In an effort to help unite Bellevue's diverse residents, the city has been researching for several years the possible development of a cross-cultural center that will bring people together around shared intercultural experiences. The first phase of this effort will launch this year, with residents invited to share their visions for a Cross-Cultural Center Without Walls, where events take place around the city.
These cross-cultural experiences will be designed around active intercultural engagement, learning and exchange. The intent is to create interactions between people and groups from different racial, ethnic, cultural and other backgrounds.
Studies between 2018 and 2022 indicated community support for cross-cultural programming in Bellevue, and that such programming should be “community-led, city-supported” – directed by local organizations with support from city staff and resources.
Planning our Cross-Cultural Future
A new, stand-alone facility for cross-cultural programming could take years to plan and finance, and is not part of the city’s short-term plans. In the meantime, the city is moving forward to create cross-cultural programming in partnership with a variety of cultural stakeholders as the cross-cultural center without walls travels throughout the city.
Workshop to refine ideas for center
Residents can help plan the Cross-Cultural Center Without Walls at a workshop Tuesday, Sept. 19, 6-8 p.m., at Odle Middle School. The goal of the meeting will be to refine the hundreds of ideas shared over the past six years, add new ideas, prioritize them and identity individuals and organizations interested in developing these ideas into pilot programs.
We invite people who participated in past studies, along with many who did not, to attend. More information on these meetings will be released early in summer 2023. You can sign up for alerts for this program. Registration for the workshop is suggested.
Events and Activities
In the fall 2023 and winter 2024, local nonprofits will be invited to apply for funds to create events, programs and other activities that align to the priorities identified by the community in previous meetings. Hosted in various spaces, this programming will help us see what kinds of activities could be housed in a dedicated building.
Organizations already holding cross-cultural events can share those with us. They can be added as Cross-Cultural Center activities. The more diverse opportunities for cross-cultural exchange, the better.
History
The 2014 Diversity Advantage Plan envisioned a cross-cultural facility with a mission to “educate, celebrate, challenge and inspire Bellevue to be a welcoming and inclusive community that embraces diversity.”
In 2016, the City Council approved a series of studies to assess the need for cross-cultural programming in Bellevue and explore the feasibility of a cross-cultural center.
- Shaping our Inclusive Future: Cross-Cultural Programming Public Outreach Study (October 2018)
- Cross-Cultural Feasibility Assessment (November 2020)
- Cross-Cultural Feasibility Study Phase 3 Report (May 2022)
The studies, which involved considerable outreach, reflected the thinking and experience of hundreds of diverse Bellevue residents, and concluded there was a strong demand and need for more cross-cultural engagement opportunities here. Furthermore, the studies concluded that this project would need to be community-led, possibly by a local nonprofit organization, and city-supported.
In 2022, the council directed staff to move forward with the development of cross-cultural programming and to explore possible nonprofit partners. Funding for the effort was included in the city's 2023-24 budget.