The Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay and Public Agenda, along with our network of research collaborators, created Cycles of Resilience as a program of sustained community engagement. The goal is to help residents identify issues, use science to refine ideas for action, and align emerging priorities with city, state, and federal efforts. The Cycles model is a sequence of games and activities to engage residents, mapping exercises to better understand community issues, idea generation to address those issues, and identification of pathways to turn ideas into action. This ‘cycle’ can help create a stronger role for residents in prioritizing research and actions that prepare communities for the challenges of climate change and urbanization.
Cycles has been supported by:
- Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
- Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust
- New York Community Trust
Continue reading below to see how Cycles has worked in Canarsie and the communities of Eastern Queens.
Canarsie, Brooklyn
Cycles began in 2018 with the help of residents representing local organizations including Canarsie Community Development Inc., Fresh Creek Civic Association, Canarsie Neighborhood Alliance, and Billion Oyster Project.
Phase 1 included the creation of a new game, Jamaica Bay Jeopardy, which engaged hundreds of residents around Canarsie in learning about their community and the Bay. This was followed by cruises on the R/V CUNY I where Canarsie residents and researchers explored the Bay and its issues.
Phase 2 allowed residents to explore issues and priorities within Canarsie in greater depth, supported by researchers from the SRIJB network including CUNY: Hunter College, The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Stevens Institute of Technology. Through these interactions, ideas for advancing community priorities emerged.
Phase 3 brought residents together in November of 2019 for a workshop supported by the SRIJB and Public Agenda. Action teams were formed around the themes of a new community center, streets and healthy environments. Following the workshop, staff from SRIJB, Public Agenda and NY Sea Grant have continued the relationships with the community action teams to support their efforts in improving the quality of life in Canarsie.
Jamaica Bay Jeopardy
Learning About Jamaica Bay
A second cycle of resilience commenced in Canarsie to specifically address the need for a community-generated emergency management plan. SRIJB and Public Agenda supported the Canarsie Community Development Inc. (CCDI) with the development of the Canarsie Emergency Recovery Game, and the mapping of community assets and their vulnerability to flooding.
Southeastern Queens
In 2019, SRIJB and Public Agenda partnered with the Eastern Queens Alliance (EQA) to address needs and priorities for communities of southeastern Queens bordering JFK airport and Idlewild Park. In collaboration with EQA, we developed Idlewild Family Feud as an engagement tool, and supported a series of intergenerational dialogues to prioritize issues and identify action pathways.
