MCC All Welcome Community Cohorts
What are Community Cohorts?
Community Cohorts are community-building groups established by MCC corps members seeking to connect with other MCC participants who hold a shared identity. Our All Welcome cohorts are spaces where MCC’s Community Values may come alive for you.
-
PurposeOur vision for these spaces is to ensure that all people experience safety, belonging, dignity, and validation at MCC. Members self-select into identity-based communities they would like to connect with and MCC will endeavor to support each group to the level that is requested. Community Cohorts reflect MCC’s core values, and they offer opportunities for corps members with shared identities to cultivate their own leadership in shaping a community where people can be their most authentic selves, create positive change, foster understanding and resilience, and relate to one another.
-
Commitments- We make intentional efforts to validate the varied identities and backgrounds within MCC’s community.
- We affirm the dignity and value of all human beings.
- We expect our community to maintain a space where everyone, regardless of background, can reach their full potential.
- We create opportunities for all people to share their lived experiences and access the whole of the MCC program. -
Leadership/FacilitationUpon request, MCC staff can help provide basic organization and facilitation (ex. brainstorm an event, access to MCC facilities, online tools) for each community, but it is you - through your engagement - that provides the energy and creativity to make each space a place for sharing, connection, learning, and growth.
What to Expect
MCC’s All Welcome Community Cohorts are corps member driven and staff supported. You are the energy to convene, share, and learn together. All Welcome Community Cohorts may include activities such as:
MCC Corps member and staff restricted group chat
Monthly virtual hangouts
Region/geographic-based in-person events and hangouts
Statewide events (ex. Mid-summer camp-out)
Staff assistance with brainstorming, organizing, or facilitating upon request
As seen in the examples above, these groups and activities may sometimes be more formal in their organization and could also be as informal as just grabbing coffee with your friends.
Getting Involved
Interested in participating and keeping up to date with what's going on with Community Cohorts?
Fill out the Community Cohort Interest Form below to get on the email list to stay in the know and get involved. Please keep in mind that since these groups are member led, organizers might not always use this list in their planning process or to send invites. However, we will do our best to inform those wanting to get involved.
Community Cohorts that have already been established by MCC participants:
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)
LGBTQIA2+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, Plus)
Women’s+ (Women from all walks of life, i.e. Cis-gender, Assigned Female At Birth, Trans, Non-binary)
We welcome new cohorts reflecting other shared identities and will add them here once established. See below for the steps on establishing a new cohort.
Establishing a Community Cohort
If you would like to form a Community Cohort that doesn’t currently exist (see list above), MCC requests that you first notify staff via the form linked at the bottom of this page. We ask this so that we know a bit more about the community you are representing, what your hopes are for that group, and to help you in the first steps of forming a new group.
Please fill out the Community Cohort Engagement Form to begin the process of establishing a new community cohort.
After submitting, a staff representative from your program/region will reach out to you to continue the conversation and process of establishing a new Community Cohort. Please keep in mind that staff are frequently in the field and/or busy but will do their best to respond in a timely manner.
Requesting Support for a Community Cohort
As stated above, MCC wants to do our best to support Community Cohorts while keeping them primarily MCC participant led. If you would like to request any type of support from staff for your community cohort, please fill out the Community Cohort Engagement Form.
After submitting, a staff representative from your program/region will reach out to you to further coordinate the support you requested. Please give as much lead time as possible as staff are frequently in the field and/or busy but will do their best to respond in a timely manner.
