RECENT CLIENT WORK
Check out some of my most recent client work.
PROGRAM FEASIBILITY
The opportunity: Help an organization focused on dual-generation learning explore the value of adding home visiting to their portfolio of programs.
The process: MAC conducted a four month collaborative study with the client team, which consisted of an organizational assessment, home visiting landscape analysis, stakeholder analysis, and community needs assessment. We participated in community dialogue and funder meetings to connect with other orgs exploring the same decision.
The results: The client significantly increased their understanding of home visiting programs, indicators of success, their positioning in their community, and their unique competitive advantage. They were able to make a clear and confident decision not to pursue home visiting in the immediate future, but rather to work on strengthening their core programming and operational infrastructure.
FLAGSHIP PROGRAM MODEL
The Opportunity: Help a client clarify and strengthen their core youth programming as they explore opportunities to scale in the coming year.
The Process: We formed a project team that included key decision-makers, including a youth representative to determine the current strengths and areas for growth in their core programming models. This group co-designed and co-facilitated a larger organization retreat with the full team that worked to co-create their flagship program model and youth engagement approaches, while also addressing and strengthening org culture.
The Results: The project team were able to clarify key aspects of their flagship programming that needed to be resolved and refined with the team before implementing the following school year and before possibly scaling. The team worked collaboratively on creating new program logic models and language. Leadership developed new processes to strengthen relationships and support structures for their youth staff.
DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF FACILITATION
The Opportunity: A client wanted to convene their adult facilitation staff to discuss needs and methods for strengthening facilitation skills for their food justice programming.
The Process: In an opening session, MAC facilitated discussions of the team's current strengths and challenges with facilitating their programming. During this session, it became apparent that there were some critical external forces that were preventing the team from feeling they could bring their best facilitation skills to the organization and that the issue was they needed a clearer culture of facilitation across the team. Leadership agreed to urgently address and remove key barriers before attempting to address facilitation further. We returned in a second session to reflect on progress made, to demonstrate facilitation in action among peers, and to further define the future and desired culture of facilitation for the team.
The results: Leadership team helped alleviate external barriers to effective, quality facilitation and supported the team in recommending the culture they would like to see moving forward. The team also walked away with a shared set of facilitation methods and tools to use in their future endeavors which reflect their program values.
APPLYING A DESIGN THINKING LENS TO SUMMER CAMP
The Opportunity: Support a client in applying a design thinking lens to a summer STEM camp curriculum for middle school youth in rural communities.
The Process: Through a set of conversations and curriculum review, I helped scaffold and curate a design thinking approach to a summer STEM camp for rural youth. I also led the client's broader team in exploring ways to frame design challenges as part of their curriculum themes.
The Result: Client was able to hone in on a few design challenges for their intended audience, clearly scaffold a design thinking approach to the camp experience, and received a set of curated lesson plans to plug and play in their curriculum guide.
OTHER WORK
Check out these other types of work and projects I have facilitated in my career.
LIFECYCLE OF AN EMPLOYEE
In this project, I worked with staff from a growing afterschool organization to employ a human centered design approach to re-imagining their staff management processes for staff at all positions. This resulted in the creation of brand new training, management and staff development materials that incorporated key elements from their mission, vision and values such as curiosity, contribution and interconnectedness.
YOUTH ENGAGEMENT ADVISING
If we are serving or advocating for youth, how are ensuring they are at the table and influencing our decision-making, priorities, and programming? I have advised a handful of organizations on strategies that engage youth authentically in their products, programs and events including the creation of curriculum, technology supports, youth councils, and creation of career pipelines for youth.
In recent years, I have worked closely with organizations to ensure that the voices of youth themselves are present in education training and conferences. Youth led presentations acknowledge the expertise that youth have in their own lives, and make meaningful, lasting impressions with educators and program leaders to help them improve their approaches and programming.
PROGRAM QUALITY MONITORING + COACHING
I have provided many years of support in helping programs adopt and adapt program quality monitoring and improvement plans, most notably throughout Texas.
I have trained thousands of youth development professionals in the CYPQ Youth Worker Methods.
Additionally, I have coached out of school time leaders on the various aspects of program quality: budget + resource management, program + curriculum development, staff management, strategic partnerships and sustainability.
I have experience working in rural and urban communities, and coaching both virtually and in-person.
DESIGNING COMPETENCY BASED PROGRAMS
I have worked with several organizations to lead or support the design of programs that emphasize competency based learning and certification for young adults and emerging leaders. Using a highly participatory process, I help program providers identify which competencies are important and WHY, ensure they are centering their youth/staff during the development, incorporate relevant research and evidence informed practices, and use an iterative process to refine their program design.
DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP MODEL
I worked with 20+ leaders in out of school time to develop a new partnership model for Learn All the Time.
Through interviews and workshops with Executive Directors, Program Directors and vendors, we recommended a new structure based on community interest and needs.