Connectivity Fair 2024

Back by popular demand!!!

Come join us at this community wide event. This multifaceted event was a huge hit last year and this year will be even better!  This is a great place to greet old and meet new friends, while countless local organizations will be sharing information about their latest efforts in the community.

The intention of this gathering is to foster deeper connections, for these connections are key to strengthening the fabric that holds our community together.  The Connectivity Fair is designed to celebrate and expand our sense of CONNECTION as a vibrant community in Jefferson County, building relationships that transcend our boundaries and highlight interactions across generations, cultures, and communities.

The day will include a gym full of tables from local groups and organizations, where everyone can learn about our unique and dynamic community and what connects us all, how you can pitch in and help, and meet the faces working to keep our community strong and vibrant. As with last year, there will also be thoughtful and engaging breakout presentations hosted by organizations supporting: local housing, local youth, our local food system, emergency management at both County and neighborhood levels, mental health offerings, and much more.

Admission is free, the Connections we make are priceless. For a peek at last year’s event Click here

For more information, contact connectivityjeffco@gmail.com.

Interconnections

The Film

Ever wonder if your actions make a difference? We will be sharing a short 15-minute film by local filmmaker Rose Madrone, which examines the ripple effects of our actions, in an interconnected world.

By weaving these concepts together, there is no doubt that what we do matters and is actually far more significant than we can even imagine.

 Ancient Interconnectedness ~ Contemporary Tribal Relations

Loni Greninger
Tribal Vice Chair
Jamestown S’Klallam

The three S’Klallam/Klallam Tribes have operated as sovereign nations since time immemorial with deep values and teachings that came from the Creator and creation around us. Our values evolved as we interacted with the western world, but never abandoning our cultural identity. Our ancient tribal values inform the way the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe co-exists with the western world today. Come learn how to relate to tribal governments!

Envisioning our Housing Future

Housing Solutions Network
with
15 local housing organizations

Over the past 5 years, Housing Solutions Network has done a great job giving our community a huge “wake up call” about our serious housing crisis. Many shorter- and longer-term projects are now in the planning and/or implementation stages with a variety of ways the public can become more supportive and engaged. This panel will feature 15 representatives of our many local housing organizations giving targeted descriptions of what each one does, which ones are currently collaborating with others, and what the public needs to learn and consider about the part each plays in the bigger picture of our future housing solutions. There will be a specific emphasis on looking at barriers and solutions to “housing affordability”.

Community Involvement through Philanthropy

Jefferson Community Foundation

Jefferson Community Foundation is one of 850 community foundations across the country. Our job is to understand the current Jefferson County landscape of social challenges and opportunities and the nonprofit organizations that are working to address them. We freely share this information so you can: GIVE charitable donations informed with local knowledge & strategy; BUILD strong and collaborative nonprofits; and SOLVE regional issues by working together on solutions. Join Executive Director Siobhan Canty and members of the JCF network to learn how Jefferson Community Foundation can be a resource for your own community efforts.

“Celebrating Women with Clipboards”

Presented by

The New Old Time Chautauqua

“Women with Clipboards” can be ANY gender!! They are the people behind the scenes who make things happen! Whether you are the one with the vision, or the one who takes care of the details, the person to call when there’s a problem, or the person to cry with when you are in pain, whether you are an “invisible” or “visible” force who may occasionally feel unappreciated, unseen or even alone, if you are someone who cares about the Earth and what’s happening, and in the face of it all you still haven’t given up, YOU are a “Woman With A Clipboard” (WWAC).
Whether you are a WWAC, want to be a WWAC, to recognize a WWAC, or simply to be in the company of other WWAC’s, come join The New Old Time Chautauqua in this interactive and playful, but serious celebration of “Women With Clipboards” and how we can come together.

Youth Empowerment

Students for Sustainability

Join Port Townsend High School’s Students for Sustainability as they celebrate 14 successful years as a student-led club making a difference at their school, in our community, and in our state. They will share past, current, and future projects along with their hope for the future.

Strengthening our 

Local Food System

WSU with

12 Food System Participants

Our community has been very intentionally strengthening our local food system for many years. We already have a lot to celebrate thanks to the multiple accomplishments brought to us by these collaborative efforts. Clearly our food future can become even brighter by increasing collaboration and connectivity in this arena! This presentation will give you a speedy tour of some of the many people and projects that continue to work to help us feed ourselves from local sources. We can ALL place more emphasis on eating locally.
Come learn how and why YOUR food choices make a difference.

Resilience through

Emergency Preparedness

Dept of Emergency Management
with
Six Community Groups

Resilience –The ability of a system, organization, or person to adapt to change and continue functioning in the face of stress or adversity.
We live in a beautiful region that also holds the risk of several natural disasters. We don’t know when they will occur, but we do know that preparing today will help us respond and recover after the fact. Join us to learn about planning that is already under way and how you can take part. You’ll hear from volunteers (your neighbors!) preparing for a whole community response through a broad array of community-based organizations working with our Department of Emergency Management in a variety of roles.
Resilience – A great way to meet your neighbors, learn about preparing for unforeseen disasters, gain peace of mind, and get involved in your community!

Youth Mental Health through Art

The Benji Project and The Nest

How can the importance of youth mental health and well-being be expressed through art? Young people will be joined by educator-advocates from The Nest @ OWL360 and The Benji Project to facilitate a discussion about youth mental health, with a focus on informing a hands-on collaborative art project. Learn about and contribute ideas for a thematic art piece for Rhody Parade 2024 to raise awareness about mental health and well-being for young people. Add your voice! All ideas and perspectives are welcome.

Nourishing the Childcare Desert

with

Multiple Childcare Providers

One of the challenges facing our community is a lack of childcare and early learning options, especially for full time care. East Jefferson has even been called a desert for childcare. But what many people don’t know is how many organizations have been working behind the scenes to solve this issue and how many facilities there are trying to help provide this much needed resource. There will be upwards of a dozen representatives from all aspects of this sector coming together to share all the things they are doing and potentially find ways to connect and strengthen collaborations to help support families.