Sustainability and Civic Engagement

Through outreach and engagement opportunities, we will create communities with more actively involved residents, improved employment opportunities, higher participation in government and increased volunteerism.

Involvement Opportunities

A large group of 20 or more people standing in the woods for a photo

Progress on our goals & strategies

Goal 33: Job Training Is Community-Based

Civic Engagement Progress Table, Goal 33
	Strategy	Time Frame	Strategy Progress Information for 2018	Progress
1.	Promote existing programs and services provided by nonprofits, vocational schools, and government agencies	Medium	This is an ongoing effort to strengthen and leverage family and social services programs through partnerships. The template for memorandums of understanding has been updated to clarify the relationships with partner nonprofits, vendors and agencies. Grants license agreements for services to be provided through the community centers are reviewed. On-going effort.	100% complete
2.	Develop and promote internship and apprenticeship opportunities	Long	Through CareerSource Central Florida board activities, we have developed target industries to provide paid internship opportunities to various companies.	50% complete
3.	Incentivize funding for training of target groups (hard to employ, such as ex-offenders, seniors, homeless, youth)	Long	Implemented the Orange County Leadership, Employment and Development Services (OCLEADS) Youth Employment Program which provided summer internships to 40 students allowing them to explore vocational opportunities. On-going effort.	50% complete

Goal 34: Residents Actively Participate In Government

Civic Engagement Progress Table, Goal 34
	Strategy	Time Frame	Strategy Progress Information for 2018	Progress
1.	Develop a citizen participation guide for residents and County divisions	Medium	Citizen Participation Guide has been completed and is available on the OCFL website. Task complete.	100% complete
2.	Use online tools and social media to encourage sustainability dialogue	Medium	Facebook, Twitter, Newsroom stories and OC Connect newsletters from the Mayor highlighted sustainability actions regularly. OrangeTV spots and Spark videos were used to advertise specific events. Workshops for HOAs and the Citizen Planner Academy promoted sustainability to the public and internal training classes were given throughout the year for OC employees.	75% complete
3.	Launch a Sustainability Challenge Campaign	Short	The neighborhood challenge was conducted again for the 4th year and the winners were recognized at the Orange County Community Conference in July 2018. On-going effort.	100% complete

Goal 35: Residents Are Aware Of Support Available From NCFS And Community Centers

Civic Engagement Progress Table, Goal 35
	Strategy	Time Frame	Strategy Progress Information for 2018	Progress
1.	Develop an outreach strategy for each Orange County community center	Medium	A marketing strategy was developed for the community centers. Project Coordinators were hired to facilitate and develop outreach strategies for the four main centers: John Bridges, Holden Heights, East Orange and Pine Hills. Task Complete.	100% complete
2.	Educate employees on the services provided by NCFs and community centers	Medium	The NCF website has been updated. Work on employee education strategy continues.	75% complete
3.	Use NCFs and community centers to promote sustainable living	Medium	The Orange County Neighborhood Centers for Families (NCFs) serve as a hub for resources, education and literature about sustainable living for residents. For example, NCFs have partnered with multiple community providers such as HEBNI Nutrition, the Eatonville Community Garden, and Orange County's Cooperative Extension UF/IFAS to provide fresh fruits and produce to food desert communities and education about the benefits of community gardening and composting. On-going effort.	100% complete

Goal 36: The Number Of Registered Neighborhood Organizations Is Increasing

Civic Engagement Progress Table, Goal 36
	Strategy	Time Frame	Strategy Progress Information for 2018	Progress
1.	Identify all registered Home Owners Associations (HOAs) in Orange County	Short	This has been a goal for the past 20 years. Recently, some new HOA/Condo Associations were identified and will be added to our database. On-going effort.	100% complete
2.	Develop certification programs for HOA and Condominium Owners Association (COA) directors	Short	Program is offered through the Community Connections Workshops. The certification course is offered twice per year. On-going effort.	100% complete
3.	Increase participation at the Community Connections workshops	Medium	Workshops are offered regularly. Increased participation has occurred. On-going effort.	100% complete

Goal 37: Our Residents Volunteer In Their Community

Civic Engagement Progress Table, Goal 37
	Strategy	Time Frame	Strategy Progress Information for 2018	Progress
1.	Develop a reporting tool for County departments to log volunteer hours	Medium	OCSERVES is a tool for County departments and partners to advertise volunteer opportunities and log hours. OC/EPD uses Volunteer Reporter to track volunteer hours specific to natural resources conservation and protection projects. Tool is complete. Tracking hours is an on-going effort.	100% complete
2.	Develop a recognition program for advisory board members	Medium	OC advisory board volunteers are recognized at the Mayor's annual Jazz in the Park event. Task complete.	100% complete
3.	Develop a web-based volunteer orientation for all County volunteers	Medium	Video has been created. Will be linked to existing Volunteer webpage.	75% complete

Our Target Measurements

This table describes how Orange County measures progress on our Sustainability goals.
Civic Engagement Indicators	Baseline	Last Reported	Current	Assessment	Target 2020
Unemployment Rate	2010 10.8%	2017 3.6%	2018 3.3% (as of August)	Good Progress	decrease
Voter Participation	2010 non-presidential: 44% 2012 presidential: 68%	2014 non-presidential: 44% 2016 presidential: 73%	2018 non-presidential: 60%	Good Progress	increase
Percentage of families living at or below poverty level	2010 10% of all families 14.5% of families w/related children < 18 years 17.2% of children < 18	2016 12.8% of all families 18.3% of families w/related children < 18 years 22.7% of children < 18	2017 10.3% of all families 17.1% of families w/related children < 18 years 17.5% of children < 18	Good Progress	decrease
Number of registered neighborhood organizations	2011 1,600	2017 1,822	2018 1,856	Good Progress	increase 5 per year
Active Partnerships (nonprofits, businesses, state agencies, neighborhood groups)	2011 600	2017 630	2018 630	No Progress	maintain or increase
Number of Volunteer Hours (annually)	2010 1,066,716	2016 824,817	2018 832,434	Good Progress	increase

Want to get involved?

We want to inspire our citizens to collaborate with local governments and businesses and work together for the long-term prosperity and livability of their communities.

Join the Neighborhood Sustainability Challenge

Illustration of awards given to winners of the Mayor's neighborhood challenge

Enter your neighborhood/HOA in the challenge and tell us about the green, healthy and involved practices in your community. It begins each year in March and continues through June. Awards are presented at the Orange County Community Conference in July.

Learn How Orange County Works For You

Each year, Orange County encourages citizens to enroll in a program called “Orange County Experience”. In a 12-week series of classes you will meet staff, take tours, visit advisory boards and see your County in action. It’s a great stepping stone to finding your place in County government and using your skills to help the County shine! Visit Orange County Experience to see when the next class series begins.

Volunteering

Volunteer coordinator Carrie Mohana standing in a wooded area

Visit OCFL Serves to view the many volunteer opportunities around the County. Watch the video to see one way you can make a difference in the Environmental Volunteer and Internship Program (eVIP).

Adopt A Fire Station

Children hugging a firefighter in front of a fire truck

Each year around the holidays, residents are encouraged to show their appreciation to the firefighters in their community by providing meals and volunteering their time at local fire stations. Consider helping your fire station any time of the year.

Read more about the initiative and get inspired.