Every day, we are confronted with problems–small and large scale. Design thinking provides a systematic approach to solving these problems. Formally, design thinking refers to the diverse and interrelated approaches, techniques, and tricks to scientifically addressing the problems we face individually and collectively.  This blog is dedicated to understanding the connection between design thinking and wicked problems. Wicked problems are problems without a singular cause or an immediate solution. They

We all care about our health, and when things go wrong, we typically blame some combination of bad genetics, risky lifestyle choices, and limited access to medical care or medical resources. Our social environment is a major factor in the relative outcome of our health.  Environmental factors and social factors that influence health outcomes are called the social determinants of health. The link between the state of our social environment

Volunteering may look different now than it did before the pandemic. After being forced to continue operations remotely for the better part of 2020 and 2021, some organizations are now leaning into the use of virtual volunteering as a way of gathering volunteers regardless of physical location. But how does this influence the ways that volunteers give their time? And how does this affect the “why” behind volunteering? Volunteering rates

View the Resource By Joshua-Paul Miles, Anne-Marie Boyer, Michelle Shumate As pressure increases to support social justice, coalitions try to understand their role in oppression while implementing practices to create equitable environments. Twenty-six education-focused community coalitions in the United States participated in the study. Coalition interviews and membership rosters are used to evaluate the degree to which these coalitions engage in community engagement practices conducive to empowerment. Involvement practices emphasize

View the Resource By Michelle Shumate, Rong Wang, Katherine R. Cooper, Jack L. Harris, Shaun Doughtery, Joshua Miles, Anne-Marie Boyer, Zachary Gibson, Miranda Richardson, Hannah Kistler This resource describes the networks that participated in the national education network study conducted by NNSI. Each network identified includes a mini-description and classification based on a typology that includes governance and cross-sector engagement. 

View the Resource By Michelle Shumate, Rong Wang, Katherine R. Cooper, Jack L. Harris, Shaun Doughtery, Joshua Miles, Anne-Marie Boyer, Zachary Gibson, Miranda Richardson, Hannah Kistler This report focuses on managing networks in a changing environment. Although the research described concludes during the emergence of COVID-19, the findings suggest that dramatic disruption is not exceptional. We focus on three activities that are essential to managing change:Managing changing network membership. One