Our Process
Our goal is authentic partnership. We embrace the benefits of experiential learning in community outreach and always hope to make a positive impact, however large or small, on the lives of our students, our partners, and our communities.
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Conduct research to understand our partner’s needs
Use our research to observe those needs and identify problems
Brainstorm solutions and highlight opportunities for innovation
Build genuine, tactile representations of our best ideas
Conduct testing with our partners and revise based on feedback
How it Works
01.
Funding
We secure funding from a variety of sources, including grants, special allocations, donations, and fee-for-service agreements.
02.
Partnerships
We are always happy to speak with potential clients. We decide what projects to undertake based on alignment with our mission, potential impact, funding, and labor availability.
03.
People
We match our team members to projects based on interest, experience, and availability.
04.
Project
We scaffold projects backwards from anticipated completion date, considering partners’ needs, labor availability, and our design-thinking process.
How We Learn
Experiencing
Concrete experience
Doing
Active experimentation
Thinking
Abstract conceptualization
Reflecting
Observation
Experiential Learning
By engaging students in hands-on experience and reflection, we equip them to connect the theories and knowledge they acquire in classrooms to situations outside the classroom.
Community-Based Learning
In order to learn how to be citizens, we must act as citizens. Community-based learning “helps students build a sense of connection to their communities”—and vice versa.
Mentorship
We mentor our students in both hard and soft skills. Writing, best practices, and accessibility sit at the core.
Project Tracking:
Internal Deliverables
Overview, goals, deliverables, audience, competitors, voice/tone, message, and tech
Research, writing, editing, designing, weekly small-team meetings
Summary, overview, issues, and next steps
Objectives, people, outcomes, reflection, futures
This process is based on industry standards in UX and content strategy. Each is designed to contribute meaningfully to students’ professional development and to their professional portfolios.
