Influencing Change

Influence change

I created this graphic several years ago to visualize the idea that "reaching goals we want, such as kids born in poverty areas being in jobs/careers by age 25", requires that we influence what people beyond poverty do, not just what people, schools and social services organizations in high poverty areas do.

Here is a series of blog articles that include this graphic. I encourage you to read each of them to build your own understanding of this strategy, then create your own visualizations to share it with others.

Most of the articles on this blog focus on helping youth born or living in high poverty areas get extra support that helps them move through school and into adult lives and jobs with a living wage or more.

However, much of the process and strategy, as well as my use of concept maps and GIS maps, could be applied to solving other programs, such as any of the 17 global sustainability goals, or the race/poverty issues shown in this graphic.

View the graphic at the right in this link.

My articles are full of links so take your time visiting and reading them.  In most articles there's an invitation to create your own versions of these graphics and share them through your own blog and social media.

While I know few answers to the big challenges we face, I can be pretty confident that none of us can solve any of these on our own. We need many, many people trying to influence change, and creating blueprints showing what change looks like, and what actions are needed, over many years, to get there.

Enjoy your week.