In the spring of 2024, Worcester was selected to join the 2024 Success Planning Community of Practice as the third cohort of participants in The EdRedesign Lab’s Institute for Success Planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE).
The Institute for Success Planning launched the Community of Practice in 2022 with the goal of empowering districts, schools, community-based organizations, and other key partners to drive transformational change for children and youth. Through personalized Success Planning, the Community of Practice supports communities in collaborative cross-sector efforts to ensure every child is supported in their unique journey.
Success Planning is a relationship-centered approach where each child or youth is paired with an adult ‘Navigator.’ This Navigator is a caring, supportive adult from the school or community who is deeply trained in youth and community services and able to engage with children to problem solve and capture opportunities. Navigators also work closely with the child’s family and others to co-create a tailored action plan that meets the child’s individual needs and aspirations referred to as Student Success strategies.
The role of each Navigator is also crafted to align with, complement, and enhance existing support structures in each community and school district.
According to HGSE the following elements are essential to the success of this approach:
A Navigator—a caring adult who fosters a positive individual relationship with a child and their family, ensuring they are known, seen, and heard, and develops an understanding of the child’s needs, interests, and goals.
A personalized plan for action, which acts as a dynamic tool to guide individualized support for children and youth and provides a process for supporting the needs, strengths, and goals outlined in the plan.
A coordinated system of support and opportunities developed and leveraged with strategic vision, resources, and collaborative support offered by various stakeholders at all levels of the community ecosystem.
A data platform documents plans over time, captures information to support referrals to services and opportunities, and provides a systems-level snapshot so the individual and aggregated needs of children and youth can be addressed.
The effort is coordinated by a cross-sector body leading a place-based strategy.
As members of the Community of Practice cohort, Worcester and other communities are supported in developing approaches that ensure every student in our community is recognized by name, celebrated for their strengths and story, seen and heard, connected to a caring adult, and given agency over their path to success.
Over the coming months, the Superintendent’s leadership team, Worcester’s Office of Youth Opportunity, and WEC will collaborate with colleagues at Harvard to develop a tailored approach for our city.
Exciting developments are on the horizon—keep checking back!
To learn more about the Community of Practice or The EdRedesign Lab’s Institute for Success Planning, please visit their website.
