At Raising Places, we believe that people embrace the change that they are a part of. And so while our team facilitates the process of human-centered design, each local community drives its own content based on local needs, assets and priorities.
In North Wilkesboro, the team began by asking themselves the question, “What are the barriers to all children and families thriving here?” In order to apply to Raising Places, their group had to reach consensus on the three biggest challenges. Here’s where they landed:
- Lack of affordable and safe transportation options
- Lack of safe, healthy and affordable housing
- Food desert and barriers to eating nutritionally
Systems thinking tells us that in order to make sustainable change to a system, we must tackle not the symptoms of our problems but the root causes. And so, during the Kickoff Lab, the team discussed their assumptions as to the root causes of these community challenges.
In North Wilkesboro, small groups discussed root causes such as underemployment, a lack of living wage jobs, untreated mental health challenges and drug abuse, a geography that is “topographically challenged” (a.k.a. hilly), a wide financial divide, supply and demand dynamics for subsidized housing, a lack of nutritional knowledge and education, and school food systems that provide limited choices. The group then shifted to writing positive goals - specific statements about an aspirational future state. From over 100 initial positive goals, the team narrowed down to three:
These goals formed the basis of a research plan, with one small group focused on each of them. The purpose of research is to better understand each positive goal: who is currently achieving it, and how; who is not currently achieving it, and why.
Stay connected – get future updates from North Wilkesboro, NC!
FROM THE PRESS |
FROM THE EXPERTS |
FROM THE COMMUNITIES |
FROM THE FACILITATORS |
July 19, 2018
July 19, 2018
July 19, 2018
July 19, 2018
FROM THE PRESS |
July 19, 2018
FROM THE PRESS |
FROM THE EXPERTS |
FROM THE COMMUNITIES |
FROM THE FACILITATORS |
June 22, 2018
June 22, 2018
June 22, 2018
June 22, 2018
FROM THE PRESS |
June 22, 2018
FROM THE PRESS |
FROM THE EXPERTS |
FROM THE COMMUNITIES |
FROM THE FACILITATORS |
June 18, 2018
June 18, 2018
June 18, 2018
June 18, 2018
FROM THE PRESS |
June 18, 2018
FROM THE PRESS |
FROM THE EXPERTS |
FROM THE COMMUNITIES |
FROM THE FACILITATORS |
June 5, 2018
June 5, 2018
June 5, 2018
June 5, 2018
FROM THE PRESS |
June 5, 2018