Resource Library

Leading by Exemplar: Instructional Models in Head Start Programs

Leading by Exemplar: Instructional Models in Head Start Programs provides in-depth information about the instructional models of five high-performing Head Start programs from across the country. The programs highlighted in this analysis — referred to throughout as Head Start exemplars — were selected because demonstrate evidence of significant positive impacts on children’s learning.

Leading by Exemplar: Data Utilization in Head Start Programs

Leading by Exemplar: Data Utilization in Head Start Programs provides in-depth information about the data utilization practices of five high-performing Head Start programs from across the country. The programs highlighted in this analysis — referred to throughout as Head Start exemplars — were selected because they demonstrate significant positive impacts on children’s learning.

Leading by Exemplar: Lessons from Head Start Programs

Leading by Exemplar: Lessons from Head Start Programs is a synthesis of findings drawn from an in-depth analysis of five high-performing Head Start programs from across the country. The programs highlighted in this analysis — referred to throughout as Head Start exemplars — were selected because they demonstrate significant positive impacts on children’s learning.

Leading by Exemplar: Case Studies of Head Start Programs

Leading by Exemplar: Case Studies of Head Start Programs is an in-depth analysis of five high-performing Head Start programs from across the country. The programs highlighted in this analysis — referred to throughout as Head Start exemplars — were selected because they demonstrate significant positive impacts on children’s learning.

Accelerating Postsecondary Success for Parents: Identifying and Addressing Mental Health Needs

With 22 percent of the undergraduate student population comprised of parents, policymakers and institutions must explore the unique needs of this population and address the challenges that may prevent parents from attaining their degree. This includes determining what systems, services, and approaches best support their mental health needs. This brief examines opportunities for policymakers and academic institutions to adapt existing mental health services in order to meet the unique needs of students who are parents and help them complete their degree. (April 2019)

Aligning Affordable Housing Efforts with Actions to End Homelessness

In many communities, conversations on housing affordability and those about homelessness are happening in different places among different groups of people. The following strategies and resources will support communities in aligning those conversations and will improve progress on preventing and ending homelessness.

Well After Service: Veteran Reintegration and American Communities

Most veterans successfully transition out of uniform and into civilian life. However, some recent veterans face service-related challenges, and there is no government agency, program or mechanism that properly and holistically addresses their wellness. Instead, communities across America, many of which are unfamiliar with the military and service-related needs, are left to support those recent veterans that need assistance reintegrating into civilian life.

Why Should Nurses Know About Social Determinants of Health?

Nurses have the ability to address social determinants of health in patients and refer those with health barriers to resources. Doing so can have a long-term impact on patient health.

Dotte Agency: A Participatory Design Model for Community Health

As community activists resist racial injustice, food insecurity, and infrastructural delinquency, many groups are attempting to articulate the voice of the citizen. It is within this landscape that architects have historically struggled to find common ground to afford democratic access for citizens to engage in discussions about the future of their city. Based upon surrogate models of other professions, there has emerged a proactive movement towards Social Impact Design. Like many urban core areas, our community faces a health epidemic compounded by poverty. In response to requests for collaboration, and through cross-disciplinary academic partnerships in both public health and social welfare, we have begun to leverage design advocacy to improve health outcomes. This has evolved into an alternative model of practice that advances public design through interdisciplinary, adaptive and incremental spatial agency. It is a sustainable practice that fosters conversations and supports events originating from within the community. Our approach seeks to scaffold an infrastructure of public health through methods of participatory design and advocacy. Through new forms of design intelligence and collaborative design tools, our critical spatial practice demonstrates new ways for how architectural design can be relevant to society.

Human-Centered Design: Bringing humanity into the built environment

With my experience entrenched in the built environment, I came to Greater Good Studio (GGS) curious to learn more about human-centered design (HCD). During my time here, I have really been pushed to reconsider what it means to place the user’s experience at the center of a design process, particularly in the context of built environment design and community development.

Community Engagement Matters (Now More Than Ever)

Data-driven and evidence-based practices present new opportunities for public and social sector leaders to increase impact while reducing inefficiency. But in adopting such approaches, leaders must avoid the temptation to act in a top-down manner. Instead, they should design and implement programs in ways that engage community members directly in the work of social change.

Making It Real: Only Authentic Community Engagement Can Be Equitable

We cannot expect those who control the system to make the changes that will impact people with lived experience. Even those organizations with the most genuine intentions can contribute negatively and unknowingly to conditions that oppress those who are marginalized. It is nearly impossible to manufacture solutions to solve problems when one is incapable of understanding the entirety of one’s conditions. It is only through a process of authentic community engagement where individuals with lived experience can be included the discussion as decision makers and drivers of those solutions.

The Pathway to Gender Equity… The Need to Dismantle White Privilege

Equity is the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness.

Equity as defined above requires us to examine and dismantle the “barriers” that prevent the full participation of certain groups. In order to dismantle the barriers, we must understand the institutional, historical and structural causes of inequities. Additionally, the different factors that equate to a person’s multiple identities -relating not only to gender, but also to race, ability, age, education, sexuality, class, ethnicity, religion and more — can impact one’s experience of discrimination. These various identities and factors intersect and intertwine, which means gender equity cannot be achieved without all forms of equity. This is what Kimberle Crenshaw meant when she coined the term, “intersectionality,” specifically in regard to the experiences of black women. And we can never achieve gender equity if we do not create more equitable systems and policies.

Good Design: Principles for Advancing Equity

Sara Aye speaks to DSI students as part of the Fall 2018 Global Guest Lecture Series.

Beloved Community Equity Audit 

With the Equity Audit, we’ve built a comprehensive online tool that addresses both people-facing and system-facing change. The Equity Audit is informed by our DEI Standards and Indicators (DEISI) and requires leadership to consider the role of equity in their governance, finance, operations, program, pedagogy, and culture (adult culture and youth culture). In addition to addressing the key functions of any school or workplace, our Equity Audit assesses DEI for all of the key stakeholders in the organization.