Host: Reinvent South Stockton Coalition – A Project of Tides Center
Region: Northern California
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Public Health
Skills Needed: Community Engagement, Project Management, Community Outreach, Stakeholder Engagement, Communication, Detail-Oriented

Service Needs & Plans

The Reinvent South Stockton Coalition (RSSC) is a multi-sector, collective impact initiative working toward a future where all South Stockton residents are empowered to transform their community and address the root causes of intergenerational poverty through improvements in safety and community trust, education, housing, job creation, economic development, and health. RSSC serves as the backbone organization for a collective impact initiative serving South Stockton and San Joaquin County by convening and coordinating partners; increasing partners’ capacity; aligning resources, strategies, and incentives; and engaging residents to promote systems change.

The Community Engagement Fellow will be placed within RSSC in order to build the capacity of San Joaquin County Public Health Services (PHS) and implement the recent San Joaquin County 2023-2025 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The CHIP designates Mental Health as the highest-priority health need for San Joaquin County and identifies an overall strategy to “make parks in Priority Neighborhoods appealing and easy to use to create equitable and safe opportunities to improve physical, mental, and community well being.”

San Joaquin County is a short drive across the Altamont Pass from the wealthy and job-rich Silicon Valley. Nevertheless, the City of Stockton , the 13th largest city in California with more than 300,000 residents, experiences the 18th highest level of child poverty in the nation, while 25% of all residents live below the poverty line. It is a city that struggles with chronic and generational violent crime; Stockton was within the top 5% of U.S. cities for violent crime rates in 2015 and 2016, and thus far in 2023, homicides are up 19 percent on the year. These challenges are even greater in South Stockton, where communities have struggled with lack of access to resources for generations, illustrated by the 20.5-year difference in life expectancy versus more affluent areas of the city. More recently, the disparate impacts of COVID-19 have amplified toxic stress, depression, isolation, chronic and acute disease, and food insecurity.

Like many areas historically underserved by institutions, South Stockton residents became disconnected and distrustful of the systems and services that are supposed to serve them. This includes PHS and RSSC, which were both unable to hold many in-person gatherings and meetings during the pandemic. The CivicSpark Community Engagement Fellow will help both agencies to reconnect and rebuild trust with the communities that they serve.

Project Description

The goals of this project are:
1) Re-engage RSSC and PHS with the South Stockton community through planning and participating in community events;
2) Build bridges between public agencies and residents so that residents’ social and health needs are better understood and addressed;
3) Improve the quality of life in South Stockton in regards to issues of safety, health, access to resources, and social cohesion.

Coming out of the pandemic lockdowns and with a new, dynamic Executive Director who grew up in the South Stockton community, RSSC has dedicated itself to re-engaging with residents in their neighborhoods and parks. We will show up for our community through a visible presence at their barbecues, celebrations, and carnivals – bringing resources, food, and fun with us. RSSC is also ramping up our own events by planning and implementing park beautification volunteer days, health resource fairs, school supply giveaways, and more. This September, we will hold our first South Stockton Resident Summit since 2016. During 2023 and 2024, we are also launching our “We Outside” campaign, a schedule of different events like barbecues and movie nights in local parks and other venues, offering South Stockton families safe and fun activities in their community despite the fear that comes during a dangerous crime wave.

Through this outreach and events, RSSC will reconnect with South Stockton residents, build trust, and engage them with our ongoing efforts to increase community health and wealth. We will also bring more residents out into parks and community centers, encouraging them to spend more time outdoors and with neighbors – both important contributors to physical and mental health. Through these efforts, we will meet goals of PHS and the Community Health Improvement Plan.

The CivicSpark Community Engagement Fellow will work with PHS and RSSC leadership to identify the most important needs and gaps in RSSC’s outreach and engagement efforts. The Fellow will take a lead role in implementing all of these initiatives by being the principal coordinator and representative for RSSC’s participation in community events. The Fellow’s primary responsibilities will include:
* Coordinate RSSC’s calendar of community events, tracking staff participation and logistics;
* Be a positive representative for RSSC at community events, including preparation, set-up, event
execution, and tear-down as needed;
* Support strategic planning for a calendar of diverse community engagement and events, including the 2024 We Outside campaign and South Stockton Resident Summit;
* Lead planning for at least 10 events during the Fellowship year by convening partners and staff, establishing goals and budget, finding locations, and developing and implementing marketing and outreach strategies;
* Develop systems for converting event contacts into engaged participants in RSSC workgroups and initiatives;
* Working with RSSC’s Communications & Storytelling Manager, create event marketing materials including flyers, social media posts, signs, programs, etc.;
* Maintain RSSC’s event supplies and equipment, tracking inventory and ordering replacements as needed;
* Support event committees through scheduling meetings, developing facilitation plans, recording and sharing notes, and communicating key updates; and
* Support communication and coordination with event vendors

By the end of the Fellowship year, the desired project outcomes are:
1) Summary of findings from needs assessment (may be conducted via focus groups and/or surveys);
2) At least 10 new RSSC and partner events completed with the Fellow as lead coordinator;
3) Updated Event Planning Toolkit, including location permit processes and contacts, budget and planning templates, and promotional materials;
4) New systems for tracking resident contacts made at events and converting them to engaged participants in RSSC workgroups and initiatives; and
5) Final impact report that uses qualitative and quantitative data to demonstrate achievements made.

Desired Skills

RSSC is seeking a Fellow who is committed to racial equity, social justice, and community building. We strive to create spaces and solutions that bring equity, justice, and healing to South Stockton. These values, along with trust, transparency, and accountability, are extremely important to our organization and our stakeholders.

Because this Fellowship will include extensive community outreach and engagement, the Fellow will need to be outgoing and prepared to engage with diverse community members who may have very different backgrounds and life experiences from them. The skills and traits we are looking for in a Fellow include: effective communication, active listening, research and writing, meeting agenda creation and facilitation, project management, organization, flexibility, follow-through, and being able to work both in a team and independently. Candidates must be able to work closely with people of all backgrounds with respect and empathy. Spanish language skills would also be very valued.

Professional or academic experience that would be helpful include Social Work, Public Administration, Public Health, Community Development, Sociology, Education, Community Organizing, and/or Business Administration, though no particular degree is required.

Organization & Community Highlights

Reinvent South Stockton Coalition is a nonprofit organization with a current team of 6 staff members (this number will likely grow before the Fellowship year begins). Team members are focused on one or more Result Areas (health, housing, education, among others) or work on fundraising or communications. Because our work is intersectional and we use a collective impact approach, we are a highly collaborative team and we work together often. We hold regular team meetings and check-ins on Zoom, and we use Slack to stay in sync. Our office is located in downtown Stockton and is accessible seven days per week. We have implemented a Hybrid Work Policy where all team members are required to work from the office at least two days each week.

RSSC is committed to racial justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our work is focused on the area of Stockton that was historically redlined and is now racially segregated and under-invested compared to other parts of the city. We work through a collective impact model where people with lived experience and shared values are empowered to drive our agenda and decide what activities we prioritize. Our ultimate goal is to empower residents to change the systems that have created and still perpetuate racial discrimination and inequities for marginalized communities.

Working with RSSC is an opportunity for Fellows to get firsthand experience in neighborhood-based community empowerment, collective impact models, and results-based accountability. Tackling big structural issues like racial justice, health equity, and the wealth gap requires these innovative, data-driven, and collaborative approaches. Our projects and initiatives include a wide range of partners such as community-based organizations, government agencies, school district leaders, health clinics and public health officials, resident and business associations, universities and research teams, policy and advocacy organizations, and philanthropic funders. The Fellows should be comfortable in a collaborative and inclusive environment.

Remote or On-Site Placement

Hybrid