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OUR THEORY OF CHANGE

We believe that if we do this work....

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​RESPONSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

RAP co-designs and facilitates responsive professional development for rural schools, contracted by the school itself, or through partnership with organizations or State agencies. The goals of these contracts are to offer a clear process toward a community vision and to build and/or strengthen systems that realign internal capacity to sustain the work long term.

 

COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS   

RAP builds educational models that invite communities and schools to imagine a vital future, and to turn that vision into hands-on, community-connected learning experiences.  These collaborative projects are themed around Maine’s legacy industries and/or skills and knowledge for rural community vitality.  Educational leaders and community activators work together to support and enhance programming, and students learn to take on real-world challenges, through local and global lenses.

 

NETWORKED LEARNING

RAP participates in diverse levels of conversations about educational best practices.  We work collaboratively with existing networks to connect organizations, businesses and agencies into school design processes and the needs of rural schools to engage in change work.  We respond to local needs by creating new and strengthening existing networks to support educators, students, community activators as they work from design to implementation.

In the following responsive and future facing approach…..

RELATIONSHIP DRIVEN: We work with people.

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  • Empathy based- stay grounded

  • Trust based

  • Inspired and Aspirational

  • Work to build a culture of connection

  • Add, build and find capacity

 

STABILITY-BASED CHANGE MODEL: We know that systems change is slow, steady, long work.

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  • Work to break down system barriers and silos and build missing connective infrastructure

  • Long term commitment to projects, bridging transitions in leadership, staffing, programs

  • Work in the in-between spaces to build connections, realign responsibilities and capacity

  • Use Design Process to help visions and strategy emerge and iterate and align to strategy

  • Add capacity, build capacity, realign capacity, unlock hidden capacity and resources

  • Hold the mess - make abstract into concrete

  • High quality, effective, efficient work products and process

  • Shift narratives about the role of rural schools and youth in community vitality

 

NETWORKED LEARNING & INNOVATION: We share learning between communities and in and out of school.

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  • Bring networking learning/ broader understanding, quality material/ process

  • Use design process to define visions and goals then align existing resources

 

HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN PROCESS: How we do the work is part of the change we want to make.

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  • Change from inside-out- projects are owned by the communities

  • Questions are asked and answered by project owners

  • Flexible and visionary for place sustaining change

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With these goals in mind and toward a culture of connection…..

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Then, these things might emerge…

STUDENT ASPIRATIONS & RURAL COMMUNITY VITALITY

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If we work in the “in-between” spaces to center youth, educators and community towards a culture of connection, and we create programs, curriculum, and systems that result in participants finding and building upon a sense of self, place and belonging then youth will develop healthy aspirations for their futures. 

 

Young people are rural Maine’s greatest asset. Their pasts, presents and futures are tied to the current and future vitality of our communities. Youth imagine, yearn for and work towards a healthy and connected future for themselves and aspire to contribute to our social, economic and environmental fabric.

© 2020 by Rural Aspirations Project

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