Community Cultivators

The Community Cultivators group is just what it sounds like, a group of people who want to be a part of cultivating a vibrant, supportive, empowering, all-around great community at Cowork Frederick.

“Community” is what makes Cowork Frederick more than a desk. Desks are important, but the real value of coworking is the people. It’s connection to other people that addresses the isolation of working alone and provides a sense of belonging. A cool workspace is great, but we are inspired and motivated by other people. We learn from people. We feel encouraged and supported by people.

Strong communities are organically grown. Healthy growth requires rich “soil”. That’s where you come in. You reap what you sow (sticking with the cultivation theme). Anyone (really everyone) plays a role in our community, to a greater or lesser degree. The Community Cultivator group plays a special and important role, focused specifically on helping new members put down roots and helping to keep our community healthy.

Why is this a volunteer role, filled by Cowork Frederick members? Because it’s best done by members of our community, not people hired to “manage” the community. It’s an act of love, not someone’s job. It’s also a big role, best handled by a group, not just one person. There’s a fringe benefit: getting more involved is one of the best ways to reap the greatest value from your own Cowork Frederick membership.

The group consists of up to 7 members of Cowork Frederick who make a six-month commitment to each other and to the broader Cowork Frederick community to actively participate. Read on to learn what that means. Members of the group can continue to contribute beyond that six-month minimum if they want.

Community Cultivators meet once a month for an hour. In between those meetings, we communicate with each other via a “cultivators” Slack channel. Any Cowork Frederick member can attend the meetings and offer input. Attendance is required (barring illness or emergencies) for official members of the group.

So what, exactly, beyond meetings and chatting via Slack, does the Community Cultivators group do? Before we look at tasks, let’s look at goals:

  • Create a welcoming, supportive environment/culture
  • Keep the focus on people, not just profits
  • Promote and help Cowork Frederick stay true to our values and beliefs
  • Help new members connect and engage
  • Help existing members stay connected and engaged
  • Help all members feel valued

Actual tasks will vary based on ideas generated by the group, but should always include:

  • Reaching out to new members to welcome them to our community
  • Checking in on members we haven’t seen in a while
  • Organizing (and helping with) events aimed at building a stronger community
  • Actively engaging with others in the community, via Slack and in person
  • Bringing / discussing ideas for how to further our goals (above)
  • Attending and actively contributing to the monthly meetings
  • Actively engaging in #cultivators Slack group discussions

Being part of this group is voluntary. You can opt in for a while, then opt out. In fact, a rotation of members in this group is healthy for the individual member, the group, and the broader community. That said, some consistency is helpful, so we ask for a 6-month commitment if you join.

Want in? See Julia. Or, just come to the next Community Cultivators meeting.

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