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  1. Presenting “We Stand: A Civic Engagement Laboratory” Monday, November 23, 2009

    CreateHere is pleased to present We Stand, a pop-up civic engagement laboratory designed in partnership with Chattanooga Stand, opening today. This event, which runs through January 29, addresses local and global challenges, finding tools and citizen-owned solutions to even the most overwhelming problems. We Stand is about the harnessing the power of place.

    On September 31, 2009, the survey phase of Chattanooga Stand officially came to a close. Building off a 25-year legacy of visioning, Stand became the world’s largest survey-based community visioning effort, collecting over 26,000 responses to a four-question survey. It has been a monumental summer for Chattanooga. Now, however, is the time to make history with Stand.

    In preparation for the release of Stand survey data in early 2010, We Stand aims to inspire citizens and provide them with ideas, outlets, and case studies in visionary work. Drawing off of the pre-existing fervor around Stand’s planning meetings, We Stand includes a speaker series geared at idea generation called City Share; locally-grown data visualizations on key issues facing our community; and collective action events across town.

    City Share continues the dialogue that began with Stand’s four simple questions, expanding it into a much broader community conversation. In preparation for the release of survey data in early 2010, Stand is keeping residents engaged and informed through the City Share series. Each session will feature a guest speaker—someone who has been instrumental in enacting creative solutions to issues in their own community—who’ll be visiting via video chat.

    In any laboratory setting, there is experimentation and learning. A civic engagement laboratory is no exception, and as part of We Stand, the CreateHere gallery space features data visualizations on a variety of issues, including the state of water quality in Hamilton County; the attendance rate in local schools; and voter turn-out in the most recent elections. What do they mean together? That’s what We Stand asks to Chattanoogans to discover.

    By pairing insights and advice from nationally-recognized “community visioneers” with local issues, We Stand will ask residents to consider an important question: what can individuals do to make this place better?

    Stop by our studio on 55 E Main to check out We Stand, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

    Posted by Administrator