As the ENTF continues toward its goal of reducing the unemployment rate within the Neighborhoods of Focus and increasing household income over 200% of poverty, it will pursue specific actions towards addressing economic stability disparities. Ultimately, the ENTF Economic & Workforce Development (WFD) Subcommittee aims to understand where disparities in economic stability exist, how they relate to race, ethnicity, gender, and ability, and will utilize tools to create inclusive and effective strategies.
This toolkit was developed to support the Addressing Economic Stability Disparities Action Team (a.k.a. the Equity Action Team) of the WFD Subcommittee to fulfill the broader strategic goal, in addition to equipping itself the full subcommittee to foster inclusive and collaborative environments designed to achieve equitable outcomes throughout Kent County. It is comprised of established tools & strategies from national resources as well as tools customized for the needs of ENTF.
The toolkit is designed to encourage the following throughout all phases of action team work:
- The people engaged in the work are representative of the target market and/or mindful of the group’s limitations if it is not.
- Action teams understand how racial and economic disparity impacts the work and identify intentional strategies to mitigate those disparities.
- Action teams are mindful of the need for authentic and empowering community engagement.
- Action teams identify power dynamics of community context; strategies are created to empower the disenfranchised and leverage existing influence/resources.
- Action teams use creative strategies to explore solutions that move beyond the dominant discourse (as the dominant discourse has either perpetuated or ignored current disparities).
Notes for facilitation have been added to each tool. Each facilitator’s guide defines the purpose of the tool, provides suggested directions for engaging it, and gives an example of an ENTF WFD action team using the tool. The examples are hypothetical, but on scope with the general purpose of each action team. These examples are used so that action teams are not primed or constrained to use a certain tool.
Toolkit Menu
Click on one of the links below to view a tool and have the ability to review it.
Tool 1: Who is at Our Table?
Tool 2: Define the Problem with Data
Tool 3: Power Matrix
Tool 4: Putting it All Together
Tool 5: Thinking Beyond the Status Quo
Tool 6: IAP2 Community Engagement Spectrum
Tool 7: Changing the Discourse