Community Catalysts

A Community Catalyst is one of 30 volunteer community members committed for one year to educate, engage and enable fellow citizens to build a more authentic, sustainable and prosperous community.

Each Catalyst will 1) study creative community concepts, the local economy, and global trends in economic development, and 2) participate in three days of workshop. In preparation for participating in the workshop, each Catalyst will join a small Catalyst training team that will provide team teaching of Richard Florida’s The Rise of the Creative Class. Guidelines for team teaching will be handed out at one of the first Catalyst gatherings.

The 30 Catalysts will develop a collective community vision and a set of plans and initiatives that will be built over the next year based on a plan that each initiative group will develop. Each Catalyst will participate in one of the initiatives that are selected by the catalysts or on the Communications Team.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Prepare for the year
  • Study readings and current practices
  • Talk with other community members about the region and its strengths, resources and needs
  • Analyze recent economic data
  • Participate fully in the team teaching and 3 days of workshop to develop a collective vision
• Develop an initiative
  • Develop a project that makes the Catalysts’ vision a reality
  • Work with and support other existing organizations with similar goals
  • Attend weekly team meetings
  • Be an active and constructive team member
• Coordinate efforts
  • Maintain easy information flow with the other Catalysts and initiatives
  • Attend full KCCI team meetings and check-ins
  • Link all public communications to KCCI overall
  • Meet regularly with the KCCI Coordinator
  • Be available to contribute to KCCI success in flexible ways
• Engage your community
  • Practice and promote the KCCI and Creative Community principles, and build them into your initiative work
  • Share your analysis and understanding of the local and regional economy
  • Be a spokesperson for the Catalysts’ vision and initiatives
  • Leverage and access available resources
  • Embrace and practice the concept that every Catalyst’s job is to teach, learn, and act upon their initiative’s and KCCI’s visions
  • Develop and maintain an inclusionary process:
    • Resist promoting an agenda of only a select few: the KCCI process is not based on special interests of particular individuals
    • Promote the vision and interests of KCCI and your initiative through community participation: constantly invite and recruit individuals who are not original Catalysts to participate in your initiative
    • Build consensus and cohesive action
    • Demonstrate that Catalysts are stewards and activists for a community that attracts creative, involved, successful, productive and effective people
    • Structure your initiative in such a way as to assure diversity and widespread participation
  • Address how the overarching mission and goals of your initiative can support and encourage all of your efforts by the end of the KCCI year:
    • If appropriate, find ways to make room for add-on activities that have been brought to you by the community as you work on your initiative
    • Be open to the idea that some parts of your initiative or group may want or need to be stand-alone activities that get your encouragement and support
    • Find and develop methods to 1) create win-win situations, and 2) collaborate and cooperate with the broader community
  • Develop plans to assure the continuity of your initiative’s efforts after the twelve month period: your legacy should hold open the doors for others to help carry forward the efforts of your initiative
  • Allow yourself enough time to put the structures in place to sustain your efforts and to build on them

Commitment Required:

Being a KCCI Catalyst requires a substantial time commitment. Each Catalyst can expect to work on his or her initiative an average of 4 to 5 hours a week through the 12 month period.

Are you applying to be a 2010-2011 Community Catalyst? Please take into consideration the following, as these will require mandatory attendance.

-Introductory Reception (evening)
-3-Day Training Seminar (all day)

2011-2012 Community Catalysts

2010-2011 Community Catalysts

2009-2010 Community Catalysts

2007-2008 Community Catalysts