The Block Connector facilitates social engagement based on the principles of Asset Based Community Development (described below). In essence, the goal of the application is to foster stronger community ties which enrich the lives of everyone. We strongly encourage you to read the section below and check out both the ABCD site and the book 'Abundant Community' for more information.
Using The Block Connector to engage your community can be described in three overall concepts:
Connect
Community Engagement is key to the block connector. With as little as one volunteer (and as many as you like), you can be up and running in minutes. Our unique values and interests wizard enables you to quickly create a conversation tailored to your community. Once you've assigned block connectors, they can then engage their neighbors in a conversation. Google Maps integration provides an intuitive overview for quick coordination, updates, and progress review.
Converse
Traditionally this has been done on paper, with communities developing ad hoc ways of sorting the information. The Block Connector streamlines and facilitates that process. Designed from the ground up to be mobile, conversations can be entered directly into the application from any mobile device. If you prefer, a paper version of the conversation is always available. With the values and interests tailored to your community, you'll know common interests as soon as they're entered.
Engage
Reporting is where the Block Connector really stands out. Pie charts, bar graphs, and filtering capabilities bring common interests to the forefront. Filter by age, area, interest, date of conversation and more.
Still can't find what you're looking for? Intelligent search ensures you'll always find a match. Looking for gardeners of any kind? Simply search for "Garden" to bring back people interested in Gardens, grafting, greenhouses, and more.
That's The Block Connector at a high level, but there is so much more to it. We strongly encourage you to Contact Us for a demo.
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Core
Everything you need for a single connector to get up and running with full free-form functionality. Create, Connect, Engage. |
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Document Storage and Additional Connectors
Add additional connectors and easily access your community conversation, guides, and other information with the ability to store and print documents. |
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Reporting
Standardized interest and value lists with graphs, charts, and full reporting capabilities. |
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Connections
Make a connection! Schedule, plan, and track activities. Notes and reporting allow you to easily see what works, what doesn't, and what can be improved. |
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Additional Document Storage
Store as many documents as you like, with virtually unlimited storage |
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Gmail Calendar Integration
Schedule connections, events, reminders and more. Full Gmail integration allows you to integrate with your community's calendar. |
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Hosting
Don't have a site? Let us set one up for you with full integration. Contact Us to discuss options. |
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Alerts
Be notified when people are due for a conversation, when activities have enough participants, and more. |
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Private API
Integrate the reporting into your own website using our RESTful API. |
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E-mail Integration
Send and receive e-mail directly from the application, with full mobile integration. |
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App Access
Access to our Android and iOS apps |
Overview
The Abundant Community Initiative was born out of a book by Peter Block and John McKnight. The central premise is that meaningful change begins in the community. Strong communities provide strong support systems, improving the lives of all those involved. For more information on the initiative, click here.
Peter Block defines an abundant community as a place where gifts are recognized and shared with one another and families have reclaimed their function. This is closely aligned with the principles of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD) at Northwestern University.
As part of our commitment to this goal, we have created The Block Connector to facilitate the collection of shared interests and values within a community, allowing for the creation of groups and activities which further bring communities together.
In the Media
Mary Sturgeon, Project Manager, Make Something Edmonton - "Abundant Community is based on the belief that every individual in a neighborhood has a contribution to make, and uncovering, sharing and the harnessing of those contributions creates neighbourliness, and also addresses issues as diverse as social isolation, crime, and physical and mental health. The notion is at the same time ridiculously commonsensical and ridiculously powerful.”
Peter Block, Abundant Community - "The work of the Abundant Community Initiative is vital to the well-being of our cities. Every city is concerned about our health, children, safety, the land, the local economy and those on the margins. Government policies and social services are at their limits. The next wave of impact will come from citizens connected to their neighbors engaged in bringing their gifts and humanity to each other. The Abundant Community Initiative is making this happen.”
References and Further Reading
- Abundant Community
- Asset-Based Community Development Institute - Northwestern University
- The Abundant Community Initiative - City of Edmonton
- Peter Block
We are group of individuals with a strong belief in the power of simple actions. A strong neighborhood leads to a strong community, which leads to a strong city, which...well, you get where we're going. We believe that forming connections among neighbors can have a meaningful and lasting impact on our lives and the lives of those around us.