How to build the Universe? by Wild Cats

Context

In an era characterized by rapid change, the significance of nurturing and sustaining organizational resilience has grown immeasurably. Resilience, within this framework, encapsulates the capability to endure, rebound swiftly from challenges, embrace adaptability in response to change, and flourish when confronted with adversity. This vital concept of resilience resonates across diverse domains, touching organizations in the realm of Early Childhood Development as they grapple with the constantly shifting terrain, mirroring the experiences of countless others.

‍Within this case article, we shine a light on our collective journey working alongside Ferova Skola. As an intensive program, we had the unique opportunity to step into the shoes of Ferova Skola, an organization on a noble mission to fortify kindergarten support initiatives in the Vyškov region. Together, we've been part of their dedicated efforts, which have not only yielded substantial enhancements in kindergarten operations but have also addressed the multifaceted needs related to inclusivity within these educational institutions. However, our collaboration with Ferova Skola has not been without its challenges. At the outset, these challenges were centered on identifying additional funding opportunities and refining their online presence to amplify visibility and impact. As the journey unfolded, new hurdles came into view, encompassing the need for effective task management structures, the quest for potential partnerships or volunteers, and the formidable task of overseeing a one-person enterprise.

‍So, pour yourself a cup of coffee and join us as we delve into our shared adventure with Ferova Skola. As we navigate the challenges faced by this NGO, we will uncover the obstacles they've triumphed over and the resilience they've exemplified. Simultaneously, we'll provide insights into the collaborative processes and experiences of our group. Join us in celebrating the remarkable power of teamwork, resilience, and our collective pursuit of positive change within the ever-evolving landscape of Early Childhood Development.

Problem

Six people Team C, aka Wild Cats, got paired with Challenge Owner Helena Pravdova and her organization - Ferova Skola (Fair School). This small but ambitious NGO aimed to capture the inclusivity issues in schools and preschools in the Czech Republic. The main responsibility of this organization is to evaluate schools and certify them as being open, inclusive and supportive, when it comes to facing common challenges, arising among kinds of a certain age. The main challenge described by Helena Pravdova was the approach of school staff towards changing their mindset, but more specifically Helena suggested the lack of a business partner - which makes running the whole organization very hard for her. 

After meeting Helena and getting to know her better, we were sure that challenges are multilayered and concern issues from the country's educational system to her personal daily life matters. On the personal level there were no expectations about the results from the challenge owner. At the same time Helena's dedication to the case made us feel like a part of her team and our aim for the 9 days work was to make Helena fall in love with her organization and mission again.  

Building the Universe

The process followed the methodology developed by Paul Lequay and executed by our two facilitators - Yang Li and Dominka Majewska. 

‍Using a Design Sprint Methodology we started by getting all the information from the Challenge Owner in a 1-1 interview, in order to understand the many layers of the current situation, to then group the different insights and make them make sense for us to start with a defined beginning.

‍The different groups of insights we got from the initial interview with the organization were about:

• Helena’s role in the organization, constraints and her personal wellbeing
• The possibilities of growth in the organization taking into account the purpose and processes
• The kid’s wellbeing
• The kindergarten and school’s environment
• Key stakeholders around the organization

When we were able to create a map of the ecosystem that would connect all the actors around the organization and its relations with one another, we could start to glimpse that the community around Ferova Skola was maybe an anchor point for the organization to relieve some workload from the shoulders of Helena herself. We still would not jump into final solutions but explore how to build on top of the team’s different ideas and vote for our favorite ones to keep going.

 Next steps we took was storytelling to get even closer to the issue and to finally generate the ‘how might we’ question which in our case was: How might we professionalize and streamline network of communication between schools and kindergarten's ecosystem with Ferova Skola as a connector, to foster inclusivity and wellbeing for kids? ‍The next step for us was to brainstorm and generate ideas, considering the map of design principles that we made, to highlight what is important to our group while finding a final solution. After trying bodystorming/role-playing we were ready to choose one solution and prototype it, just to share the outcome of the 9-days work during the presentation and final exhibition.

As a result of the process, we created three ideas that can be implemented at different moments of the organization's development. ‍They were to take into account the need to build a network of people involved in the ideas of Ferova Skola. Building a universe in which the organization is the leader, not the sole performer, changes the distribution of the impact and allows for more effective actions.

1. Welcome Toolkit for Leaders - The Backpack is a toolkit designed to empower educators in streamlining their approach to addressing children's issues with greater ease and simplicity.

2. "I Am the Kid from the Future" - A transformative program aimed at helping educational institutions gain a firsthand understanding of their impact on students. Through this initiative, schools can adopt a more student-centric approach, enabling them to better cater to the needs and perspectives of their young learners. 

3. Inclusivity Library - Weekly sessions, led by Helena and others, offer an interactive approach to inclusivity for those in education, fostering community, empathy, and empowerment.

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Impact

The main remarkable aspects of our work and final solution impact are the shift in the organization’s efforts, towards a more strengthened community of allies with a focus on a more self-sustaining model and also, the suggestion of a simple roadmap of detailed actions to be taken from now on by Ferova Skola.

This human centred approach looks simple but it is first of all, realistic, setting a series of milestones for the organization to have an ideal future in mind but also, taking care of the current wellbeing of the main driving force of Ferova Skola, Helena. Focusing on gradually lifting the burden from her shoulders while professionalizing and streamlining the network of communication between schools and kindergarten's ecosystem.

Conclusion

Resilience involves enduring challenges, adapting to change, and thriving in adversity. This concept is crucial for organizations in Early Childhood Development, exemplified in the case of Ferova Skola.

The team worked very close to provide a set of solutions that had decentralising responsibilities at its core, and also, empowering already engaged individuals in the ecosystem to take action and become leaders in some way, by giving them tools and procedures for this to happen through the guidance of Ferova Skola as a hub of well practices and know-how.

Feedback from Challenge Owner - Ferova Skola

"I genuinely appreciate the effort, ideas, and empathy you've put into this. You have certainly opened up new perspectives for me, such as transforming Férová škola into more of a help and support platform—a place where teachers, principals, and parents can find the tools, resources, and experts they need. I'm definitely taking away the idea of a "backpack" and "ambassadors" for future work. Overall, I've had to distill all the great ideas into what I can personally handle, what already exists, and what I can outsource" - by Helena Pravdová, owner of Férová škola  

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Team

Klara Czopik, Agata Szczebyło, Michał Kociszewski, Beatriz Segura Garcia, Marlon Davis and Ivannia Alvarado. 

Facilitator & Junior Facilitators

Facilitator: Yang Li

Junior Facilitator: Dominika Majewska

Article by: Bea Segura

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