WENATCHEE, WA, September 22, 2016 —The Initiative for Rural Innovation & Stewardship (IRIS) plans to showcase success stories when it teams up with partners to convene the 7h annual NCW Community Success Summit in Quincy on Tuesday, November 15, 2016. “Seeding Success, Growing ONE Community” is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Quincy Junior High School in Quincy, WA.“We’re thrilled to work with the City of Quincy and the greater community to host the Summit this year,” said Nancy Warner, IRIS Summit Coordinator. “As people who live here know,” she said, “this community, including George and the Trinidad area, has nurtured many success stories. Our aim is to connect those stories and show how they are growing one strong community.” She noted that the community will help IRIS create the first bilingual summit, a model the non-profit plans to follow as they convene the summit in a different rural community each year. “Over time we will showcase and pass on a collection of success stories that can help the next generation thrive,” she said. Plans are also underway to convene the 2017 summit in Chelan.Some of the questions community members plan to highlight with success stories include: In what ways are we increasing the health and connectivity of our lands and waters? How are we using cross-generational relationships to foster a sense of belonging, improve our health, and create opportunities for 21st century jobs for our children? And how are people working together to reduce waste and increase knowledge and resource sharing in North Central Washington?The public is invited to submit success stories from Quincy and from across the Grant, Douglas, Okanogan and Chelan county region. Visit www.irisncw.org to download the Success Story Exchange template or fill it out online.To build on last year’s summit in Waterville, IRIS is working again with the local school district in Quincy to engage a team of faculty and students in all aspects of the summit. A team of Quincy Junior High School students will serve as the welcoming team and students with the Hippity Hop Floral Shop will create centerpieces based on the success story themes. Students will also work with resource experts to facilitate roundtable discussions in English and Spanish about success stories from Quincy and communities across the region.IRIS is working with an advisory committee to plan other elements of the summit that will include a locally-prepared lunch, live music, and an exhibit at the Quincy Public Library, “A Picture of Health in NCW,” celebrating how people are nurturing well-being at the individual, community, and environmental levels. The show will be on display September 29 – November 30. A reception is planned at the library from 5-7:30 on September 29.Event planners anticipate that more than 160 people from Quincy and the region will participate in the summit this year. An annual celebration of success, the summit also serves as a fundraising event that will help IRIS continue the series through 2020.IRIS is proud to acknowledge the following sponsors and partners for this year’s event including the City of Quincy, Port of Douglas County, Community Choice, Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee World, Molina Healthcare, Port of Quincy, Quincy Community Health Center, The Nature Conservancy, Quincy Valley Historical Society, Grant County Conservation District, WA Conservation Commission, Tamales Deliciosos, the Bureau of Land Management, Trust for Public Land, Quincy School District and WSU.For more information about how to get involved in planning for the 2016 NCW Community Success Summit contact the IRIS office at 509-888-7374, irisncw@gmail.com. To see the agenda and register visit www.irisncw.org