How does a community come to a consensus about things that matter? By starting with the belief that our commonalities are greater than our differences. 

Join us at our next Morning Coffee Series when guests Jason Angell and Jocelyn Apicello of the Ecological Citizen’s Project share their talk “Building Community Through Consensus.” They’ll walk us through how they designed a process that empowered their community to work together.

Concerned with the rise of polarization, Jason and Jocelyn developed an approach dubbed the Community Congress, inviting everyone in town to an event with great food, music, and babysitters. They posed one question to residents: “What should be our top priorities to preserve and promote a strong community?” and invited anyone to take the mic for three minutes to answer. Results were reflected back following a balloting process. Then, the community got to work making the best ideas a reality.   

Tune in July 1st at 8:30am to hear Jason and Jocelyn discuss how they surmounted the usual inertia, giving everyone a voice and catalyzing profound action and community strength.

About our speakers:

Jason Angell and Jocelyn Apicello are the co-founders and co-directors of the Ecological Citizen's Project. They are partnering with PCA on Funding Futures: Together We Decide to provide coaching modeled on the Ecological Citizen’s Project’s Community Congress. In addition to their work with the Ecological Citizen’s Project, Jason serves on the Town Board of Philipstown, and Jocelyn, a professor of public health, sits on the boards of the Cold Spring farmers’ market and the local school district. Together, they own and operate Longhaul Farm.