The Create WV movement to foster creative communities for success in the new economy is only 18 months old, as dated by our first media event at the Clay Center in Charleston and launch of the Culture, Creativity and Innovation: West Virginia in the New Economy white paper back in July 2007.
In many ways, more has happened in those 18 months than we ever imagined. The message of the importance of the new economy and the need for creative communities for it to thrive has "stuck" with many on the local level. We're still finding a lot of ambivalence (and in some cases, resistance) at the state levels of government and media, but there are signs that even that is changing. Many communities really get it and are moving forward to a creative, self-directed future of more entrepreneurship, diversity and investments in "place".
But really, after 18 months, it's been pretty amazing. Now the question - what next?
A group of Create WV volunteers met on December 17 at the I-79 Technology complex in Fairmont to address that question. Here are a few "big rocks" that were envisioned for 2009 and beyond:
- Non-Profit Status - Why another non-profit? The answer is similar to "why another business start up?" Because there is a need. We feel that by gaining 501c3 status, we can begin to put the necessary funding and leadership in place to help Create WV become a much more effective support service for communities who want to build their creative community. There are many competitive grant opportunities from the Federal government and global foundations that fit very nicely into the mission of Create WV, and we look forward to identifying and leveraging these new resource streams for West Virginia communities. We would also like to begin offering investment opportunities and fee-based services to build a sustainable future for Create WV.
- Expanding the Team - With bigger goals comes the need for additional talent. We are defining specific volunteer (and soon, a few paid) positions that are critical to fulfilling the creative communities mission. If you're interested in getting more involved, we have a list of leadership and volunteer team roles that could really use your energy and talent. Drop us an email at createwv@visionshared.com to learn more and to tell us your passions and interests.
Creative Project Support - In addition to the education and awareness role that Create WV has served in the first 18 months around creative community and new economy issues, we will seek to identify three to five tangible community projects to support. We have found that while many communities have a dedicated group of volunteers and civic leaders ready to act, they often are lacking the specific new economy background needed to move forward. By tapping into the statewide network of Create WV volunteers with expertise in technology, business development, marketing and other skills, hopefully we can add value to these communities who are ready to embrace growth through the new economy. Watch for an announcement on how to nominate your local community project for support in the coming weeks.
- Promoting West Virginia as a Great Place to Create - We look forward to launching viral online efforts to connect with former West Virginia natives and non-natives alike to help them understand the opportunities that exist today in West Virginia to pursue their dream of creating artistic, cultural, business or non-profit endeavors. We look forward to partnering with Generation West Virginia, the West Virginia Department of Commerce, and other entities who are ready to embrace new talent in our state.
- Investing in Creative Communities - We're not sure the current economic climate will allow its passage or not, but we have proposed specific legislation that would pilot a program to invest tangible dollars into community projects that have been fully vetted as high potential creative community/new economy projects. These investments would require local matching funds and a well-organized plan, but we think it's time for West Virginia to get behind communities who have shown the vision to map out a creative, entrepreneurial future. Stay tuned.
Partnerships - We've always maintained a core value of partnership vs. recreating the wheel, but we want to build more formal partnerships with key entities throughout the state who share the creative communities and new economy vision. As groups such as the Community HUB take shape, we look forward to partnering with them to address community development issues. Organizations such as the YES Network, Leadership WV and Generation West Virginia seek to develop young entrepreneurs and professionals, and we are excited about those partnership opportunities. The WV Department of Education, WV Division of Culture and History and the WV Commerce Department have also been very supportive and we look forward to specific partnership projects with them. We are eager to partner with West Virginia's solid network of colleges and universities who represent so much potential across every one of our pillars - Diversity, education, quality of place and technology. Arts Advocacy, Tamarack, the Appalachian Education Initiative and other arts groups have been extremely supportive. And of course, the various Vision Shared volunteer teams, particularly those in New Economy and Intellectual Infrastructure groups, have been and will continue to be great partners.
- Learning About Ourselves - We are currently executing a statewide random telephone survey to learn the truth about what our citizens think about this whole creative community/new economy idea. We hope to have these results published in March or April with hopes that they will guide us all towards smarter focus on what attitudes, beliefs and behaviors need addressed for our state to move forward.
- Continued Awareness and Education - We look forward to visiting many more communities in 2009 with a Create WV Summit or Create WV Planning Workshop. We also look forward to visiting college campuses to hold Create WV Student Forums to build excitement and commitment among young people. Imagine the impact on our state if a signficant percentage of young people begin to believe they can create an opportunity for themselves and others in West Virginia instead of seeking opportunities elsewhere?
There were many more ideas shared at the December 17 meeting that will continue to be vetted and developed, but the above initiatives represent a good overview of where we see things headed. Of course, we look forward to launching the Create WV Conference v. 3.0 in October 2009 (dates and venue TBD) to continue the awareness, education and celebration of creative communities.
On behalf of Vision Shared, the Create WV team and the many folks who have supported the creative community effort, we say thank you and happy new year!
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