The Burien Community Connectors program works with trusted leaders from Burien’s diverse communities to connect more people to civic planning processes. The program is based on the trusted advocate model which honors the ability and knowledge of leaders from a wide spectrum of cultural, ethnic, and racial identities and experiences, including many immigrant and refugee communities, as experts on what their community needs to thrive.
Community Connectors are compensated and work with City staff to advise on community engagement plans and program development, conduct outreach and engagement, create events, provide interpretation, and translate materials as needed.
The first phase of the program focused on recruiting connectors who are fluent in Spanish, Vietnamese, or Amharic. Applicants were required to live, work, or worship in Burien, or else demonstrate an equally strong connection to the city.
Community Connectors are supporting Shape Your City, a coordinated planning effort to re-imagine the long-term future of our city.
