Creating Change Through Community Engagement and Economic Equity in Salinas

Project Description

The Salinas Inclusive Economic Development Initiative is a newly-formed cohort made up of nine Salinas-based community organizations which aims to increase economic prosperity in the region through their work and organizing. We partnered with SIEDI to create a story map collection which displays their answers to the question: why does Salinas need a more inclusive economy? The story maps also highlight the impact that each organization has had on the community, and provides links to resources and other ways to get involved or access the valuable services these organizations provide to the people of Salinas.

Project Overview

Project Partner: SIEDI (Salinas Inclusive Economic Development Initiative)

Partner Organizations:

Mujeres en Acción

ALBA (Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association)

Building Healthy Communities

CCA (Center for Community Advocacy)

Centro Binacional Para El Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO)

Hijos del Sol

Loaves, Fishes & Computers

Monterey Bay Central Labor Council

Rancho Cielo

Tech Used: ArcGIS and Canva

Project Outcomes

By creating a story map collection on ArcGIS, our team was able to increase awareness of the resources and services that the nine SIEDI organizations provide to Salinas residents. Our project also assisted the SIEDI organizations with developing their narratives through their collaboration with us on their story maps.

Project Milestones

Our team first introduced our project to the SIEDI organization during their convening in March 2022. We then moved forward with implementation, beginning with scheduling and attending site visits with the nine organizations. We collected content in the form of photos, videos, and interviews which we then used to create each organization's story map. Lastly, we collected feedback before finalizing the story map collection.

Project Deliverable

For our project, we developed a Story Map that is able to represent each of the nine organizations in the Salinas Inclusive Economic Development Initiative. We worked with individuals and communities to form a bond with each other, working towards an inclusive economy together.

Lessons Learned

Heads

Learning the best solutions and tools to solve community issues
Long-term and sustainable change
Visibility for marginalized groups and progressive change-makers

Hearts

Determination, Diligence, Communication, Patience
How to work with an extended timeline
Splitting up work & responsibilities
Developing working relationships
Supporting each other through thick and thin

Hands

Learning new technology
Simple Solutions
Filling in the technology gap for social justice work

Project Impact

Bringing visibility and accessibility to community-oriented organizations that focus on making long-term changes in the community and in the economy of Salinas and Monterey Bay. Creating a greater profile for the social justice work that is already done in the area as well as linking organizations together for future collaboration and more inclusive discussions around the future of the economy and how decision-makers can be more accountable and inclusive going forward.

Meet Our Team

Katheline Vanegas

(They/Them)

Sociology with GISES

Katheline is a first-generation Guatemalan college student from Oakland who is interested in hands-on community work and working with organizations that strive for equity and work towards social transformation.

Gordon Schwabe

(He/Him)

Sociology with GISES

Gordon is a Senior at UC Santa Cruz and is majoring in Sociology with a concentration in Global Information and Enterprise Studies. He’s from Saratoga, California, and loves to cook, work on cars, and drum in his free time. He has a passion for community-driven work and has experience with media arts and nonprofit organizations. Gordon Currently works at UC Santa Cruz as a peer advisor for the Sociology undergraduate program and hopes to find meaning in helping others in the future.

Mia Perez

(She/Her)

Sociology with GISES

Mia is a third-year student at UC Santa Cruz who is passionate about social change, community organizing, and education. She currently works for the UCSC libraries and hopes to pursue a related career in the future.

Nicasio Inchausti

(They/He)

Sociology w/ GISES + Electronic Music Minor

Nicasio is a fourth-year student at UCSC with interests in the social sciences and music. They grew up in Oakland, Ca, and have been around social justice work their entire life. They are looking to balance a career in music and social justice work after they graduate.

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