The Community Identity Project
When people begin to think of their association as more than a legal, organizational, or geographic happenstance, wonderful things can occur. Community identity gives individuals the experience of shared purpose, coordinates their actions, and confers a sense of pride in group achievements.
People who see themselves as the members of a community are more likely to participate in efforts that may yield them only tangential benefit. They are also more likely to be galvanized to action in response to challenges faced by members of the group they don't know personally or by situations that negatively impact the community's overall development or reputation.
The Chattanooga History Center has chosen, as a signature program, an online Community Identity Project with two elements:
· The Chattapedia: A Wikipedia-style on-line encyclopedia about Chattanooga. The tool would include a broad strokes survey of Chattanooga history and then grow as contributors incrementally added new material.
· The ChattaStories Project: An effort to record the oral history of individuals and families as well as the folk stories from this area.
TELL US YOUR FAVORITE CHATTANOOGA THINGS
The Chattapedia will be launched within the next few months. The History Center will also be announcing plans for the opening of a new permanent exhibit that will allow residents and visitors to experience the Chattanooga story for themselves.
Please click on the link below, and take a couple of minutes to share your thoughts and ideas. Your responses to this short survey will inform the Chattanooga History Center’s programming and how we tell Chattanooga’s story.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=KVlRNkqtFYUq8Iz3_2fCxdYw_3d_3d
