Since January, 16 people have been working in small teams to explore, test and implement solutions to complex, reproductive movement issues with support and resources through CoreAlign’s new Innovation Lab.
These teams have identified the movement-level problem they wish to solve, and have self-organized a collaborative design challenge, including identifying “how might we” questions, hypotheses, prototypes and pivots.
Next week, these teams will share what they’ve learned five months into their six-month design challenge at our inaugural Innovation Convening. Here are some highlights of each team and the process:
These teams have identified the movement-level problem they wish to solve, and have self-organized a collaborative design challenge, including identifying “how might we” questions, hypotheses, prototypes and pivots.
Next week, these teams will share what they’ve learned five months into their six-month design challenge at our inaugural Innovation Convening. Here are some highlights of each team and the process:
TEAM IMAGINATIOn
This lab is focusing on the creation, dissemination and amplification of various imaginative practices in movement building contexts- from art to childhood re-imagining to imaginative visioning- through storytelling, workshops and digital content to awaken the creativity of end users and stimulate new pathways to imagination.
Through codifying and spreading imaginative practices, our project seeks to solve the problems of sustainability and siloing in the reproductive justice movement.
Hypothesis
Imagination plays a critical role in facilitating the mental complexity required for advancing this development. Imagination is especially suited to adaptive challenges because it helps people become self-authoring and self-transforming.
Imaginative practice unlocks possibilities by tapping underutilized parts of the brain. It augments critical thinking, breaks through body and mind division, and welcomes the whole person to show up. The practice is a paradigm shift rather than a checklist, which moves beyond stagnation and despair. Allowing for possibility to emerge, it provides access to a vision of freedom necessary to building daring movements.
Through codifying and spreading imaginative practices, our project seeks to solve the problems of sustainability and siloing in the reproductive justice movement.
Hypothesis
Imagination plays a critical role in facilitating the mental complexity required for advancing this development. Imagination is especially suited to adaptive challenges because it helps people become self-authoring and self-transforming.
Imaginative practice unlocks possibilities by tapping underutilized parts of the brain. It augments critical thinking, breaks through body and mind division, and welcomes the whole person to show up. The practice is a paradigm shift rather than a checklist, which moves beyond stagnation and despair. Allowing for possibility to emerge, it provides access to a vision of freedom necessary to building daring movements.
TEAM ENROLL FOR ACCESS
We want to explore how we can leverage the existing infrastructure of abortion fund hotlines to increase enrollment in Medicaid; both so that patients in states where abortion care is covered by public insurance can access it more efficiently, and so that when federal public funding for abortion becomes a reality our movement is ready to support patients in accessing the coverage to which they are entitled.
Our project aims to evaluate what it would be like for the NNAF to become a designated certified application counselor (CAC) organization through which hotline operators could become trained and certified to enroll individuals into Medicaid or private insurance through the Marketplace.
Prototypes & experiments
Phase two experiments will involve some additional strategies for moving from research to application, including:
Our project aims to evaluate what it would be like for the NNAF to become a designated certified application counselor (CAC) organization through which hotline operators could become trained and certified to enroll individuals into Medicaid or private insurance through the Marketplace.
Prototypes & experiments
- Held several listening sessions with abortion hotline staff to identify their needs and to explore prototype options.
- Develop memo to share with abortion hotline organizations outlining legal policies for hotline staff
Phase two experiments will involve some additional strategies for moving from research to application, including:
- thinking through how the legal logistics will work
- review and build off of tools already in place within other organizations
- conduct more empathy interviews to delve deeper into options for application
- role play conversations with hotline staff
- shepherd one organization through the process
team magic
People working in the reproductive movement (our end users) need a way to bring their full expansive selves into the center of the movement in a way that mutually sustains ourselves and the longevity of the work. How might we design solutions for our end users that allows them to explore different types of imaginative practices and similar modalitiesin order to bring their full selves, bodies and life experiences into the center of the reproductive movement, in a way that is generative and sustainable?
Prototypes & experiments
We chose to design and test a number of imaginative practices that test our hypotheses. The design of the imaginative practices was also informed by our hypotheses about what motivates people to try new things and build new skills, and what helps them incorporate those skills into regular practices. For example, in one game we developed, the constraint of the dice and the game format will help players feel less self-conscious and more willing to give it a try. The repetition of the game format and rolling of the die will also motivate the participants to keep practicing. In another example, we chose compelling, curiosity-inducing photos to draw people in visually and mentally, and then gave them a prompt designed to jog their emotions and other senses, resulting in them experiencing the image in a totally new way.
Prototypes & experiments
We chose to design and test a number of imaginative practices that test our hypotheses. The design of the imaginative practices was also informed by our hypotheses about what motivates people to try new things and build new skills, and what helps them incorporate those skills into regular practices. For example, in one game we developed, the constraint of the dice and the game format will help players feel less self-conscious and more willing to give it a try. The repetition of the game format and rolling of the die will also motivate the participants to keep practicing. In another example, we chose compelling, curiosity-inducing photos to draw people in visually and mentally, and then gave them a prompt designed to jog their emotions and other senses, resulting in them experiencing the image in a totally new way.
team dignity birth campaign
U.S. team members
South Africa team members
We are seeking to solve the problem of the current disempowerment and dehumanization of midwives in the health care system, to ensure that this disempowerment and dehumanization does not get transferred from the midwives to the families they serve, and to improve birth outcomes as a result of the empowerment and compassionate care of midwives.
Pivots & lessons learned
We discovered the importance of creating a balanced approach that incorporates both:
Pivots & lessons learned
We discovered the importance of creating a balanced approach that incorporates both:
- A heart based approach of listening carefully to the challenges midwives face in their daily lives
- A solution oriented approach of identifying and implementing systems that empower midwives to improve their working conditions.
- A recognition that the problems midwives face are systemic and solutions arise from engaging with the entire hierarchy of healthcare.