Chattanooga's neighborhoods are growing and changing. Residents and Neighborhood Associations should lead the way.

Plenum consists of three related programs:

Technical Assistance

Supporting neighborhood organizations, residents, and property owners.

Technical Assistance

Plenum Constellation

A 'community of practice' supporting leaders of community-based initiatives.

Constellation

PlenumWorks Program

A mentorship-based skills development program with a social enterprise model.

PlenumWorks

Technical Assistance

Neighborhoods can do more to be prepared for the future.

  • better information about current neighborhood character
  • and about the planning and development process
  • ongoing familiarity and discussion of development issues among residents

 

Neighborhoods can establish and lead a vision for their area.

  • neighborhood plans
  • conservation overlay districts
  • community benefit agreements

 

Neighborhoods can lead redevelopment efforts.

  • forming development partnerships
  • direct participation in municipal infrastructure and open space projects
  • establishing community development corporations

 

Our current technical assistance project is the Chattanooga Neighborhood Atlas Project.

Please contact us at roy@plenumworks.com to learn more about our technical assistance services.

Plenum Constellation

  • Plenum Constellation is a collective of community-builders centered on peer learning, mutual support, and friendship. We share resources--creative, intellectual, and practical.

 

Practice Areas

  • Participants come from a variety of disciplines. We practice an agency-based approach to personal and community development.

 

Core beliefs and principles of action

  • Respect for the reality of other people’s lives: their paradigms, priorities, identities, and actions.
  • The defense of ordinary life: protecting and prioritizing the dignity of everyday activities and freedoms over any ideological objectives, grand plans, or -isms.
  • Restoring the ‘landscape’ of equality: engaging in current efforts in a manner that redresses deeper inequalities.

 

Community of practice activities

ongoing interpersonal dialogue
convening occasions for peer learning
publishing community voices
celebrating collaborative projects

PlenumWorks

PlenumWorks is a mentorship program for high school and college level.

PlenumWorks seeks to set up viable businesses on a social enterprise model, to provide work opportunities to trainees/workers.

  • Inclusive, social and emotional growth in a community context
  • Maker skills, ranging from craftsmanship to web design and writing.
  • Entrepreneurship skills and responsibilities.

 

PlenumWorks is in the early stages of development. We currently offer informal career guidance, internship matching and referrals.

Please contact us at roy@plenumworks.com.