh’s first-ever Urban Forest Master Plan and are asking everyone in Pittsburgh to participate and tell their tree story. Jackson/Clark is helping to engage the public to gather surveys from across the city, and to capture people’s personal tree stories on video. We’d like you to Tell Us Your Tree Story at TellUsYourTreeStory.org.

Take a couple of minutes to take our survey, send us your video, and learn how to volunteer to help us get community input that will help make Pittsburgh’s the best Urban Forest Master Plan ever!

Green Buildings for a greener region

Jackson/Clark Partners’ work with Pittsburgh’s Green Building Alliance – GBA – continues as we partner to develop an updated organizational strategic plan.

JCP and our project partners at Fourth Economy led GBA and several  of its partners through 5 innovation sessions focused on key aspects of GBA’s work and potential market opportunities. Summary outcomes of these sessions are available for review.

• Green Building Product Initiative Session Outcomes
• Green Schools Initiative Session Outcomes
• DASH Session Outcomes
• Certification Session Outcomes
• Existing Buildings and Places Session Outcomes

Next project steps will include a mission/vision session and development of a strategic framework prior to the delivery of the final strategic plan later this year.

Talking Trees

Tree Pittsburgh continues to make progress in preparing to begin developing Pittsburgh’s Urban Forest Master Plan. On October 5, 2011, Tree Pittsburgh invited 25 friends, community partners and project steering committee members to participate in an initial idea session designed to identify simple, fun and accessible strategies to incorporate into an effective public outreach and participation process. Outcomes of the session are available for review:

• Question 1 – What are your experiences with trees?
• Question 2 – How can bring the planning process to the community?
• Question 3 – What are some fun ways to share + gather info?
• Question 4 – What do we call this?

These outcomes will help Jackson/Clark and Tree Pittsburgh develop a public outreach and participation plan that best support the Urban Forest Master Plan by bringing the planning process to the community and ensuring that Pittsburgh residents have an active role in developing the final plan.

Tree Pittsburgh began to undertake Urban Forest Master Planning starting in Summer 2010, when it worked with Jackson/Clark to bring together over 50 experts and partners in a collaborative planning session. Participants worked together to define what should be a part of a successful Urban Forest Master Plan. The outcomes of the session helped Tree Pittsburgh create Trees for the Future, their framework for the development of the first ever master plan for the Pittsburgh urban forest. The Master Plan project is led by Tree Pittsburgh and a project steering committee that includes over a dozen partner organizations.

The Trees for the Future initiative is guiding Tree Pittsburgh and a range of partner organizations into immediate action on creating a master plan for our City’s unique green environment. Actual planning work will begin starting this Fall, and will conclude with a Spring 2012 launch of the completed Urban Forest Master Plan. Jackson/Clark Partners will work with TreePittsburgh during this planning phase to  develop and implement public outreach and participation in support of the planning.

JCP is excited to work on the initial stages of the project as a continuation of our work in bringing sustainability into communities across the City, to support Pittsburgh’s one of a kind urban wilderness, and to help ensure a better environmental future for our community.

La Escuelita Arcoiris releases their new Strategic Plan

Jackson/Clark clients at La Escuelita Arcoiris (the little rainbow school) have just released their new strategic plan. Check out their website to view the plan and to find more information about Escuelita.

Jackson/Clark Partners appreciates the opportunity to work with the Escuelita team and to have played a part in developing the strategic vision for their next phase of innovation in education.

Building Innovation with GBA

Pittsburgh’s great green economy innovators, the Green Building Alliance, is working with Jackson/Clark to craft a new strategic plan and a renewed vision for green buildings in Western Pennsylvania.

Results of GBA’s initial strategic framework are are available for review.

The strategic planning process includes an initial collaborative planning session that focused on building organizational consensus on key points of a framework for the planning process. 21 participants provided answers for a series of challenge questions that will help guide next phases of the planning work. Detailed outcomes area as follows:

• Challenge Question 1
• Challenge Question 2
• Challenge Question 3
• Challenge Question 4
• Challenge Question 5
• Challenge Question 6
• Challenge Question 7
• Challenge Question 8
• Challenge Question 9
• Summary Question

Planning with NeighborWorks

NeighborWorks of Western Pennsylvania, the local affiliate of the NeighborWorks America network, is undertaking an organizational strategic plan with Jackson/Clark Partners. To follow up extensive organizational interviews and a capacity assessment process, JCP facilitated a series of three focused planning sessions. Outcomes of the sessions are available for review here.

Session 1 – Team Development

• Session Outcomes Summary
• Challenge Question 1 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 2 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 3 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 4 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 5 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 6 Outcomes
• Summary Question Outcomes

Session 2 – Products & Services

• Session Outcomes Summary
• Challenge Question 1 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 2 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 3 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 4 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 5 Outcomes

Session 3 – Marketing & Communications

• Session Outcomes Summary
• Challenge Question 1 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 2 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 3 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 4 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 5 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 6 Outcomes

Hazelwood Initiative 5 Year Plan

The staff and board of the Hazelwood Initiative just completed work with Jackson/Clark Partners on their new 5 year organizational strategic plan. The plan was created to provide a roadmap for the organization’s role, goals and activities through 2016 in support of the greater Hazelwood community.

The plan is available to the public;

• Hazelwood Initiative 2011 – 2016 Strategic Plan
• Strategic Plan Action Items Summary

Thanks to the board and staff of the Hazelwood Initiative, as well as the 25 community members and other organizational partners who participated in project interviews and the visioning session. Special thanks to the Forbes Funds, PPND and the URA for their project support!

You’ve got a (10k) friend in Pennsylvania

Jackson/Clark Partners is working with the board, staff and partner network of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania on a strategic planning initiative.

A copy of the first-pass strategic plan outline is available for review.

Summary outcomes of our April 29, 2011 visioning session are available on demand.

You can also review the detailed outcomes sheets for each of our session challenge questions and summary question.

• Challenge Question 1 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 2 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 3 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 4 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 5 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 6 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 7 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 8 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 9 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 10 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 11 Outcomes
• Summary Question Outcomes

Jackson/Clark Partners will work with the 10,000 Friends planning project team to synthesize outcomes from our visioning session, along with earlier phases of our project work, into a final strategic plan for the organization.

An initial project interview summary is also available on demand.

Totally Immersed with La Escueltia Arcoiris

La Escuelita Arcoiris is Pittsburgh’s only Spanish second language pre-school and kindergarden and a leader in creative educational innovation. Every day La Escuelita demonstrates that Spanish language immersion provides quality early education.

Visionary founder  and Director Megan Rooney, along with the organization’s board and staff, look to open a new chapter in the school’s success, starting with creating an effective strategic plan. Jackson/Clark Partners is proud to have the opportunity to help by undertaking a planning process that will allow La Escuelita to best meet the challenges of its next phase of growth and success.

Check out the results of our April 2, 2011 visioning session with Escuelita staff, boardmembers and community partners.

• Visioning Session Summary Outcomes
• Summary Question Outcomes
• Challenge Question 1 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 2 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 3 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 4 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 5 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 6 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 7 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 8 Outcomes
• Challenge Question 9 Outcomes

Come Together, Right Now

Natrona Comes Together Association (NCTA) is the small, but mighty community development organization that has been making a real difference in rebuilding the Allegheny River town of Natrona, PA. They’re an all-volunteer group of do-ers that everyone loves to work with – and Jackson/Clark is fortunate enough to be working with them right now!

JCP is working with NCTA to create a development plan that’s designed to secure funding and begin implementing first opportunities from their 2009 community plan. Work focuses on six core areas of project focus, including:

• Redevelopment of the historic town center bank building
• Waterfront re-visioning / redevelopment
• New playground completion / expansion
• Steel heritage arts park
• Historic row houses
• Organizational capacity building

JCP and NCTA are working closely with Allegheny County and Harrison Township, the offices of Senator Jim Ferlo, Representative Frank Dermody, and Congressman Jason Altmire, and project partners at Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and Friends of the Riverfront. Look for groundbreaking new developments in the near future!