Our third Woven Together Learning Series, which involves hearing from national experts around each of the Foundation’s five new priorities, took us on an exploration of thriving communities with Dr. Anita Chandra of RAND Corporation. Dr. Chandra presented on models for measuring community well-being and methods for using this data to shape more effective, community-responsive policies and programs. She highlighted a Well-Being Index that RAND first developed in conjunction with the City of Santa Monica and has since helped other communities adapt for their own use.

The panel discussion that followed dove deep into issues around community cohesion, safety, health, environment, arts, etc. and how these influence and connect to other issues such as economic opportunity, poverty, and equity.  As Anita and our panel reminded us, every person plays a critical role in this effort and we look forward to continuing the conversation and working with you in the future as we strive to nurture a thriving community. Click here to learn more about RAND’s community well-being research and Anita’s work in Santa Monica.

If you weren’t able to attend, we have a video of Dr. Chandra’s presentation: