The retreat is built as a network that grows. Each activity is a node. Every node keeps everything before it, then adds one new layer of understanding. This is the place to find what each step produced.
Jump straight into any activity below, or explore the journey → to see how each step builds on what came before.
The polished visual outputs of each activity — diagrams, summaries, interactive pages. Embedded inline where they work, downloadable as PDF or PNG where useful.
The raw and working materials. Synthesis memos, breakout notes, sticky CSVs, source documents. The evidence layer behind the assets.
Where each activity sits — upcoming, in progress, or complete. What it produced, what comes next, what carries forward.
The first activity asked the cohort to define neighborhood in their own words. Eighteen participants generated 141 stickies, a round-robin of definitions, and four breakout group readings. The synthesis turned that material into a working framework: seven components that make a neighborhood thrive, each with three key attributes and indicators that distinguish presence from grounding. The framework is live as an interactive page, with the underlying synthesis, summary, and raw artifacts all available.
George is a systems strategist whose work starts from a simple observation: in complex systems, there is rarely a shortage of activity. What is missing is a clear view of how things actually connect. He previously served as Director of Water at The Nature Conservancy in New York and held leadership roles supporting the CEO Water Mandate, working with companies, NGOs, and global institutions on water stewardship and collective action. He is the architect of C4C's intelligence platform and graph tool suite.
george@connectingforchangellc.comSarah is a water resource engineer whose work sits at the intersection of technical systems and human decision-making. She brings a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a track record of translating complex data into tools, frameworks, and training that communities and organizations can actually use. She currently serves as a Program Manager at the Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation District, keeping one foot in applied, place-based work that grounds C4C's approach.
swhatele@gmail.comThis hub is a working document. If anything needs correcting, or if you want something added, write to us.
info@connectingforchangellc.com