A What’s Next WV Workshop will be held in Summersville on July 25.

One year after the devastating floods of last summer, many West Virginians are considering what steps are next as they build the future they want for their communities. What’s Next, West Virginia is an initiative designed to help these communities – and all West Virginians -talk and work together to do just that.

Through local What’s Next WV initiatives, community members connect – across sectors and points of view – to think, talk, and plan together for local actions based on their own ideas for helping their communities – and the state – move forward.

On July 25, residents of West Virginia who want to help organize a What’s Next initiative in their community are invited to attend a workshop in Summersville to get started. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Family Life Center at Summersville Baptist Church.

At the workshop, the WV Center for Civic Life, in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of WV, will provide free training and materials to help organizers plan and implement the initiatives in their communities. Participants will learn ways to connect what is happening in their area, reach out to involve new people, develop local coalitions and partnerships, facilitate productive conversations, and move from dialogue to action. They are encouraged to come with others from their community who want to help do this work. The July 25 workshop is free, but registration is required at whatsnextwv.org.

Real economic transition for West Virginia will mean finding not only new employment opportunities, but also new ways of talking and working together. What’s Next conversations provide a way for people to come together in discussion and analysis of our state’s needs in a democratic process that includes a wide array of voices and allows for fresh, innovative thinking to emerge.

What’s Next is organized by a broad and growing coalition of partners from nonprofit, philanthropic, government, educational, and faith-based organizations across the state. This coalition has been working together to develop relationships, build connections, and create processes to support productive conversations about the economic future of West Virginia.

Find out more about What’s Next, WV at whatsnextwv.org. For questions, contact the West Virginia Center for Civic Life at info@wvciviclife.org.