INITIATIVES
CQ Strategies, LLC has provided training and consulting services to more than 275 organizations and over 7500 people between 2010 and 2023.
Our early work was initiated through the "We All Belong" AmeriCorps training program with the City of Burlington Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO).
CEDO approached us to develop and pilot a program to support organizations engaged in change efforts to create more welcoming and equitable organizations. In the first two years, we provided 50 hours of professional development to 70 leaders representing 11 organizations, schools and city departments. Since that time many more organizations participated in the program, broadening the reach of We All Belong across Chittenden County and Vermont. A partial list of participating organizations is provided below.
In 2014, CQ Strategies was approached by the National Park Service to deliver a modified version of the We All Belong program in the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire. Four organizations jointly hosted the CQ series of We All Belong / Foundations of Cultural Competency trainings:
National Park Service
Student Conservation Association
National Forest Service
Farm & Wilderness Foundation
In 2017-2019 CQ expanded We All Belong to serve the Central Vermont community, and in 2019-2020 back into Chittenden County and into the Upper Valley area. Participants in these We All Belong cohorts include:
Aloha Foundation
Athena Advocacy
Clean Yield Asset Management
Conservation Law Foundation
Essex High School & The Center for Technology, Essex
Family Center of Washington County
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
Green Mountain Club
HomeShare Now
Hunger Mountain Co-op
King Arthur Flour
Lyme Timber Management
Mascoma Bank
Montpelier Public Schools
New Hampshire Charitable Fund
Northfield Schools
Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union
Outright Vermont
Pathways Vermont
ReSource Youth Build
Snelling Center for Government
Toxics Action Center
University of Vermont College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Vermont Coalition for Ethnic Studies & Social Equity in Schools
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Vermont Community Foundation
Vermont Gas Systems
Vermont Natural Resources Council
Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG)
CQ Strategies has worked individually with a variety of organizations and agencies, providing introductory sessions as well as in-depth and ongoing work. A sample of these groups include:
Vermont Legislative Council
Leadership Champlain / Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce
LUND Family Center
New England Grassroots Environmental Fund
US Attorney’s Office - Vermont
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
TetraTech ARD
Women's Rights Historical National Park, Seneca Falls, NY
Saint Michael’s College
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center
Farm & Wilderness Foundation
American Civil Liberties Union
Vermont Youth Conservation Corps
Sterling College
Shelburne Museum
Vermont College of Fine Arts
VT HiTech
Partnership for Change
SerVermont
Champlain Valley Agency on Aging
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
Social Security Administration
Organizations who originally participated in We All Belong in Chittenden County include:
Bike Recycle Vermont
Burlington Airport
Burlington City Arts
Burlington Community and Economic Development Office
Burlington Human Resources Department
Burlington Mayor's Office
Burlington Parks and Recreation Department
Burlington School District
Centre for Media and Democracy / CCTV
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity
Dress for Success
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center
Fletcher Free Library
HOPE Works
Local Motion
Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association
Partnership for Change
Saint Michael’s College
South Burlington School District
United Way of Chittenden County
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
Vermont Legal Aid
Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties
Winooski Family Center
Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center
Women Helping Battered Women
YMCA Greater Burlington
YWCA Vermont
WE ALL BELONG participating agencies and schools have made broad and lasting improvements such as:
improved community relations
inclusive customer service standards
creation of diversity strategic plans
heightened employee morale
effective communication across cultures
implemented practices to recruit and retain diverse staff
strengthened relationships among staff
clearer strategies to achieve mission and goals
more diverse and engaged Boards of Directors
development of community building program
added equity policies and embedded equity statements within existing policies