Approach

Engaging across the ecosystem.

We understand that transforming an ecosystem is no easy task - we help communities understand their early childhood ecosystem through a variety of approaches:

Understanding the Ecosystem

We use a variety of different participatory approaches to engage people across sectors - families, parents, government, education, health, business, faith, non-profit organizations and many more. 

Photograph of interviewer interviewing community member

Community and Parent Interviews

One-on-one conversations with community leaders and parents to understand the types of resources available to their families and young children and their experiences within their communities.

Photograph of two data chat participants

Data Chats

Using neighborhood-level data, community members are led through a facilitated discussion and reflect on their personal experiences to help build a better understanding of their neighborhood’s barriers to equity and opportunities for change.

Photograph of a group of Creative Assembly participants holding up artwork

Creative Assemblies

A space where community leaders, residents, and parents gather together in an all-day event to use art and dialogue to explore their experiences, issues and opportunities for lasting, sustainable change.

Illustration of a network diagram that shows the complexity of the ecosystem

Ecosystems Mapping

Bringing people from across the ecosystem to the table to map out resources and entities to identify how families interact with the ecosystem and opportunities for change.

Photograph of a woman putting stickers up on a glass window.

Three Horizons

Using the Three Horizons Framework by Bill Sharpe, we assess the status quo, opportunities for incremental change and opportunities for transformative change.

Photograph of toddlers in child care classroom playing with toys

Creating a Roadmap for Change

This work provides a springboard for community-led and community-engaged projects, built on a shared vision about what can be undertaken over the next 3-5 years to help a community see their children achieve their fullest potential.

Learning Together

Throughout this process, we provide the training, tools and resources necessary for residents and community leaders to deepen their understanding of their Early Childhood Ecosystem and then harness their unique community capacity to effect sustainable change.

Transforming the Ecosystem

Through this process of engagement and learning, everyone involved in this work identifies the areas that are currently allowing children to thrive and areas where innovation is necessary. Together, we create strategies that are transformative, sustainable and wide-reaching that are grounded in the experiences of the community.