Welcome Page
Summary

Participant List
Video Clip

Pre-Event Files

Walk About
Introduction
Center for Working Families in 2007
Vision & Obstacles
Generic Models

Conversation
Final Round
Closure

Round 3 Assignments

Round 3: Centers for Working Families 2007

Client:  Single Mother with Children

Scenario: It's August 2007 and The Centers for Working Families have been very successful in achieving their goals and objectives. They are adding significant value in the communities they serve, and they are being recognized by Time Magazine - where an article will be published about what has been accomplished.

Who are you :  You (your team) are a single mother with 3 children ages 4, 6, and 9.  You are a "customer" of your local Center, and you've been using the services of your Center since 2004.

Assignment:   Time magazine has come to you to learn the story of your experiences. They ask the following questions:

  • How did you come to know about The Centers for Working Families?

  • How do you feel about the Center?

  • What value has the Center provided you or your family?

  • What services and programs are offered by the Center that your family utilizes or has utilized?

  • What services and/or programs do they provide for other members of your family or social network?

  • How has the Center customized its services to meet your specific needs?

  • How have these services affected your life?  Or, What progress has your family made economically over the last 3 years?

  • How has the Center impacted on your community? What differentiates this Center from other programs in your community?

  • What makes it so successful?

  • Describe a typical interaction with the Center. What does the center look like? What's it like when you go there? What's a typical experience with the Center like? Describe it in detail.

Take the next 90 minutes to reflect and dialog about the questions above. Use the large white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past 5 years, and the smaller board for any ideas you want to present.


Round 3: Centers for Working Families 2007

Client:  Immigrant Family with Children

Scenario: It's August 2007 and The Centers for Working Families have been very successful in achieving their goals and objectives. They are adding significant value in the communities they serve, and they are being recognized by Time Magazine - where an article will be published about what has been accomplished.

Who are you :  You (your team) are an immigrant family from South America with 4 children, ages 3, 5, 9, and 14.  You are a "customer" of your local Center, and you've been using the services of your Center since 2004.

Assignment:   Time Magazine has come to you to learn the story of your experiences. They ask the following questions:

  • How did you come to know about The Centers for Working Families?

  • How do you feel about the Center?

  • What value has the Center provided you or your family?

  • What services and programs are offered by the Center that your family utilizes or has utilized?

  • What services and/or programs do they provide for other members of your family or social network?

  • How has the Center customized its services to meet your specific needs?

  • How have these services affected your life?  Or, What progress has your family made economically over the last 3 years?

  • How has the Center impacted on your community?

  • What differentiates this Center from other programs in your community?

  • What makes it so successful?

  • Describe a typical interaction with the Center. What does the center look like? What's it like when you go there? What's a typical experience with the Center like? Describe it in detail.

Take the next 90 minutes to reflect and dialog about the questions above. Use the large white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past 5 years, and the smaller board for any ideas you want to present.


Round 3: Centers for Working Families 2007

Client:  Teenager

Scenario: It's August 2007 and The Centers for Working Families have been very successful in achieving their goals and objectives. They are adding significant value in the communities they serve, and they are being recognized by Time Magazine - where an article will be published about what has been accomplished.

Who are you :  You (your team) first became a client of the Center as a teenager at age 17.   Today, three years later, you are still a "customer" of your local Center.

Assignment:   Time Magazine has come to you to learn the story of your experiences. They ask the following questions:

  • How did you come to know about The Centers for Working Families?

  • How do you feel about the Center?

  • What value has the Center provided you or your family?

  • What services and programs are offered by the Center that you utilize or has utilized?

  • What services and/or programs do they provide for other members of your family or social network?

  • How has the Center customized its services to meet your specific needs?

  • How have these services affected your life?  Or, What progress has your family made economically over the last 3 years?

  • How has the Center impacted on your community?

  • What differentiates this Center from other programs in your community?

  • What makes it so successful?

  • Describe a typical interaction with the Center. What does the center look like? What's it like when you go there? What's a typical experience with the Center like? Describe it in detail.

Take the next 90 minutes to reflect and dialog about the questions above. Use the large white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past 5 years, and the smaller board for any ideas you want to present.


Round 3: Centers for Working Families 2007

Staff:  General Manager

Scenario: It's August 2007 and The Centers for Working Families have been very successful in achieving their goals and objectives. They are adding significant value in the communities they serve. Your group has been a major part of this success Ð in fact, you have been so successful you are being recognized by Time Magazine - where an article will be published about what you've accomplished.

Who are you :  You (your team) are general manager of your local Center, where you've been providing services since 2004.

Assignment: You and your team will be interviewed for this article and have come together to reflect on the past 3 years and to prepare for the interview. In preparing, consider the following questions:

  • What are the most significant services and programs that the Center offers?

  • How does the Center collaborate with other program and service providers?

  • What differentiates this Center from other Centers or programs? What makes it so successful?

  • Identify at least three different 'types' of customers, and then describe the path that each of these customers might take through your services?

  • How do you get customers to keep coming back?

  • How do you assess the needs of individual customers and then customize your offerings for them?

  • How does the Center measure its impact and success? What are the evaluation criteria for success?

  • What was your training like?

  • What obstacles did you face as a staff? How did you overcome them?

  • What are all the roles in a Center and how are you coordinated?

  • Describe a day in the life of the Center as a staff person. What's it like to work there? What is the physical environment like? How are you organized? What are the key processes you use to get your work done? How would you describe your work?

Take the next 90 minutes to reflect and dialog about the questions above. Use the large white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past 5 years, and the smaller board for any ideas you want to present.


Round 3: Centers for Working Families 2007

Staff:  Front Line Staff

Scenario: It's August 2007 and The Centers for Working Families have been very successful in achieving their goals and objectives. They are adding significant value in the communities they serve. Your group has been a major part of this success Ð in fact, you have been so successful you are being recognized by Time Magazine - where an article will be published about what you've accomplished.

Who are you :  You (your team) are a front line staff member at a local Center, where you've been providing services since 2004.

Assignment: You and your team will be interviewed for this article and have come together to reflect on the past 3 years and to prepare for the interview. In preparing, consider the following questions:

  • What are the most significant services and programs that the Center offers?

  • How does the Center collaborate with other program and service providers?

  • What differentiates this Center from other Centers or programs? What makes it so successful?

  • Identify at least three different 'types' of customers, and then describe the path that each of these customers might take through your services?

  • How do you get customers to keep coming back?

  • How do you assess the needs of individual customers and then customize your offerings for them?

  • How does the Center measure its impact and success? What are the evaluation criteria for success?

  • What was your training like?

  • What obstacles did you face as a staff? How did you overcome them?

  • What are all the roles in a Center and how are you coordinated?

  • Describe a day in the life of the Center as a staff person. What's it like to work there? What is the physical environment like? How are you organized? What are the key processes you use to get your work done? How would you describe your work?

Take the next 90 minutes to reflect and dialog about the questions above. Use the large white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past 5 years, and the smaller board for any ideas you want to present.


Round 3: Centers for Working Families 2007

Partner

Scenario: It's August 2007 and The Centers for Working Families have been very successful in achieving their goals and objectives. They are adding significant value in the communities they serve. Your group has been a major part of this success - in fact, you have been so successful you are being recognized by Time Magazine - where an article will be published about what you've accomplished.

Who are you :  You (your team) are a partner of your local Center, where you've provided services since 2004.

Assignment: You and your team will be interviewed for this article and have come together to reflect on the past 3 years and to prepare for the interview. In preparing, consider the following questions:

  • Why do you partner with the Center?

  • How were you recruited to be a partner?

  • What services and programs do you offer through the Center?

  • How does the Center collaborate with you?

  • What differentiates this Center from other Centers or programs? What makes it so successful?

  • Identify at least three different 'types' of customers, and then describe the path that each of these customers might take through your services?  How do you get customers to keep coming back?

  • What is the Center's fundraising strategy and how does it collaborate with other organizations to raise funds and in kind services?

  • How do you assess the needs of individual customers and then customize your offerings for them?

  • How does the Center measure its impact and success? What are the evaluation criteria for success?

  • What does the center look like? What's it like when you go there? What's a typical experience with the Center like? Describe it in detail.

Take the next 90 minutes to reflect and dialog about the questions above. Use the large white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past 5 years, and the smaller board for any ideas you want to present.



Round 3: Centers for Working Families 2007

Investors

Scenario: It's August 2007 and The Centers for Working Families have been very successful in achieving their goals and objectives. They are adding significant value in the communities they serve. Your group has been a major part of this success Ð in fact, you have been so successful you are being recognized by Time Magazine - where an article will be published about what you've accomplished.

Who are you :  You (your team) have invested funds in your local Center.

Assignment: You and your team will be interviewed for this article and have come together to reflect on the past 5 years and to prepare for the interview. In preparing, consider the following questions:

  • Why have you provided funds to the Center?

  • How were you enrolled (sold) to be an investor / funder?

  • What services or programs do your funds support?

  • What resources besides money (if any) do you provide the Center? 

  • What differentiates this Center from other Centers or programs? What makes it so successful?

  • Who are the primary customers that you want the Center to reach?  How does the Center attract those target customers?

  • How does the Center assess the needs of individual customers and then customize its offerings for them?

  • What is the rest of the Center's fundraising strategy, and how does it collaborate with other organizations to raise funds and in kind services?

  • How does the Center measure its impact and success? What are the evaluation criteria for success?

  • How does your organization decide whether or not to continue to provide funding for the Center?

  • What does the center look like? What's it like when you go there? What's a typical experience with the Center like? Describe it in detail.

Take the next 90 minutes to reflect and dialog about the questions above. Use the large white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past 5 years, and the smaller board for any ideas you want to present.


Round 3: Centers for Working Families 2007

Client:  Non-Custodial Father

Scenario: It's August 2007 and The Centers for Working Families have been very successful in achieving their goals and objectives. They are adding significant value in the communities they serve, and they are being recognized by Time Magazine - where an article will be published about what has been accomplished.

Who are you :  You (your team) are a non-custodial father, and a client of your local Center.

Assignment:   Time Magazine has come to you to learn the story of your experiences. They ask the following questions:

  • How did you come to know about The Centers for Working Families?

  • How do you feel about the Center?  What value has the Center provided you or your family?

  • What services and programs are offered by the Center that you utilize or has utilized? What services and/or programs do they provide for other members of your family or social network?

  • How has the Center customized its services to meet your specific needs?

  • How have these services affected your life?  Or, What progress has your family made economically over the last 3 years?

  • How has the Center impacted on your community?  What differentiates this Center from other programs in your community?

  • What makes the Center so successful?

  • Describe a typical interaction with the Center. What does the center look like? What's it like when you go there? What's a typical experience with the Center like? Describe it in detail.

Take the next 90 minutes to reflect and dialog about the questions above. Use the large white walls to brainstorm and capture your thoughts about the past 5 years, and the smaller board for any ideas you want to present.

 

 

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