Community Health Improvement Partnership

Pursuing a higher vision for community health CHIP is a partnership bringing together hundreds of community volunteers with dozens of public, private and government organizations across three counties to focus on improving the health and well-being of all residents through the power of collaboration and shared vision.  CHIP Engages residents in taking responsibility for their personal health and the health of their communities. Community Health Action Teams (CHATs) are teams of engaged residents meeting monthly to study and solve local health issues. CHIP Encourages focus and discussion across organizational, geographic, and demographic boundaries. CHIP Researches and publishes local data on health issues of concern to residents and healthcare providers. CHIP Creates solutions to local health issues through creative collaborations with community partners. CHIP Educates the community on how to become healthier, access medical care or get insured.

Youth Initiative of the Coalition for Inclusion and Diversity

The Youth Initiative of the Coalition for Inclusion & Diversity is collaboration between youth, adult volunteers and local organizations that provides learning and leadership opportunities to the community around issues of diversity and inclusion. A broad spectrum of community partners have worked alongside youth since 2006 to promote respect for differences and a more inclusive community. Through the initiative, youth have founded diversity clubs and hosted 5 day-long “Unity Days” at their schools, reaching over 300. In 2007, the project raised over $7,000 to send 7 high school students from 5 districts to the nationally celebrated Anytown, a 5-day residential diversity awareness and leadership program. In 2008, over 100 people gathered at a local middle school to discuss and hear adult and youth panelists speak on the topic of “Youth and Diversity.” Partners include SCOPE, United Way, several faith-based groups, youth organizations, a GLBTQ youth advocacy organization, and the School Board of Sarasota County.

Grassroots Leadership Initiative
The Grassroots Leadership Initiative (GLI) is a leadership development program that identifies and cultivates community leaders from the grassroots level in Sarasota and Manatee Counties to work for positive social change.  With a growing network of grassroots and community leaders, graduates of the GLI program are equipped with new leadership skills and connected through the program to decision makers in organizations where they previously did not have access. Since 2006 grassroots leaders engage for a year as a GLI Fellows in a free, year-long program of leadership education, mentoring and networking opportunities. Community projects are initiated by fellows to do one positive thing in the community to exercise leadership focused on the assets around us. GLI brings a diverse group of emerging community leaders to the table to connect community needs to meaningful solutions. Through this type of collaboration, new solutions emerge from the grassroots level.