Design Practice is a service for teams at Teach For America to be coached in using design-thinking to accelerate their projects focused on learning reinvention.
WHY DESIGN PRACTICE
Teach For America is a fan of the "backwards plan."
The backwards plan often works like this: Have a big idea, think through all the steps to getting to that big idea, and execute on those steps, in a linear fashion. While this works for some projects, new or creative ideas that haven't been tried before often need a different approach: One that's more iterative, more cyclical, and more experimental.
That's where design coaching comes in. If your team at TFA has a big idea that forwards the reinvention of learning and wants some coaching on how to approach that idea in creative, iterative ways, we can help.
WHAT:
A 4-8 week coaching program in iterative, liberatory, human-centered design, focused on something your TFA team is actively working on to further the reinvention of learning. Two coaches from the Reinvention Lab will be by your side, leading a coaching experience throughout those 4-8 weeks. Learn more about the design coaching services we offer and commitment it requires here.
FOR WHOM:
Design Coaching is specifically for teams of Teach For America staff members, whether they be on national or regional teams. Staff members should be actively working on an experimental projects towards the reinvention of learning.
Not sure what we mean by learning reinvention? Click here.
Visit their final artifact here.
HOW:
Apply ✍
Coaching🤝
Celebration 🎉
Your Teach For America team applies to be part of a Design Coaching Cohort, a 4-8 week experience that happens twice per year (fall and spring).
Intensive coaching happens for 4-8 weeks around a reinvention-related problem of practice that your team needs a breakthrough on.
All cohort participants engage in a "celebration of learning" at the end of the
4-8 weeks, to share with each other and the rest of the organization what they've accomplished and learned.
WHEN:
Aug - Sept 2022
Oct - Dec 2022
Feb 2023
Fireside Chat:
Aug 19th, 11-12pm PT
Application Deadline: Sept 2nd
Team Notification: Sept 21st
Kick Off Calls with Selected Teams: Sept 23rd
Design Coaching sessions are conducted with selected teams starting the first week of October and closing the week before TFA's winter break.
Teams showcase their work and learnings in an open Learning Exhibition. Click here to view the presentation experience.
Applications are OPEN for the Fall 2022 Design Coaching cycle.
Questions? Contact Colleen Keating-Crawford.
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