INRC Workshops

INRC offers a variety of leadership, professional development and civic engagement workshops. Read on for information about upcoming workshops, and links to previous sessions.

INRC 2024 Workshop Series!

Community Heights Neighborhood Organization

Concerned about speeding and reckless driving in your neighborhood?

In Summer 2023, Community Heights used the Department of Public Works new Tactical Urbanism policy to prevent accidents, calm traffic, and create a street that was safe for pedestrians and drivers alike. DPW’s Tactical Urbanism and the Art-in-the-ROW policies enable neighborhoods to make temporary and permanent changes to streetscapes in Indianapolis. Learn about the policies, the permitting process, and available grants for funding these types of projects.

This info session is meant to be paired with INRC’s NeighborPower Tactical Urbanism and Art-in-the-ROW permit workshop. Get new ideas and refine your existing project ideas at this info session, then attend the workshop, which will guide you through filling out the permit application.

The Indianapolis Community Land Trust 

Historically, there were many homes available for first-time homebuyers. This is no longer the case, and households with lower incomes are being forced to continue paying increasing rents in oftentimes substandard housing. Now, there’s another option – purchasing a home through the Indianapolis Community Land Trust, being launched by Kheprw Institute (kheprw.org) with support from the City of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis African American Quality of Life Initiative. Review the informational session to learn more about this program, see if you might be qualified, and share your feedback on how this will best serve residents in Indianapolis.

Previous Workshops

Click on the workshop title below to view a recording of previous workshops:

2023

Citizens Energy Group shared information about the different utility assistance programs available, and how to apply for short-term loans with Citizens Energy Group to build affordable homes or commercial projects that benefit the community. Citizens also provided an update on the status of the DigIndy project and the Lead Service Line Replacement Program.

Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana’s Community Collaboration Department members shared about eating healthy and food-related resources, including: eating healthy – where to start; simple, healthy food swaps; and, resources that address food insecurity. 

Indy Center for Conflict Resolution. Under the leadership of the Indy Public Safety Foundation, the Indy Center for Conflict Resolution (ICCR) is part of the public-private collaborative efforts to reduce violence in our city by developing, implementing, and evaluating community-based interventions related to conflict resolution and quality-of-life issues. ICCR programs are focused on two main areas: Community Mediation Services and Conflict Resolution Coaching and Management.

Department of Metropolitan Development. Everyone plays a role in how our city is developed. This session, facilitated by Planners with the Department of Metropolitan Development, is an opportunity to learn about city planning and how you can be involved in shaping your community.

Understanding Walkability in Your Neighborhood. This session, led by Health by Design, is designed for neighbors who are seeking to advance walkability and pedestrian safety while learning tools to navigate the inner workings of local government. Learn about the city’s tactical urbanism and art in the right-of-way policies and tools that can help with cost-effective, short-term solutions until permanent investments can be made.

Mayor’s Neighborhood Advocates (MNAs). Interested in learning more about your Mayor’s Neighborhood Advocates? Register for INRC’s spring info session on empowering neighborhood voices and building relationships, Request Indy, and Indy Rent Funds.

2022

Request Indy and the Mayor’s Action Center with the Mayor’s Neighborhood Advocates (MNAs). Learn about your Mayor’s Neighborhood Advocates and the resources and connections they can offer. When should you use the Mayor’s Action Center or Request Indy? What should you know about Indy Rent Funds? What can you expect once you register your neighborhood in the Registered Organizations database?

Long Range and Current Planning. Carmen Lethig, Britt Redd, and Keith Holdsworth with the City of Indianapolis, Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) talk about long-range and current planning. 

Planning for Healthy Communities.  Learn about urban greenspaces,  walkability assessments, and Community Land Trusts. Information presented by the Marion County Public Health Department, Health by Design, and the City’s Tenant Advocate Program.

Department of Public Works (DPW) & the Tactical Urbanism Policy. Learn about the role of DPW and about tactical urbanism. Information presented by the City’s Department of Public Works and Health by Design.

Neighbors Caring for Neighbors
NeighborLink Indianapolis is a nonprofit organization that provides home repairs to low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities who own their own homes in Marion County, Indiana. They have one mission: to help individuals with disabilities and senior homeowners in need age-in-place safely and with dignity. Learn about their programs and partnerships happening in neighborhoods across Indianapolis.

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Check back for more information about the following workshops:

Three Fundamental Workshops

Neighborhood Organizing
This course is a basic introduction to the tools used in neighborhood organizing, as outlined through INRC’s Organizer’s Workbook. The tools include the basics of community organizing, leadership and group dynamics, engagement, collaboration, communication, action to get results, meetings, and measuring success.  The workbook has been used locally, and internationally, and has been lauded as an important toolkit for neighbors.

Introduction to ABCD/Asset Mapping
Through a series of exercises that build community, participants learn how to reach out to neighbors, bring them together to address problems, work toward shared goals, and build strong and organized communities. The mapping portion of the session will assist participants in identifying and discovering the obvious and hidden assets within their communities. Participants will begin to work on individual, associational, institutional, and community mapping tools for their neighborhoods and learn how to apply this information to connect issues and needs with assets.

Appreciative Inquiry/Engagement
In this course, we will look at a new way of using the power of positive questioning as an engagement tool and as a way to create energy for communities to move forward. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) has been used in the organizational development world for years. You will learn how it can easily be adapted for your community.

Advanced Workshop
Practicing ABCD/Asset Mapping
This course is designed for those who are already familiar with Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), but would like to dig deeper into the concept. Participants will use data to create engagement plans that reflect the specific demographics of their neighborhood. Those engagement plans can be used to identify and engage with the most important asset in every community – the people. The class will also include exercises that illustrate the principles of asset mapping in a group setting, as well as provide the opportunity to create asset maps for attendees’ own neighborhoods.

Planning for Healthy Communities
The Marion County Public Health Department’s Healthy Communities Planning program works at the nexus of planning and public health. This session will introduce the concept of Health in All Policies, and how the social determinants of health can be influenced by neighborhood-level planning.