Cultural Responsiveness and Inclusion Strategic Plan | Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department

Boulder County

Community Engagement

Inclusion & Equity

Trestle worked with Marina LaGrave and Bob Russel of Colorado Language Access and Cultural Experts (CLACE) to develop the Cultural Responsiveness and Inclusion Strategic Plan (CRISP) for the Parks and Open Space (POS) department of Boulder County. The plan focuses on Latinx communities as a first step towards underserved, marginalized communities, with the goal of adding a cultural responsiveness and inclusion lens to all that POS does, through:

  • Increasing the awareness of cultures, histories, needs, and interests of Latinx communities;

  • Building positive, lasting relationships;

  • Infusing the CRISP vision and insights into POS work.

The different steps of the project included thorough research and literature review to unveil best practices in the area of organizational cultural responsiveness, asset mapping to identify current and potential partnering opportunities, and co-creation with Latinx partners to establish strategies for making the department more inclusive and set the path to success. As it happened that our work coincided with the COVID-19 public health crisis, we adapted to mostly online engagement and some smaller, curated outdoor experiences and engagement opportunities: watch the videos on the right to learn more about the topics of cultural awareness and inclusion.

The final plan was delivered to POS in March 2021, concluding a year of co-creation with POS and Latinx partners to develop guiding principles and recommendations in three main areas: 

  • Partnerships & Co-Creation;

  • Communication & Outreach;

  • Economic Opportunities & Organizational Change.

You can access the full CRISP report here, along with the short-term (1-2 years) action plan developed for POS to the right. 

We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with POS, and sincerely hope that as a result they will become a pioneer in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work. 

This webinar was held on October 7, 2020, to provide an overview of the relevant evidence and literature that will document recommendations and guide POS in adding a cultural responsiveness & inclusion lens to all that they do.

This webinar was designed to be a resource for the department as they explore concepts of cultural competence and stepping into the Latinx culture. This webinar is not meant to create an overall stereotype of the Latinx community and its individuals. Instead, it introduces some cultural values that may vary with degrees of assimilation to the dominant Anglo culture and to the lived experiences of Latinx from many walks of life.

the crisp short-term action plan provides An overview of the CRISP project and how it was developed, along with The CRISP short-term (1-2 years) implementation strategies for each of the 3 recommendation categories: Partnerships & Co-Creation; Communication & Outreach; Economic Opportunities & Organizational Change.

the crisp short-term action plan provides An overview of the CRISP project and how it was developed, along with The CRISP short-term (1-2 years) implementation strategies for each of the 3 recommendation categories: Partnerships & Co-Creation; Communication & Outreach; Economic Opportunities & Organizational Change.