The Coro Center for Civic Leadership held a series of roundtable discussions to familiarize the community with their services. Several of the discussions focused on how Coro has studied social and economic issues in neighborhoods such as Homewood and the Hill District.
“The goal is to celebrate the great connections we have in the community and create new connections,” said Director of Recruitment and Outreach, Misti McKeehen. “We had a great group of people and diverse organizations. Hopefully, they’re leaving with a better sense of what we do in the community.” The community-networking event introduced several Coro programs such as the Community Problem Solving Fellowship.
This program gives African-American college students the opportunity to study a neighborhood and attempt to find solutions to problems within the community.
“We really try to rotate around the city,” said Lynne Ventress, director of fellowships. “It’s interesting, actually. They get to shape the projects themselves.”
The project for the fellows who graduated from this summer’s session involved studying the Homewood community. Fellows studied the issues with Black businesses in Homewood and determined ways of improving them.
“The focus on economic development was something they chose themselves after studying the community,” Ventress said.
The fellows conducted surveys and interviews in the Homewood community. They also organized a focus group composed of Homewood residents and surrounding neighborhoods.
“They’re the ones who generated those mechanisms and decided how they would involve the community,” said Ventress.
The final product was a pamphlet with information for entrepreneurs on how to start their own business. Besides discussions with members of the community, the fellows also consulted companies such as PNC Bank.
Ventress said it is hard to determine the impact these projects have had on the community. City officials and community leaders have been presented with the materials, but it is not ultimately clear what action will be taken.
“One of the fellows talked about how they could make this project sustainable,” Ventress said. “The question of developing lasting partnerships or being able to provide benefits beyond the 10-week experience is really difficult.”
However, obvious results are present in the lives of the fellows and the skills they have obtained.
“The focus on outcome is something we really work on with the fellows,” Ventress said. “Some of the skills they pick up along the way are good for leadership, using networks, and facilitating conversations between diverse people.”
In past sessions Coro fellows have done a variety of service projects including a book drive. Past partners include Negro Educational Emergency Drive, Urban League of Pittsburgh, Inc., Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise and Urban Youth Action, Inc.
