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About the Culture and Community Network

The Culture and Community Network is a technical assistance and peer learning program designed to help staff at MPOs, RTPOs, and state DOTs assess, design, and begin implementation of arts and culture strategies for community engagement within their agencies. Selected participants from across the country will form a cohort of innovators, attending six interactive virtual learning modules and one in-person two-day workshop over seven months beginning April 2025. Sessions will be two hours and will be hosted on the third Tuesday of every month from 2-4 pm ET (other than the June session, which will be held on the fourth Tuesday).

Participants will learn from national experts and each other in a collaborative and supportive environment. Participants will use their new knowledge and resources to develop an action plan specific to their own agencies to begin implementing their own local initiatives in line with the goals of the program.

Eligibility

Teams of 2-3 MPO, RTPO, or state DOT employees with community engagement responsibilities are eligible to express interest in the Culture and Community Network. All members of a team should be employed at the same agency. Previous participation in Smart Growth America technical assistance programs is not required for participation in the Culture and Community Network. The 2025 Culture and Community Network is open to a maximum of 30 participants (approximately 10 teams of 2-3 members each).

Review process and priorities

SGA program staff will review your responses to the interest form. We will decide whether to invite your team to an introductory call based on the strength and alignment of your responses with the criteria and considerations below. SGA reserves the right to invite teams that have submitted interest form responses to participate in the Culture and Community Network outright. Teams invited to participate in the 2025 Culture and Community Network will be notified beginning Monday, March 31, 2025.

The primary program criteria are:

1. Interest in increasing arts and cultural strategies in the agency’s community engagement efforts (25%) – The team should demonstrate interest in designing and implementing arts and cultural strategies in the agency’s community engagement efforts as a way to collaborate with communities that have been historically excluded from infrastructure planning. The team should also demonstrate existing commitment to inclusive and equitable community engagement.
2. Involvement of agency leadership (25%) – Evidence of support for the team from department and/or agency leadership, including a commitment to integrating arts and cultural strategies in the agency’s day-to-day activities for improved community outcomes.
3. Clear assessment of pathways to progress (25%) – Responses should indicate that the team has begun initial exploration or discussions for integrating arts and cultural strategies with agency values, goals, and day-to-day activities.
4. Ability to commit to time requirements and program goals (25%) – Teams should affirm their commitment to fully participating in all functions and sessions if selected for the Culture and Community Network. This includes securing financial support from their employer for attending the two-day in-person workshop in Seattle in June. Participants may not appoint substitutes to participate in Culture and Community Network functions on their behalf. Responses should affirm the team’s commitment to engaging underrepresented income levels and demographics, along with other factors that may speak to the community’s needs.

Other key considerations:

• Geographic diversity – To the extent possible, Culture and Community Network participants and/or communities should reflect a variety of states, regions, and communities with a diverse set of populations.
• Equity – The degree to which the team commits to contributing to the diversity of the communities being assisted through this program, with an emphasis on low-income, disadvantaged, and mid-sized cities or rural communities.

Timeline and submission deadline

The deadline to express interest in Smart Growth America’s Culture and Community Network is Friday, March 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET. Expressions of interest shall be submitted using the form below by this time or using alternative arrangements previously approved and confirmed by SGA.

Express interest in the 2025 Culture and Community Network!

We will notify participants beginning Monday, March 31, 2025. Six monthly virtual learning sessions, along with two rounds of virtual office hours, will take place from April through October 2025. A two-day in-person workshop is expected to take place June 10-11, 2025, in conjunction with the National Association of Regional Councils’ Annual Conference and Exhibition in Seattle, Washington.

Have more questions? Check out these Frequently Asked Questions.