Engaging Community. Creating Change.

What is Priority Spokane?

Priority Spokane is a unique collaborative working to create a vibrant future for Spokane County. The goal is to make measurable improvements in areas that are indicative of community vitality. By focusing community-wide efforts on key priorities associated with economic vitality, education, the environment, health and community safety, a thriving Spokane community will be created for all who live and work here.

The work of Priority Spokane will include:

• Identifying community priorities that show the greatest potential for improving the well being of our community.
• Establishing a broad base of agreement within the Spokane area regarding the areas of priority that need to be addressed.
• Developing strategies to make measurable improvement in the priority areas.
• Identifying the resources and partners to carry out the strategies.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of our actions and measuring improvement.

How did Priority Spokane begin?

In 2004, Eastern Washington University’s (EWU) Institute for Policy and Economic Analysis commenced the Community Indicators Initiative (CII). This initiative involved the collection of data - or indicators - to assess the state of the Spokane community in terms of economic vitality, education, health, environment and numerous other factors.

In 2005, the community indicator data for Spokane County was made public on the CII Web site. This was funded in part by a grant from Inland Northwest Community Foundation (INWCF).

A group of community leaders involved in the CII process recognized the value of the indicators for identifying priority community problems and for measuring change on these issues over time. These leaders represented local government, businesses, nonprofit organizations and local funders. With the vision to prioritize community action to measurably improve the community, these leaders launched Priority Spokane.

What work has been done to date?

Identifying community priorities was the first step of Priority Spokane. This process engaged authorities on economic vitality, education, the environment, healthy people and community safety. The process made extensive use of information from the Community Indicators Initiative to help identify priority concerns in the community. More than 120 citizens were engaged in this work.

The result of this process was the identification of five priorities:

• Increase educational attainment (e.g. high school and college graduates, preparing youth for further education and 21^st century jobs)
• Improve economic attainment (e.g. increase employment in higher paying industries)
• Support families to foster a rich early learning environment
• Improve access to healthcare
• Increase use of alternatives to the automobile

Educational attainment, specifically high school graduation, was overwhelmingly the highest priority because of its significant impact on other factors in an individual’s life and the community as a whole. For example, dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, live in poverty, receive public assistance, go to prison, be unhealthy and get divorced.

Recognizing the need to prioritize and focus community efforts in order to create significant change, the Priority Spokane Steering Committee determined the best course of action was to make educational attainment and dropout prevention the primary initiative. As progress is made on this effort, the community’s focus will shift to the other priorities. In the meantime, Priority Spokane will be providing information on the four other priorities, including ways that the public can be engaged in addressing them.

For the education initiative, Priority Spokane will focus in further on enhancing the middle school experience for students, both inside and outside the classroom. Studies have shown that providing appropriate resources to students during this period can dramatically improve high school retention rates. Priority Spokane has partnered with Gonzaga University to conduct research to identify proven programs and strategies locally, nationally and internationally. This research will be concluded Summer 2010.

What is next for Priority Spokane?

The results of the education research project will be presented to school administrators, nonprofit organizations and the public in Fall 2010. Priority Spokane will then work with those engaged with middle school students and will identify the resources necessary to implement the proven strategies identified through the research.

Over the next five years, Priority Spokane intends to make a lasting difference in Spokane County as more agencies, individuals and donors become involved.

For more information about how you can become involved,  please contact us.