SCI Hires Network Coordinator
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2007
Contact: David Crowley
781.935.2244 or dcrowley@socialcapitalinc.org
SCI Hires Network Coordinator
Seeks Interested Communities for Network Sites
Woburn-based nonprofit Social Capital Inc. (SCI) announced today that it has hired Mike Sances as Network Coordinator.
“I’m pleased to announce that we have hired Mike Sances as our new Network Coordinator,” said David Crowley, President of SCI. “In this position Mike will assist communities around the state with starting SCI Network Sites.”
As a result of the growing interest in civic engagement and building bridges among diverse groups, SCI is now seeking communities interested in replicating its successful Community Connector programs—the Civic Welcome Wagon, Community Portal website and Civic eBlast. Sances, who will be working with these communities to adapt the SCI model to them, said the need for such a program was well-established.
“The data consistently show that people do want to be more involved in civic life, but one of the biggest barriers they point to is a lack of information,” he said. “New neighbors don’t know what, where or how to get involved. And many say they lack the tools to frame common concerns, to talk about their differences—and to celebrate both. The introduction of these SCI Network Sites will help address this need.”
Mr. Sances has a background in Political Science, and gained extensive experience with SCI’s Connecting Citizens programming through his time as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with SCI, serving from August 2006 to August 2007. In particular, he gained special knowledge of Drupal, the open-source software program that powers SCI’s Community Portal.
One of three main components to the Network Sites, the Community Portal will be modeled off of SCI’s websites in Dorchester, Lynn, and Woburn. The site—which is similar to other social networking sites but different in that it is tied to on-the-ground civic engagement programs—features blogs, a virtual bulletin board, a community calendar, and RSS feeds from other community sites like police and local news outlets.
Interested communities should contact SCI at network@socialcapitalinc.org or call 781-935-2244.
Mr. Sances is a lifelong Massachusetts resident and attended Sandwich High School and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. He lives in Cambridge.
Founded in 2002, the mission of SCI is to strengthen communities by connecting diverse individuals and organizations through civic engagement initiatives. We envision a nation where individuals are strongly connected to their neighbors and play an active role in shaping the destiny of their communities. This increase in ‘social capital’ will result in communities that are safer, healthier and more vital.
