Studio C, a free project incubator for nonprofits, is now underway as 17 teams are in week one of the program. The 12-week curriculum is aimed at reducing poverty via family-centered approaches.
The topic for this week’s session is Project Framing.
While most of the chosen nonprofits have some idea as to what they want to accomplish throughout the course of the program, the first three weeks are really about “defining that purpose,” says Design Impact’s Sarah Corlett, a co-facilitator for the program.
“We’re throwing a lot of new ways of thinking at them,” she says.
After the initial three weeks spent thinking about systems and people, getting a feel for the time commitment Studio C requires (27 hours of Studio C sessions and about 20 hours of outside work on their projects) and the feasibility for the implementation of a new project within each respective nonprofit, informal interviews will be conducted and the playing field will be narrowed yet again.
“Only 8 teams move forward in the program," Corlett says. "After the first three weeks we look at team commitment, organizational leadership support and potential for community impact."
The current listing of chosen teams is as follows:
“We had more of a focus this year, which I think will be good in that they’re working toward a common goal,” Corlett says.
Seven of the 17 nonprofit teams are Studio C “repeats,” as they have found new and successful approaches to move their ideas forward and implement change in past sessions.
“They have new challenges and new things they want to work on,” Corlett says. “They’re back because they found it so helpful.”
Look for more on Studio C teams to see how they’re progressing in coming issues.
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