GGSC Named Implementation Partner for Belonging Colorado
September 26, 2024
Our Bridging Differences team at the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley (GGSC) is excited to announce its role as implementation partner for the Belonging Colorado initiative, a special fund at The Denver Foundation. We are honored to be part of this innovative effort aimed at bringing Coloradans together, fostering resilience, and expanding the sense of belonging throughout the state.
“The organizations chosen for this inaugural cohort represent an exciting array of ideas and communities dedicated to building connections across lines of difference,” said Dr. Janet Lopez, Senior Director of Policy, Partnerships, and Learning at The Denver Foundation.
In the initial stages of this multi-year initiative, the GGSC will support 15 diverse organizations across Colorado, including nonprofits, community-based organizations, and local governments. These organizations will develop programs that unite people across lines of difference to address shared challenges, connect through shared interests, and strengthen community relationships while healing divides.
“It is truly an honor for the GGSC to provide ongoing support to these 15 exceptional organizations in the Belonging Colorado Cohort,” said Juliana Tafur, the GGSC’s Bridging Differences program director. “We can’t wait to see them put the science of belonging and bridge-building into action in innovative ways, with programs that will benefit communities across Colorado.”
The full cohort will participate in an eight-week GGSC-led training, learning the science and practice of bridging differences to help strengthen their program ideas. Each organization will receive a grant to support their participation in the training, and upon completion, they will be invited to apply for a two-year grant to implement their programs in 2025 and 2026. GGSC will continue to provide ongoing technical assistance during the implementation phase to maximize the impact of these programs.
At the end of the two and a half years, the Belonging Colorado Cohort will have seeded innovative approaches to building connections across lines of difference. Belonging Colorado aims to highlight these “bright spots” as models of how organizations and communities can tackle divisions and foster belonging, laying the groundwork for future efforts to deepen connection across the state.
Participating Organizations and Projects:
| Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| African Leadership Group | Effort to bridge African immigrants with African Americans in Denver metro |
| CASA of the Seventh Judicial District | Effort to bridge young adults aged 18-24 formerly in foster care and seniors who share housing in Montrose |
| Chaffee County Public Health | Effort to bring together community partners and community members across generational differences, find commonalities, and create a shared vision for Chaffee’s future |
| City of Steamboat Springs | Effort to bridge differences among residents as foundational work to tackle a divisive affordable housing problem |
| Commún | Effort to connect a gentrifying and diverse community and create a sense of belonging |
| Eagle Valley Community Foundation | Effort to bridge Eagle County residents including new immigrants through cooking classes, storytelling, and cultural exchange |
| Fort Lewis College Foundation | Effort to bridge divides between tribal and native individuals and other residents through an exhibit and on-campus center to engage the community |
| Homies Unidos Denver | Efforts to build connections between newly arrived migrants from Venezuela and Denver resident youth |
| Iliff School of Theology | Effort to engage a broader network of diverse faith leaders and bridge differences within the group |
| Museo de las Americas | Effort to bring together newcomers and long-term residents in the neighborhood through community art projects |
| Southeastern Developmental Services Inc. | Effort to launch a community garden with the goal of bridging I/DD people with other community members |
| TEENS, Inc. | Effort to bridge urban and rural youth through outdoor trips and work on conservation projects |
| Pueblo Food Project | Pueblo Food Project seeks support to engage the diverse Pueblo community in Community Cooking Classes |
| VIVE Wellness & Colorado Mountain Club | Effort to bridge new arrivals from Venezuela and longer-term immigrants (primarily from Mexico) through access to the outdoors and outdoor recreation |