Understanding your Community: Educational & Cultural Landscape
Kat Ling (she/they)
Moonshot edVentures
Objectives
2
Our Time Together
3
Who’s in the room?
4
The Moonshot Team
Kat Ling
she/they
CEO
Sasha Green
she/her
Program and Operations Manager
Alex Chavez
she/her
Finance & Operations Senior Manager
VJ Brown
he/his
Alumni & Partnerships Manager
Daranee Teng
she/her
Managing Director, Program
Problem #1
Over time, if our city does more of the same, students of color in Denver will fall further behind
6
White students
Latinx students
Black students
White students
Latinx students
Black students
The Problem: #2
Though 75% of students in Denver are students of color, 75% of the teaching force is white
7
4,910 Teachers*
Source: Denver Public Schools
Note: 0% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Note: 0% Native American
* 75% of Denver’s 92,000 students are children of color
Two Needs
VISION
Our Foundation
MISSION
OUR CORE VALUES
Moonshot envisions a learner-centered system, led by individuals who share and empathize with the experience of the students and communities they aim to serve, where all children become lifelong learners who persist through life and meaningfully contribute to their communities.
Moonshot edVentures surfaces and supports a diverse set of leaders to design and launch the schools and learning environments of tomorrow.
Respect
Trust
Love
Collaboration
Equity
Pay it forward
Respect
Trust
Love
Collaboration
Equity
Reciprocity
84
Fellows
81%
BIPOC
4,500 students served in 2021
27 ventures
In
five years…
Understand your Community → Centering your Community in all aspects of your design
Liberatory Design
Liberatory Design is the result of a collaboration between Tania Anaissie, David Clifford, Susie Wise, and the National Equity Project [Victor Cary and Tom Malarkey].
Our session
Design opportunities to understand the experiences, emotions and motivations of the person or community you are designing with. Empathize from a place of love, respect, and curiosity.
immerse
observe
engage
empathize: methods
What’s an empathy interview?
An empathy interview is an opportunity for…
It is also a critical step in ANY design process!
Intro yourself to build trust
This project and Why you reached out them.
Why their voice matters.
They’re the expert.
I’d like to ask you some questions to help me understand….
Your juicy questions that get to emotions and lived experience
“Tell me more about…”
(something you noticed in something they shared)
You share next steps and invite them to design with you
Thank them for sharing their time and story.
You got this!!
Empathy Interview Arc
30-60 minutes
YOUR
DESIGN
CHALLENGE
Find a partner. Pick a designer and a user.
DESIGN A REUNION EXPERIENCE
Reunion Design Challenge adapted from challenge
designed by Susie B Wise @K12 Lab + Mark Salinas @Nat’l Equity Project
Adjusted by David Clifford
FOR YOUR PARTNER
DESIGN A REUNION EXPERIENCE
Engage:
Reunion Empathy Questions
EMPATHIZE:
Tell me about the last reunion you went to. What was it like for you? Who was there? Who wasn’t? What did you notice? What feelings came up for you?
What kind of reunion would you like to experience in your future and why? (could be with one person, many people, an animal, object, idea…...)
4 minutes ea.
Develop a point of view about challenges and needs with the community. TOGETHER, look for patterns and insights in stories that reveal the deeper needs of the people closest to the challenge.
Define:
DISTILL WHAT YOU HEARD
MY PARTNER___________________________________________
(describe the person with whom you are designing)
MIGHT NEED A WAY TO…
______________________________________________________
(what did you infer? use a verb here)
TO MAKE (X) REUNION EXPERIENCE…
_________________________________________________.
(try a simile or metaphor to frame the design )
MY PARTNER
Ilana, a new mom with an active baby
(describe the person with whom you are designing)
MIGHT NEED A WAY TO…
bring her child along with confidence
(what did you infer? use a verb here)
TO MAKE A high school REUNION EXPERIENCE…
as freeing as camping in the woods ..
(try a simile or metaphor to frame the design )
What do you think happens next?
Inquire: Bring your approach back to your partner to ensure you’re aligned.
Imagine: Brainstorm ideas!
Prototype: Pick one idea to build out further.
Try: Bring it to your partner and get their feedback.
Notice & Reflect: Notice self, power, and bias.
Kat Ling: kat@moonshotedventures.org
@moonshotEV
info@moonshotedventures.org