Neighborhoods are more than houses.

10 Ways To Love Where You Live

How to build community here and now—because neighborhoods are more than houses in proximity.

by Ross Chapin

posted Jun 14, 2012

Greenwood Avenue Cottages, Shoreline, Wash.

Photo by Ross Chapin.

Community is not just for extroverts.

For thousands of years, our ancestors lived in barrios, hamlets, neighborhoods, and villages. Yet in the time since our parents and grandparents were young, privacy has become so valued that many neighborhoods are not much more than houses in proximity.

Now, many activities take place behind locked doors and backyard privacy fences. The street out front is not always safe for pedestrians, and is often out of bounds for children. With families spread across the country and friends living across town, a person who doesn’t know their neighbors can feel isolated and insecure. And when the links among neighbors are weak, security relies on locks, gates, and guns, rather than a closely knit web of connections.

Building a community from scratch is daunting. But the good news is that vibrant communities can grow over time from existing neighborhoods.

Right here, right now: Ten ways to build community.

Neighbors at N Street in Davis, Calif., joined their backyards.

Photo by Ross Chapin.

1. Move your picnic table to the front yard. See what happens when you eat supper out front. It’s likely you’ll strike up a conversation with a neighbor, so invite them to bring a dish to share.

2. Plant a front yard vegetable garden. Don’t stop with the picnic table. Build a raised bed for veggies and plant edible landscaping and fruit trees. Break your boundaries by inviting your neighbors to share your garden.

3. Build a room-sized front porch. The magic of a good porch comes from both its private and public setting. It belongs to the household while also being open to passersby. Its placement, size, relation to the interior and the public space, and railing height are both an art and a science. Make it more than a tiny covering under which you fumble for your keys; make it big enough to be a veritable outdoor living room.

Front yard garden at Danielson Grove, Kirkland, Wash.

Photo by Ross Chapin.

4. Add layers of privacy. Curiously, giving your personal space more definition will foster connections with neighbors. A secure space will be more comfortable and more often used, which will increase chances for seeing your neighbors—even if only in a passing nod.

But rather than achieving privacy with a tall fence, consider an approach with layers: a bed of perennial flowers in front of a low fence, with a shade tree to further filter the view. These layers help define personal boundaries, but are permeable at the same time.

5. Take down your backyard fence. Join with your neighbors to create a shared safe play space for children, a community garden, or a wood-fired pizza oven. In Davis, Calif., a group of neighbors on N Street did just that. Twenty years later, nearly all the neighbors around the block have joined in.

If that’s too radical, consider cutting your six-foot fence to four feet to make chatting across the fence easier, or building a gate between yards.

Layers of privacy at Greenwood Avenue Cottages in Shoreline, Wash.

Photo by Ross Chapin.

6. Organize summer potluck street parties. Claim the street, gather the lawn chairs, and fire up the hibachi! Take over the otherwise off-limits street as a space to draw neighbors together.

7. Put up a book lending cupboard. Bring a book, take a book. Collect your old reads and share them with passersby in a cupboard mounted next to the sidewalk out front. Give it a roof, a door with glass panes, and paint it to match the flowers below.

8. Build resilience together. Create a neighborhood survey of assets, skills, and needs for times of crisis. Frame it around "emergency preparedness," but watch how it cultivates community.

9. Create an online network for nearby neighbors. Expand the survey into an active online resource and communication tool. Find a new home for an outgrown bike. Ask for help keeping an eye out for a lost dog. Organize a yard sale.

Take advantage of free neighbor-to-neighbor networking tools such as Nextdoor to facilitate communications and build happier, safer neighborhoods.

10. Be a good neighbor. It’s easy to focus on your own needs and concerns, but a slight shift in outlook can make a big difference in the day-to-day lives in a neighborhood. Check in on your elderly neighbor if her curtains aren’t raised in the morning. On a hot summer day, put out a pitcher of ice lemonade for passersby, or a bowl of cool water for dogs on walks.

To be sure, grievances among neighbors are common. But when a neighborhood grows from a base of goodwill, little squabbles won’t escalate into turf fights, and neighborhoods can become what they are meant to be: places of support, security, and friendship.

Cul-de-sac street party.

Photo courtesy of Taunton Press.

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Ross Chapin, FAIA, wrote this article for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas with practical actions. Ross is an architect based on Whidbey Island, Wash., and author of Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small Scale Community in a Large Scale World (Taunton Press). Over the last 15 years, Ross has designed and partnered in developing six pocket neighborhoods in the Puget Sound region—small groupings of homes around a shared commons—and has designed dozens of communities for developers across the U.S., Canada and the UK.

Training: Behavioral Health Certificate— from the U.S. Department of Defense Center for Deployment Psychology, National Council, and Essential Learning

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	25 to 30 percent of the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have reported symptoms of a mental disorder or cognitive condition. Increasingly, these men and women and their families are seeking treatment and support in our communities. As civilian behavioral health providers, it is important to remain informed and invested in providing culturally sensitive and clinically competent services to these individuals — especially at a time when so many need our services. The only online program of its kind in our field — the Serving Our Veterans: Behavioral Health Certificate— from the U.S. Department of Defense Center for Deployment Psychology, National Council, and Essential Learning — features an evidence-informed curriculum offering 14 self-directed, self-paced, online courses for 20+ hours of CE credit: Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD in Veterans and Military Personnel Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Epidemiology of PTSD in Military Personnel and Veterans Fundamentals of Traumatic Brain Injury Improving Substance Abuse Treatment Compliance Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Returning Veterans Military Cultural Sensitivity Overview of Suicide Prevention Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD for Veterans and Military Service Personnel Provider Resiliency and Self-Care: An Ethical Issue PTSD Then and Now, There and Here The Impact of Deployment and Combat Stress on Families and Children Part I: Understanding Military Families and the Deployment Cycle Part II: Enhancing the Resilience of Military Families Working with the Homeless: An Overview The curriculum is created especially for civilian behavioral health and primary care providers, and uses real-world case scenarios in training to understand military culture and values in order to provide the most high quality, appropriate, and sensitive care possible. To earn the certificate, you must complete the entire suite of courses and pass a post-test on each course. Buy the online Serving Our Veterans behavioral health certificate for $350 — click here to purchase now. Already an Essential Learning Elevate Subscriber? Enroll in the Serving Our Veterans certificate program for no additional cost! National Council member organizations get the steepest discounts on the Serving our Veterans certificate and Elevate subscriptions. Not yet a National Council member? Review the benefits of membership and join today.

FEMA FY 2012 Funding Opportunity. National Training Program

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Washington, DC 20528

NOTIFICATION OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

FOR FEMA’S FY 2012 CONTINUING GRANT PROGRAM

To:                  Stakeholders                         

From:             Federal Emergency Management Agency             

Subject:          Fiscal Year 2012 Continuing Training Grant Program Funding Opportunity

Comments:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that as of June 12, 2012, the Agency is accepting applications for the FY 2012 Continuing Training Grants (CTG) program.  The purpose of the FY 2012 CTG is to develop and deliver a national training program that provides tailored, specialized training courses in three areas that will focus on Whole Community Inclusive Planning, Cybersecurity, and Complex Attacks.  Applicants must submit completed applications, including a nine-page concept paper through www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, on July 3, 2012.

The DHS-FEMA CTG program will provide $3,793,600 in grant funding to improve the nation’s readiness to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from and to mitigate against terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.  (Funding for each of the three focus areas will not exceed $1,264,533.33 per area). The CTG program is a competitive grant program with a period of performance of 36 months.  The funding for the one-year solicitation was authorized by The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2012 (Public Law NO. 112-74).   Funding will be provided in the form of cooperative agreements awarded directly to the selected applicants.  Final awards will be announced by the end of the current fiscal year. 

Eligible applicants for the FY 2012 CTG grant program include state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; non-profit associations and organizations, including community and faith-based organizations, with a demonstrable, expertise relevant to the focus area for which grant funding is being requested; non-profit higher education institutions with existing programs that address the focus area for which grant funding is requested.

All applicants will be evaluated on their ability to develop and deliver training programs to participants on a national level. Applicants should describe their course delivery methods and demonstrate their ability to reach a national audience, such as instructor led mobile deliveries, resident, or on-line training.  Applicants can apply for funding in more than one identified focus area.  The applications can be found directly at www.Grants.gov.  The application for the FY 2012 CTG program must be completed and submitted through the ND Grants system located at https://portal.fema.gov.  For help on applying through www.grants.gov, applicants can contact the Grants.gov customer support hotline at (800) 518-4726.  Applicants should refer to Appendix A in the Funding Opportunity Announcement for Concept paper requirements and criteria.  For those who need assistance in submitting the applications via ND Grants, training can be found at http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/ndgms.shtm

If applicants need assistance registering for the ND Grants system, they can contact FEMA’s Enterprise Service Desk at 1-888-457-3362. Applicants who need a required Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number should obtain one at no cost by calling 1-866-705-5711.  The application process also involves an updated and current Central Contractor Registration which must be confirmed by the applicant at http://www.ccr.gov.  Applicants must submit completed applications, including a nine-page concept paper through grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, on July 3, 2012. 

Technical Assistance

The Technical Assistance Program provides direct support assistance on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible organizations to enhance their capacity and preparedness for all-hazard threats.  In addition to the risk assessment assistance already being provided, FEMA also offers a variety of other direct support assistance programs.  The Technical Assistance Program also provides access to planning support.   More information can be found at http://www.fema.gov/about/divisions/pppa_ta.shtm or by emailing FEMA-ARequest@fema.gov.

Grant Support

§  For questions about the CTG, contact the Grant Programs Directorate (GPD). FEMA GPD’s Grants Management Division will provide fiscal support, including pre- and post-award administration and technical assistance, to the grant programs included in this solicitation. Additional guidance and information can be obtained by contacting the FEMA Call Center at (866) 927-5646 or via e-mail to ASK-GMD@dhs.gov.

§  National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) / National Training and Education Division (NTED). NPD/NTED has the programmatic responsibility for this solicitation action and will also maintain the program management function and responsibilities throughout the life-cycle of the awarded grant. Additional guidance and information can be obtained by contacting the NPD/NTED point of contact Mr. Willie Johnson Jr. at (202) 786-9567 or via e-mail to Willie.Johnsonjr@fema.gov.

§  Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID). CSID is a non-emergency comprehensive management and information resource developed by DHS for grants stakeholders. CSID provides general information on all FEMA grant programs and maintains a comprehensive database containing key personnel contact information at the Federal, State and local levels. CSID can be reached by phone at (800) 368-6498 or via e-mail to askcsid@fema.gov.

Contact Information: For additional information, please visit www.fema.gov/grants or contact Andrew White at (202) 646-3183.  Please consult our Frequently Asked Questions at www.fema.gov/grants/

Input. Corporation for National and Community Service

Dear Service Leader, The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) wants your input. We are seeking the best thinking from the national service network and the public about two key topics:  a unified training and technical assistance strategy, and disability programming for all CNCS programs.  A notice has been published in the Federal Register inviting public comment on these topics. Your feedback will be used to inform our planning as we transition from a formula-based methodology to competitive processes for awarding funds.   There are several ways you can participate.  You may send your written comments to tta@cns.gov.  You may participate in a CNCS-hosted listening session at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service or conference calls later this month (see below).   You can also submit your comments via www.regulations.gov, by mail, or by fax.  Details on these methods are in the Federal Register notice. National Conference Listening Session The public input listening session will be held on Tuesday, June 19, during the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Chicago, Ill., at McCormack Place West at 2301 S. Indiana Ave. from 8:30 -10:00 a.m.  If you plan to attend, please send an email to tta@cns.gov specifying the National Conference with your name, title, organization, and contact information.  We will follow up with a confirmation.   If you are already registered for the conference, please go to the conference website and add Session 3336 to your itinerary.  If you are not registered for the conference, you can use the confirmation we will send to attend this listening session.   If you cannot attend the listening session, a transcript will be posted on the CNCS website for review.  Conference Calls Conference Call #1:  Monday, June 25 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET, call-in number 888-324-4147, participant passcode: POWELL Conference Call #2:  Thursday, June 28 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. ET, call-in number 800-779-1632, participant passcode: 2116663 If you plan to join a conference call, please send an email with your name, title, organization, contact information, and which call you will be joining to tta@cns.gov. Transcripts will be available on the CNCS website following each call. Please check our Web site at www.nationalservice.gov/tta.asp for further information and updates.  CNCS will not respond to comments individually but will take input into consideration in future planning.   The comment period will close on July 6, 2012. Thank you in advance for your participation, and we look forward to your comments. The Corporation for National and Community Service

Teachers Need More Training to Handle Children’s Emotions

By Janice Wood Associate News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on June 8, 2012

Student teachers learn a lot about how to teach in college, but they don’t get much training in how to respond to young children’s emotions, such as frustration, anger, and excitement, according to new research.

“When teachers aren’t trained to respond to emotional outbursts in supportive ways, they often fall back on responses that reflect the way they were raised and whether they feel comfortable with their own emotions,” said Rebecca Swartz, a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois and the study’s first author.

For the study, 24 student teachers in the university’s Child Development Laboratory (CDL) filled out self-assessments, rating their responses to hypothetical emotional situations and reporting their beliefs about the best ways to handle children’s emotions.

The students were then observed several times interacting with children in the CDL classrooms over the course of a semester. From these observations, the researchers rated how the student teachers responded to the children’s positive and negative emotional displays.

As expected, student teachers who reported more effective strategies for regulating their own emotions — for instance, thinking about a stressful situation in a different light — and who also reported more accepting beliefs about children’s emotions were more supportive of children when they had emotional outbursts, according to the researchers.

The most common nonsupportive response was not responding, the researchers add.
Swartz wants teachers to learn how to handle emotional situations in the classroom as part of their professional development. “It might be effective to bring in a mentor who could coach, consult, and reflect with teachers as occasions arise,” she said.

In the typical preschool classroom, it wouldn’t take long for a mentor to find a teachable moment, she predicted. “In a classroom for 2-year-olds, sometimes it’s just emotion, emotion, emotion.”

Instead of saying “Don’t cry” or “That’s not important,” Swartz suggests the teacher label the child’s emotion and help him learn to cope with his anger or frustration. “If a child is crying because a classmate has taken a toy, a better response would be, ‘I know you’re sad. You really want to play with that.’ Then the teacher could use a problem-solving strategy: ‘Maybe you could take turns, or you could play with another toy for now.’”

These “everyday moments” are “golden opportunities for children to learn how to manage their emotions, Swartz add. “Too often, teachers want to make negative emotions go away. Instead we need to use them as learning opportunities.”

Another interesting finding from the study was that the student teachers only sought the support of a master teacher in dealing with negative emotions, the researcher said, noting that kids need help handling happiness and excitement, as well. In those instances, teachers could say, “We can’t throw blocks in the air to show we’re excited, but we can clap or cheer instead.”

Swartz said that regulating emotions is important not only for young children, but for their long-term success as they move into higher grades.

“When you’re sitting with a long-division problem, it’s not just understanding long division that’s important, but being able to stick with it long enough to understand it,” she said. “When children are building a block tower and managing their frustration, those skills will help them later.”

The study was published in a recent issue of Early Education and Development.

Source: University of Illinois

http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/06/08/teachers-need-more-training-to-handle-childrens-emotions/39862.html