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What
is F.O.C.U.S. Greater Syracuse?
F.O.C.U.S.
Greater Syracuse is a community-wide visioning program
created with the goal of making Syracuse a better place
to live and work. Started by a group of Leadership Greater
Syracuse graduates and interested residents, the program,
loosely modeled after several visioning projects around
the country, came out of the desire to determine a course
of action and growth for Syracuse. F.O.C.U.S. Greater
Syracuse is a not-for-profit organization.
What is different about F.O.C.U.S. Greater Syracuse
from other visioning programs is that the ideas came
from thousands of every day folks, the citizens of Syracuse,
not from people in authority positions.
F.O.C.U.S. asked the citizens of Greater Syracuse what
their dreams were for the future of our community. What
did they want Central New York to look like in the future?
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The Process
Approximately
200 trained volunteers went out into the community to
facilitate visioning sessions at schools, workplaces,
houses of worship, in private homes, and anywhere else
they could assemble a group. Their mission was to ask
our community what their dreams were for Central New
York. More than 2,500 people participated in a total
of 124 sessions. From those sessions 15,500 ideas were
generated. This list was then categorized and entered
into a database at Onondaga Community College. Another
group of volunteers then whittled the ideas down to
87 common goals.
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Vision
Fair
In
May of 1998, the public was invited to a Vision Fair,
where they were asked to vote on the goals they felt
were most important. All told, over 4,000 people visited
the Vision Fair at the Convention Center at ONCENTER
that day and registered their vote.
A group of volunteers then tabulated the votes and ranked
them accordingly. Click here to see a complete list
of the goals.
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Analysis
Next
came the analysis phase. The goals
were categorized into the areas of education, government,
health and human services, neighborhoods, downtown,
and economic development, recreation and environment,
arts and events and tourism. A group of volunteers then
took an inventory to determine what actions were currently
taking place to achieve the 87 Goals.
Not only was this inventory compiled into a report to
the community, but it also served as a benchmark by
which to measure our progress.
Through our analysis, we found that groups were working
on many of our goals,
and in some cases duplicating efforts. Thus the need
to combine forces in a collaborative effort. In doing
so we would achieve a type of synergy.
Action
Now
that the inventory has been taken and the results have
been provided to the community through our Dreamshaping
brochure,
F.O.C.U.S. volunteers continue to pursue action. F.O.C.U.S.
identifies local and regional resources that have the
capacity to implement the 87 goals.
Once resources are identified, F.O.C.U.S. works with
them to act on the goals.
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Making
Our Goals a Reality
In
order to achieve our goals,
F.O.C.U.S. Greater Syracuse functions in six different
capacities: as a convener, communicator, catalyst, clearinghouse,
champion and celebrator.
Convener
– With our knowledge of the community we are able
to bring groups together to determine a course of action
to achieve our goals.
We have been successful at bringing groups together
who might not ordinarily work together.
Communicator
–
Through our monthly community report and occasional
progress reports, we keep the community informed on
the progress of our goals. Currently, we distribute
the information to approximately 5,000 stakeholders.
A stakeholder is anyone interested in the future of
our community. To be added to our stakeholder list email
your Name and Organization to focus@ci.syracuse.ny.us
Catalyst
–
By gathering groups together to join forces, set agendas
and create action, we make things happen
Clearinghouse
– F.O.C.U.S. has an extensive community network
of individuals to which we distribute information and
from whom we receive information. Because of this, we
are continually updated on progress toward the goals,
and expected to pass that information along to our stakeholders.
Champion
– We fight for the goals and continually remind
key decision-makers that the people of Central New York
determined our goals. F.O.C.U.S. has been asked to sit
on a number of committees to provide our viewpoint.
Celebrators
– Annual "I love CNY" Luncheon.
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Who Are Our Stakeholders?
F.O.C.U.S.
Greater Syracuse is an all-inclusive group open to anyone
who is interested in the future of Central New York.
Our Core Group meets one Friday a month to share information
and review progress on our Goals.
All are welcome.
To become a stakeholder and receive progress reports
or Core Group Meeting notices, send us an email at:
focus@ci.syracuse.ny.us
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Staff:
Charlotte
(Chuckie) Holstein,
Executive Director
201 E. Washington St.
Syracuse, NY 13202-1427
Phone: (315) 448-8732
Fax: (315) 4488733
Email: focus@ci.syracuse.ny.us
JoAnn Cucci,
Assistant Director
201 E. Washington St.
Syracuse, NY 13202-1427
Phone: (315) 448-8732
Fax: (315) 448-8733
Email: jcucci@ci.syracuse.ny.us
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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FOCUS
seeks
to
engender a
feeling of pride
and a future
of
promise.
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