New Voices Partnership Information
The East Bay Regional Park District will be holding a variety of public engagement activities as part of the process to plan enhancements to the North Basin Strip on the Berkeley shoreline. In addition to stakeholder meetings and community meetings open to the general public, EBRPD is providing a series of capacity-building training workshops that aim to empower previously underrepresented communities to participate in the park planning process. We are seeking diverse partners, both organizations and individuals, to join a leadership cohort: The New Voices Partnership.
Stipends of up to $1,000 provided.
The New Voices Partnership is an opportunity for community-based organizations and individuals to build capacity and advance their missions by helping to plan a shoreline park to serve our communities’ needs for healthy and accessible outdoor spaces.
Over the course of nine months, the New Voices cohort will attend three interactive training workshops, one small stakeholder meeting, several large community meetings, and participate in a final review and reflection.
Organizations are invited to nominate staff, board, or constituents to represent their organizations. Individuals not affiliated with a specific organization are also invited to apply.
New Voices Application
WHO
WE SEEK PEOPLE WHO:
- Represent the diverse cultures, lived experiences, and interests of people in the East Bay but have not been traditionally represented in park planning. Diversity is inclusive of, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, culture, ability, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.
- Are eager to build positive relationships with other cohort participants.
- Can commit to participating in ALL cohort meetings and requirements.
- Hope to continue participation in park and open space planning in the future as a way of furthering their organizational or personal mission.
WHAT
NEW VOICES FELLOWS WILL:
- Help plan the enhancement of a shoreline park
- Participate in three capacity-building training workshops
- Participate in stakeholder meetings and community meetings
- Receive a stipend of up to $1,000
- Receive a Certificate of Citizen Planning upon completion
WHY
WE BELIEVE PARKS ARE:
Essential to our health, well-being, social connections, and are one of the joys of living in the East Bay.
Our goal is to increase participation by communities historically underrepresented in park planning and help our regional parks better address needs across communities.
We want to help parks more effectively intersect with and support sectors including:
- Public health
- Mental health
- Environmental justice
- Social justice
- Outdoor recreation
- Arts and culture
- Youth development
- Senior services
- Disability rights and beyond
WHEN
August 15, 2024: Application deadline
September-October 2024: 3 Training workshops
November 2024-Spring 2025: Stakeholder and community meetings
Summer 2025: Final plan completed
WHERE
The park we are planning is located on the Berkeley shoreline. It is part of the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park, which is managed by the East Bay Regional Park District. It lies along the bay shoreline just west of the I-80/I-580 freeway, north of University Avenue and South of Gilman Street. It is north of the Berkeley Meadow habitat area and south of the Gilman Sports Fields.
Benefits
The Cohort will:
- Participate in three training sessions to study one shoreline park site in Berkeley, including field visits
- Learn principles and methods of public park planning
- Participate in the planning of this park site through stakeholder and community meetings
- Participate in a final reflection session
- Receive a Certificate in Citizen Planning
- Become part of a network of cross-sector advocates
- Serve as ongoing channels of communication between their communities and EBRPD
- Receive a $1,000 stipend
- Have fun and build community
Requirements
The Cohort will be asked to:
- Attend all three half-day training workshops in September and October 2024
- Attend one or more small stakeholder input meetings on evenings in November 2024 along with other members of the public
- Attend public community planning or presentation meetings in November, April, and August
- Attend reflection and next steps session and completion ceremony in August 2025
- Bring a collaborative spirit and commit to community rules of respect, inclusion, and open discussion
Eligibility
- Organizations are encouraged to nominate potential participants from their staff, board, or constituencies; both the organization and participant will need to describe their reasons for participating
- Individuals not affiliated with organizations are also welcome to apply
- Anyone who lives or works in Alameda or Contra Costa counties may apply
- Minimum age for participation is 15
Special notes
- People of color, people with disabilities, low-income people and people of all gender identities and sexual orientations are strongly encouraged to apply.
- No special expertise is needed; if you are new to park planning and public participation, you are very welcome
New Voices Partnership Schedule (all dates are subject to change)
Applications and selection
| August 15 | Application forms due |
| September 1 | Participants selected and informed |
Training and Participation
| September - October 2024 | Workshops: 3 training and site study meetings |
| November 2024 | Community Meeting #1: participate in site activities open to public |
| November 2024 | Small-group stakeholder meeting |
| Spring 2025 | Community Meeting #2: comment on preliminary designs |
| Summer 2025 | Attend Community Meeting #3 to see final designs |
| Summer 2025 | Reflections workshop and granting of Certificates |
New Voices FAQ
Q. Will workshops be remote or in-person?
A. All workshops and meetings will be in person. If you are selected as a New Voices participant and attending in person is difficult for you because of disabilities, we will do our best to help you participate without attending in person. Field trips will be designed to accommodate people of diverse abilities.
Q. What does “up to $1,000 stipend” mean?
A. We expect to be able to provide a stipend of $1,000 per person. However, if we have many participants, the stipend might be slightly lower.
Q. Are transportation stipends available?
A. The participation stipend is intended to help cover transportation costs.
Q. When will New Voices cohort events occur?
A. They will be scheduled to meet the needs of the participants as much as possible. The application form asks you to indicate your availability.
Q. When will the park be built?
A. This planning process will create a plan expected to be completed in summer 2025. Securing funding for development of the park and construction will occur in coming years.
Q. If I can’t commit to all the meetings required of New Voices, can I still participate in the park planning process?
A. We ask that all New Voices participants commit to attending all training workshops and as many stakeholder and community meetings as possible—this is where you will use the knowledge gained in the workshops to represent your community.
However, even if you are not in the New Voices training cohort, you can participate in public community meetings that are part of the regular park planning process. If you think you cannot commit to participating as a New Voices participant, but would like to be informed of upcoming stakeholder and community meetings, sign up for updates here [link].
Q. How will New Voices participants be selected?
A. New Voices participants will be selected by the park planning team (EBRPD and Consultants). A diverse cohort will be selected to ensure a broad range of perspectives, interests, and experiences are represented and that previously under-represented and cross-sector viewpoints are included.
Q. What if I’m part of the local mountain biking club or environmental organization. Can I participate in the New Voices training?
A. The New Voices workshops are designed for organizations that are new to park planning or have had limited participation in the past, including sectors outside the recreation and environmental fields. If you are part of a group that has been active in advocating for a parks-related interest in the past, we warmly invite you to participate in the community meetings that will be publicly announced over the next year. Your opinions are important, and we want to make sure they are heard. Please sign up to be notified of meetings here [link].
Q. If I have questions about New Voices before applying, whom should I contact?
A. Please email Susan Moffat, coordinator of New Voices, at northbasinstrip@wrtdesign.com.