The Community Aspirations Hub is an initiative of the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab within the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In collaboration with communities, organizations, subject matter experts, and people with lived experience, we are exploring innovative community-driven pathways to wellbeing.
How We Work
We partner with communities to advance wellbeing around the priorities they identify. We start by understanding community needs and strengths. We identify community goals, and create a plan for achieving those goals, together.
Our work is community-driven, collaborative, and based on trust. We center equity and the voices of people who have lived experience -- because we believe that people who have experienced problems firsthand are the experts in what they need.
Our Approach
We provide training, facilitation, technical assistance, strategic planning, evaluation, and connection to resources.
We also provide access to Aspire, a self-assessment survey and an intervention model that can be customized for different populations and contexts. Aspire helps people overcome barriers to wellbeing, achieve their goals, and activate their full potential.
Aspire
Aspire is an innovative, technology-based tool that enables participants to self-assess their wellbeing and create a plan to improve their lives on their own terms. Participants work to achieve their goals with the support of an Aspire coach or mentor.
As they make progress towards their goals, Aspire participants experience increased self-efficacy, improved economic and social mobility, and enhanced wellbeing.
Our Goals
The goals of the Community Aspirations Hub are to:
- Engage individuals and families in an empowering way that builds self-efficacy
- Increase wellbeing of families
- Support communities in designing solutions to poverty and social challenges at the local level
- Collaborate with partners committed to addressing barriers to well-being, social and economic mobility, and health.
