Objective 1: Diversity Attention

Focus the community's attention on diversity

1. Improve coordination of diversity efforts.

• Recognize the county-wide Diversity Council to include major employers and other community leaders.
• Recommended Responsible Party: Diversity Council (accomplished 2/5/99)
• Encourage the collaboration of independent citizen's groups to promote diversity efforts.
• Recommended Responsible Party: Existing diversity organizations, faith communities and citizen. 

2. Establish a comprehensive diversity action plan.

A.  Develop a community consensus committing the community to a series of concrete steps to eliminate racism, to create a welcoming community environment, and to promote the positive values of diversity.

Recommended Responsible Party:  21st Century Partnership Steering Committee

B. Develop a valid instrument to measure community attitudes and perceptions regarding diversity.

Recommended Responsible Party:  21st Century Partnership Steering Committee with the assistance of the Rochester Olmsted Planning Department

C. Track changes annually in the community's response to diversity.

Recommended Responsible Party:  21st Century Partnership Steering Committee with the assistance of the Rochester Olmsted Planning Department

• Measures: Develop a diversity measure component that ties to other 21st Century Partnership key issues.
• Crime - hate crimes, victim/criminal demographics, survey data
• Education and Workforce Readiness - high school graduation rate, employer feedback, survey data
• Jobs and the Economy - employment, demographics, survey data
• Neighborhoods - Human rights complains, voting records, survey data
• Youth, Families and the Elderly -school data (i.e. graduation rates, exceptional students demographics, etc), family services data (elderly, runawasy, sucidese, etc).
• Rural and Small City Vitality -economic indicators and survey data.

D. Develop strategies to respond to survey findings

Recommended Responsible Party:  21st Century Partnership Steering Committee 

• Measures: Surveys demonstrating improved perceptions of opportunity, safety, and openness.