The McDougal Foundation funded 2 capstone projects from the 2023 iteration of Civic Innovation Hub. This year, CNT worked with a cohort of 12 residents from Blue Island and Robbins to develop their initial research concept into a research question and methodology to secure additional funding. The project skilled up returning participants to co-create agendas and co-facilitate meetings and provided training on various research skills and concepts to all participants.

Stormwater Management

In this first meeting, returning cohort members from Blue Island and Robbins set a baseline understanding of green and grey stormwater infrastructure for new cohort members and all learned about community science research.

Session Materials

Agenda (PDF)

Slide Deck (PDF)

Qualitative Research 

In this second meeting for Robbins, cohort members voted on their finalized research question and learned the basics of qualitative research, data, and analysis from Paulina Vaca, associate at CNT.  

Agenda (PDF)

Slide Deck (PDF)

Municipal Budget

In this second meeting for Blue Island, cohort members voted on their finalized research question and learned about municipal budgeting from Laurie Burdette at LBurd LLC.  

Agenda (PDF)

Slide Deck (PDF)

FOIA

Blue Island cohort members learned about local, state, and federal freedom of information laws from Kari Lydersen, an Assistant Professor of Journalism at Northwestern University.  

Agenda (PDF)

Slide Deck (PDF)

Economic Development

Robbins cohort members heard from Southland Development Authority on economic development in the Southland and learned about alternative economic systems from Calumet Collaborative. 

Agenda (PDF)

Slide Deck (PDF)

Resource: Summary of Revitalizing First Suburbs and Suburban Boom Towns (PDF)

Communicating with Elected Officials

Both the Blue Island and Robbins cohorts determined the best research methods to answer each of their research questions and went over the approaches and process for meeting with local elected officials and media.

Agenda (PDF)

Slide Deck (PDF)

Finalized Research Questions

See what research questions the two cohorts came up with through discussions below.

Final Research Questions & Suggested Methods (PDF)

CNT’s Next Steps:

• CNT is working on a grant proposal with the information developed from this process. After the proposal is drafted, CNT will share back with residents for feedback and then share this proposal with funders. If you’re interested in funding the research question, please let us know.
• Continue to practice, learn about, and implement community-based participatory research.
• Advise on the building of community cohort programs with partners. If you are looking to build out a community academy and looking for advisement, please reach out, we’d like to learn more about how we can help!