Raleigh Neighborhood Exchange

The City of Raleigh holds the Neighborhood Exchange each September to bring together residents from across the city to talk about neighborhood issues. The Exchange takes place as the City of Raleigh celebrates Neighborhoods Month.

About 200 Raleigh residents participated Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in the Eighth Annual Raleigh Neighborhood Exchange.

"The Neighborhood Exchange provides an opportunity for Raleigh residents to connect with each other and share a variety of ideas for making their neighborhoods better places to live," said Kristen Rosselli, director of the Community Services Department, which organizes the event. "Residents themselves are the driving force behind the great neighborhoods for which our city is known."

Residents attended breakout sessions on energy conservation, neighborhood communications, urban living, and preparations for natural disasters. Breakout sessions were held for teens on how to land and keep a job and the City of Raleigh Digital Connectors program, which provides technology training for young people. Sessions in Spanish covered healthy aging and fair housing laws.

Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata delivered the keynote speech at the Exchange, held at the McKimmon Center at N.C. State University. Superintendent Tata described community involvement as crucial to a successful school system.

"This is a community that is fully engaged and doesn't give up," he said. "This is a community that tries new things. This is a community that has no hesitation at all in contacting the superintendent when there is a new idea."

Tata, who became superintendent this year, said that recent initiatives in the school system sprang from members of the community, including plans for single-gender leadership academies.

"We have a new approach in Wake County, and the new approach is listening to the community," he said.

A number of City of Raleigh departments and other organizations sponsored information booths at the Exchange, which allowed participants to learn about local and government services.

A committee of citizens volunteered their time to plan and carry out the Exchange. Committee members included Gary Wiggins, Tsegga Medhin, Karen Still, Erin Edgar and Dianne Wilkes.