Ellensburg uses innovative partnership to engage their community in DEIB

By: City of Ellensburg

Ellensburg, a small city of about 18,000 people, formed its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Commission in 2020 and spent the first year focused on:

• Forming relationships and developing norms;
• Drafting a new diversity, equity, and inclusion chapter of the city’s comprehensive plan; and
• Writing a land acknowledgment statement.

Innovative partners

The DEI Commission started meeting in 2021 and the following year, it received $10,000 in city funding to advance its work. The Commission partnered with the local school district (ESD) and Central Washington University (CWU) to host the first “Belonging in the Burg”—an event to build community and conversation using a World Café model. This style uses an informal café setting where participants discuss issues in small-table groups, much like they were talking at a coffee shop.

“The goal was to move beyond listening and begin conversations that would not only build understanding but also inspire individual reflection and actions.”

Accessibility was important to event success. Spanish is the second-most spoken language in Kittitas County, so an English-to-Spanish interpreter translated the instructions at the beginning of the meeting, and table interpreters were available to translate among the small groups. Event advertising was shared in English and Spanish.

Using the World Café model to facilitate DEI conversations

When the DEI Commission was considering how to approach building community in Ellensburg, the city manager suggested the World Café community conversations model because it allows people to build one-on-one relationships and share their stories. It is designed to create a safe, welcoming environment to intentionally connect multiple ideas and perspectives on a topic by engaging participants in several rounds of small-group conversations.

The format is intended to create enriching conversations about belonging. The model encourages participants to move between multiple small group discussions, allowing for the exchange of ideas and exploration of perspectives. This dynamic approach enabled “Belonging in the Burg” attendees to build connections, listen, and share stories without the pressure of speaking in front of a large audience.

The traditional World Café model is comprised of five components:

1. Setting
   Special care was taken to create an informal café-style setting—round tables covered with paper, crayons for doodling, a talking prompt, and refreshments.
2. Welcome and introduction
   The Dispute Resolution Center of Yakima and Kittitas Counties facilitated the event and hosted a training for volunteer table hosts. In order to build an atmosphere of trust and collaboration, the facilitator developed a set of group guidelines to ensure that everyone felt heard.
3. Small-group rounds
   Participants rotated among four tables, answering different questions at each stop. Some participants were hesitant to share stories but became more comfortable with their table cohort by the time they completed the series of discussions.
4. Questions
   Participants answered four questions in small-group settings:
   1. What do I gain when I feel as if I belong?
   2. I feel like I belong in Ellensburg when…/I feel like I don’t belong in Ellensburg when...?
   3. What do I have to give up when I belong?
   4. Do you have to contribute to belong?
5. Harvest
   The harvest portion of the event brought everyone back together as a large group where individuals were invited to share insights or takeaways from their conversations.

Event participation

The first “Belonging in the Burg” event drew a crowd of about 70 people, including a dozen facilitators and English-to-Spanish translators.

Common themes from the event included:

• Belonging is an essential experience.
• Listening is important.
• People need to feel welcome.
• Belonging can look and feel different based on what context you give it; and
• Be open-minded.

A second “Belonging in the Burg” event, held in April 2023, focused on building bridges. It asked questions about where bridges exist in Ellensburg, where they need to be built, why bridges are needed, and what is needed to build them. The second event had fewer people, but was still well-attended, despite being on a holiday weekend.

Results

The partnership led to the development of a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU), noting the intention to increase belonging and to partner on other work beyond the World Cafe to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

The DEI Commission recently approved its liaison positions for one representative from CWU, one from ESD, and one from the Ellensburg Downtown Association to provide reciprocal communication and collaboration around DEI efforts. The Commission hopes to host another World Cafe in the fall and intends to work with a larger venue to expand attendance. In the meantime, they continue to give the community opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas on a variety of projects through “Be Heard Eburg.”

Reflections

Attendees were given feedback forms before they left the event; responses were generally positive. Participants said they liked meeting new people, listening to other perspectives, and staying with the same group so they could build trust and speak openly. Given the significant interest in the city continuing to offer opportunities for community discussion, that feedback will inform future events.

By creating a safe and inclusive space, encouraging diverse perspectives, and fostering active participation, “Belonging in the Burg” events enabled participants to forge meaningful connections and work together toward a more inclusive and connected Ellensburg. Through ongoing conversations and shared responsibility, this community-building approach is laying the groundwork for a stronger and more vibrant city.