Our Story

Convening Community in Virtual Space

With the arrival of the pandemic, CWC launches a virtual community series, focused on dialogue and embodied practice. We build on the strengths we developed holding virtual practice space during the hybrid online/in-person Whole Communities Fellowship.

Inaugural Whole Communities Fellowship

The 2019-2020 Whole Communities Fellowship convenes and supports community leaders and activists whose work lives at the intersections of Justice and Environment – Land and People. The 12-month Fellowship consists of two in-person retreats, individual coaching, independent study and monthly virtual practice spaces.

Retreats with Yale & Partnership Fund Development

CWC continues its work with Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies to introduce our practice framework and explore the impacts of the history of race and the environmental movement. CWC leads on concept development for a $2 million partnership fund to more equitably distribute grant resources to community based organizations who partner with The Nature Conservancy – giving more than 50% of funds to frontline community groups.

A New Vision

The CWC team drafts a new purpose/vision and TOC statement and senior fellow Mohamad Chakaki joins Ginny McGinn for a two-year term as co-director.

Field Guide

CWC and TNC publish the Field Guide for Conservation in Cities, and Whole Measures for Urban Conservation.

Lake Champlain Office

CWC establishes an office on the shores of Lake Champlain and launches partnership with The Nature Conservancy North America to envision and develop a Cities Network working to center equity in urban conservation.

Shifting our focus, building new relationships

CWC hosts convenings of the land trust movement and native leaders to seed and support an emerging Native Land Trust movement. Transition of CWC from Vermont-focused retreat center to working in the places, organizations and communities where our partners live and work.

Whole Thinking Fellowship Retreat

First ever full Whole Thinking Fellowship retreat hosted away from Knoll Farm, held in Detroit – July 2012.

Intercultural Working Group (IWG)

Organization embarks on a strategic direction setting process and BREAKTHROUGH campaign. CWC institutes an Intercultural Working Group (IWG) formed to support cultural competency building for board and staff. Mistinguette Smith collaborates to create a more accessible curriculum to facilitate replication of Whole Thinking Retreats in places other than Knoll Farm.

Inaugural Next Generation Fellowship Retreat

Inaugural Next Generation Fellowship Retreat in collaboration with Kavitha Rao, Jesse Maceo Vega Frey and adrienne maree brown.

Land, Race Power and Privilege

Statement on Land, Race, Power and Privilege – developed collaboratively with the increasingly diverse board and faculty, and edited by Helen Whybrow.

Origins

Center for Whole Communities is founded after incubating as a project of The Trust for Public Land, called The Refuge for Land and People.