I will attach the outline/instructions along with an Example of an already completed community assessment for review. In the outline the Maps portion do not have to be completed nor the interview part

Community Assessment – Presentation

Communities provide important contexts for understanding the lives of clients and constituents, as well as the organizations in which we work. The main goal of this assignment is to understand the dynamics of a community with particular attention to how these dynamics shape human service work. The second goal is to learn how to engage with an outside project consultant (e.g. course instructor) to gain feedback and advice. Additionally, this assignment addresses course goals 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11-14, and 16.

This is a significant, semester-long, assignment that has been broken down into several parts (see Community Intervention Proposal and Reflection Memo assignment directions for details on the other aspects of the assignment). It also is essential that if you have ANY questions, you ask them – getting clarification is critical.

Each student will select a neighborhood they are familiar with through their residence, work or field placement. Then, you will 1) conduct a comprehensive community-level assessment, 2) organize the findings into a summary of the community’s history, areas of strength, and challenges, and 3) submit a written document of the assessment to the instructor. Please see Assignments in Canvas for the full assignment description.

Detailed instructions are outlined below. Assignment segments will also be discussed in class.

Community Mapping and Assessment: Required Components

1. Community Maps. You will find or create two maps – (a) geographic map and (b) assets map.

(a) Geographic Map: In order to get a sense of what is located, and where, in the community, you will find or create a map that includes all of the streets in your geographic community. You should walk or drive through the community and document on your map the location of various attributes of the community, including but not limited to:

• Type and density of housing (including abandoned and boarded up houses) and vacant lots

• Schools

• Places of worship

• Grocery stores, corner stores, fast food establishments, bakeries, restaurants, and community gardens

• Banks, check-cashing establishments, and other lending institutions

• Clothing stores, thrift shops, pawn shops, and other stores

• Police stations, courthouses, and fire stations

• Health care professionals’ offices/centers and pharmacies

• Social service agencies

• Parks, playgrounds, sports fields, basketball courts, and open public spaces

• Cinemas/theatres, bowling alleys, night clubs, and bars

• Parking lots and public transportation

• Hotels

• Community signs, community art, and graffiti

Some students in the past have created their community maps using Google Maps or posterboard; for posterboard maps, photos can be submitted.

NOTE: When visiting a community with which you are unfamiliar, please travel with a friend or family member and visit during high-traffic, daylight hours.

(b) Assets Map: An asset map helps depict the individual, community and institutional strengths or gifts of a community. Based on your community research (tour, interviews, secondary data, etc.) you will compose a community asset map. Asset mapping will be covered in class.

Resources: Here are some additional resources that others have found helpful.

• Zeemaps: https://www.zeemaps.com/ and Tutorials

• Google Mapping: https://www.google.com/earth/outreach/learn/visualize-your-data-on-a-custom-map-using-google-my-maps/

• Maptive: https://www.maptive.com/ and Tutorials

1. Community Interviews. You will contact anchor institutions (e.g. parish church, local shops, bowling alley, etc.) or community groups within your neighborhood to get a sense of the community’s current change efforts, if any. You will conduct a minimum of one interview with community members to learn about the community strengths and weaknesses from the community members’ perspectives. You will need to develop a “script” for approaching community members (who are you, and why are you asking all of these questions?), and an interview protocol (what do you want to know.

NOTE: When interviewing community members, in addition to your other questions, consider how they can provide information for your geographic and asset maps and how these maps, and other research, can inform who you interview and the questions you ask. For example,

• think about what areas have excellent or terrible night lighting, any areas that they consider especially safe or unsafe, and any areas that they consider to have quite low or high rates of crime. Document these areas on the Community Map.

• ask about other community members that offer unique gifts or talents to the neighborhood, what organizations or institutions support community residents and what they like/love about the area. Incorporate findings into the asset map.

• You learn from your community tour and some secondary data collection that there are some viable farmer’s markets in your catchment area. Based on this, you decide to interview the farmer market coordinator and visit one of the markets when it’s open.

1. Community Research. You will research the history and current status of various aspects of your assigned community using the internet, the library, and other sources. A list of suggested resources is in the syllabus, but you will undoubtedly need to do further research. You will need to be creative and resourceful to locate some of the information, including making phone calls to local entities.

Community Map and Assessment Written Document

You will synthesize and analyze the information you acquired from the Community Maps, Community Interviews, and Community Research activities to complete a comprehensive Community Assessment. The outline at the end of this document is provided to guide you in your assessment process. You will be expected to report information about each of the categories in the outline. Remember to integrate quotations from the community interview(s) throughout the document.

Start From here Tutor: Your written document should have headings that correspond to the outline and be written in a narrative format. The assessment should follow APA format and be double spaced, with 12 point font and 1 inch margins.

You will submit via Canvas the written document and your Community Map and Assessment. An Executive Summary that is no longer than 3 pages should be included. Use the Information Outline and the Evaluation Guide to make sure that you are addressing all points.

Remember that you may be giving this document to at least one member of the community! All communities have strengths, and the document should be written in that tone. You should also note the challenges the community faces, as you will choose one of these to focus on for the second half of the project.

Faculty Consultation

An important component of this project is the constructive engagement of your project consultant (aka – your instructor). Please come prepared to ask questions, get clarification, and review information during class meetings.

Resources

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

• National Center for Education Stats- Fast Facts

• Education Data Express

• Child Health Data

• Bureau of Justice Statistics

• Current Population Supplements

• http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html

• Child Trends

• http://nces.ed.gov/datalab/

• www.city-data.com.

• U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov

Philadelphia Resources:

• Community Umbrella Agencies. The CUA is mandated to facilitate 2/3 “Parent Café’s” and 2 Community Meetings/Events each month. The meetings are open to the community. At the Parent Cafe the format is for table discussion. There is a designated facilitator at each table.

• Serve Philadelphia. https://www.serve.phila.gov/

• Committee of Seventy. (2016). https://www.seventy.org/

• Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Map Your Community at http://www.phil.frb.org/community-development/map-your-community/

• Philadelphia Health Management Corporation’s Community Health Database at http://www.chdbdata.org/

• Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.

http://septa.org/maps/

• Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicator Project

• AIDSVu. https://aidsvu.org/map/

• City of Philadelphia: Registered Community Organizations (RCO).. http://www.phila.gov/CityPlanning/projectreviews/Pages/RegisteredCommunityOrganizations.aspx

• Courts. http://www.courts.phila.gov

• Crime Stats. https://www.phillypolice.com/crime-maps-stats/index.html

• Philadelphia Police Department. Each district has a least 1 police officer that is a “community liaison.” The designated officer(s) role is in part to attend meetings in the community. Police Captain Town Hall Meetings are held every month they are scheduled. The participants vary depending on the area. PSA Meetings take place each month. The officers facilitating the meeting report out on the meeting to the Police Captain.

• Free Library of Philadelphia. https://libwww.freelibrary.org/branches

• City of Philadelphia. http://www.phila.gov/Pages/default.aspx

• https://philadelphianeighborhoods.com

Information to Include in the Community Assessment1

The outline below is a guide to help organize the information gathered during the assessment process.

I.General Information (serves as your introduction)

A. State, region, city

1. Climate, type of soil (if important)

2. Size, geographical boundaries, population

B. History

1. Date of founding of community, other important dates in the evolution of the community.

2. Time of year of most activity (for example, is this a summer community?)

3. General status of community—growing, progressing, in what parts, what rhythm

C. Population

1. Who founded the community and how was it populated?

2. Who are important families—historically? Presently?

3. What institutions or movements are focused on the development of the community? Of social services?

D. Who are the largest employers?

E. Community organization

1. Do conditions exist for group and institutional life (i.e. organized neighborhood groups)

2. Is there development?

II. Family Life

A. How many families live in the community?

B. What is the average number of persons per home?

C. What is the level of reported incidences of family violence?

D. Are there activities that support family life?

E. Are there activities for adolescents? Day care? Elder services?

III. Health

A. Is there a hospital?

1. Doctors?

2. Dentists?

3. Pharmacies?

4. Other health services?

5. Ambulance service?

B. Are there problems with:

1. Water quality?

2. Sewage disposal?

3. Garbage disposal?

4. Electricity?

C. Are there any public health issues (i.e. drug use, HIV/AIDS, gun violence)

IV. Maintenance

A. Is there a commercial district in the community or within easy reach?

1. Grocery stores?

2. Fast Food?

3. Bakeries?

4. Clothing/department stores?

5. Restaurants?

6. Hotels?

B. How many families lack basic necessities? What is the level or reliance on public assistance?

C. What emergency and other social services are available?

V. Community Spirit

A. Are there positive feelings between neighbors and families in the community?

1. Accessible social clubs?

2. Cooperatives?

3. Associations?

B. What is the level of hostility between families and groups in the community?

VI. Recreation

1. What is the availability of recreational areas (i.e. night clubs, movie theatres, bars, sports fields, bowling alleys, basketball courts, parks, public open spaces)

B. Is there community entertainment?

1. Community music?

2. Concerts?

3. Community theaters?

4. Organized sports?

C. What do community members do for fun (account for different

generations)?

VII. Transportation

A. Is there public transportation?

1. Bus, train, plane service?

2. Are taxis available? Uber/Lyft?

B. Do most people own cars?

1. Commute to work?

2. Carpool?

C. What are the road conditions?

1. Are there tolls?

2. Bridges?

3. Are they governmentally or privately maintained?

4. Are roads well maintained?

D. Are there traffic-pattern problems in the community?

VIII. Communication

A. Do most people have landlines in their homes or cell phones?

1. Level of computer ownership?

4. Local/regional newspapers?

5. Post offices?

6. Libraries?

7. Newsstands?

8. Radio stations?

9. TV stations?

B. What is the literacy and language level of the community?

C. Does the community appear isolated? Connected regionally? Nationally? Internationally?

IX. Education

A. What are the schools in the area?

1. Levels?

2. Public? Private?

3. Perceived quality?

B. Is there a community college?

1. Trade school?

2. Literacy programs?

3. GED programs?

4. University?

5. Other continuing education opportunities?

C. What is the school drop-out rate?

X. Economy

A. What is the median income?

1. How many families need financial aid?

B. How many banks? Locally owned?

1. Pawn shops?

C. What is the most common type of housing?

1. How many rent?

2. Is housing considered affordable?

3. How many are homeless?

4. How many people own their own dwelling?

D. What is the rate of employment?

1. Are employees in the service or manufacturing industry?

2. Other?

XI. Production

A. Is there farm production in the area?

1. Ranches?

2. Poultry farms?

3. Cattle? Pork production?

4. What type of agriculture is in the area?

5. Are these large or small properties?

6. What is the proportion of family farms to agribusinesses?

7. Where does the farm production go?

B. Is there forest production in the area?

C. Is there industry?

1. Factories?

2. Arts and craft production?

3. Mining?

4. Small businesses?

D. Are unions important in the community?

XII. Religion/Spirituality

A. How many churches, synagogues, and mosques are in the community?

1. What other spiritual practices/organizations are active in the area?

2. What would be considered the level of religiosity/spirituality in the area?

3. Is it considered conservative or liberal?

XIII. Safety

A. What is the judicial district? (Judicial districts tell us something of what type of judge is involved.)

B. Are there police stations? Sheriff’s department?

C. How many law enforcement officers are in the community? State police?

D. Are there military installations?

1. National guard?

2. Military reserve units?

E. Are there private detectives?

F. Are there private security guards?

G. Are there fire stations or public-safety stations?

1. How many firefighters?

2. Emergency medical technicians?

3. Paid or volunteer?

H. Are there dangerous locations in the community?

1. Dangerous groups?

2. Gangs?

3. Drug trade?

4. Violence?

5. Other activities that take away from family tranquility?

XIV. Politics/Public Service

A. Is the community a part of a government entity?

1. Describe the governing structure.

2. Who represents the community in local, state, and national politics?

B. What public services are available in the community?

C. What is the general level of political involvement in the area?

D. What are the current unmet community requests of local government?

E. How many are registered to vote? What is the level of voter participation?

XV. Justice

A. Are there institutions of justice in the area?

1. Family courts?

2. Criminal courts?

3. Law offices?

4. Legal aid?

B. Are there apparent problems with civil rights?

XVI. Community Pride

A. Are there community heroes?

1. Monuments?

2. Commemorative plaques?

B. Are there points of interest?

1. Picturesque areas?

2. Places of interest to tourists?

C. Who, if anyone, is considered the primary benefactor of the

community?

XVII. Summary

A. How would you characterize the general community feeling?

B. What seem to be community goals?

C. What are the strengths of the community?

D. What challenges does this community face?

Evaluation Guide for the Community Map and Assessment Paper

1 Adapted from Fauri, D.P., Netting, F.E., and O’Connor, M.K. (2005). Social Work Macro Practice Workbook: Exercises and Activities for Policy, Community, and Organization Interventions. Belmont, CA: Thompson Brooks/Cole, pp. 147-151.