Funding will help spread FUSION model
Claire Ryan’s latest FUSION Saint John article appeared in today’s Telegraph-Journal:
Earlier this month, FUSION was awarded $25,000 through the Population Growth Secretariat’s Youth Engagement Funding Program to create a model and accompanying resource materials to implement the FUSION Saint John concept in other major, urban provincial centres.
“We’ve heard from groups and individuals from across the province interested in setting up FUSION in their communities,” says Deanna Graves, FUSION board treasurer and a member of the team that submitted the funding application. “By leading this project and creating a provincial FUSION model, we can share the knowledge we’ve gained over the last five years.”
The Youth Engagement Funding Program is designated for youth engagement initiatives for people between the ages of 15 and 35, youth-driven community engagement initiatives and efforts that increase awareness of opportunities for youth in the province.
As one of 20 provincial organizations awarded this funding, FUSION is in good company. Other recipient groups included 21Inc., Miramichi Advisory Committee on Youth and the Falls Brook Centre. The Resource Centre for Youth (TRC) and the Saint John Community Loan Fund are the other local organizations receiving funding.
“Our first step will be to determine which areas of the province will benefit the most from implementing the FUSION model,” Graves said. “We would then work with interested members in that community to develop an organizational design framework and build relationships with community stakeholders in the area.”
The plan to create a model other New Brunswick centres can use to engage members of their communities via events, committees and platform for dialogue. FUSION board members will work with community leaders to establish a provincial project co-ordination committee.
The committee will get the ball rolling by developing a project framework, funding model and communication material. From there they will support other centres as they work to implement the model.
This project will serve FUSION Saint John just as much as the participating communities. It would also serve as the catalyst for a provincial network to communicate and exchanges ideas, lessons learned and success stories.
“By linking groups under a provincial model, we can create a network that will eventually serve as a powerful tool in attracting and retaining New Brunswickers,” Graves said.
“There’s no sense reinventing the wheel when you’ve got something that works,” says Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne, who is also the minister responsible for the Population Growth Secretariat.
“FUSION Saint John is one the most dynamic groups we’ve got in this province. We’ve got something that’s successful; this is the opportunity to build on it and take it to other areas of the province.”
It was a similar line of thinking that inspired FUSION to submit the application for funding in the first place. The FUSION model has already been successfully implemented in Halifax, Bangor and Detroit.
After five years, members of FUSION’s board and committees have accumulated a wealth of knowledge and are keen to share their experiences with other New Brunswick leaders. In receiving funding from this program, FUSION Saint John will be able to collaborate with other New Brunswick communities to move the province forward.
Claire Ryan works with MT&L Public Relations Ltd. and is a member of the FUSION Saint John board. Her column appears on Tuesdays. She can be reached at cryan@mtlpr.ca.
