What are the key things I need to know and do?
You can complete Group Model Building with your school or district in six steps. From learning and practicing key concepts to planning and facilitating workshops – it is all available here. Be sure to read the St. Louis case study to see how others have used Group Model Building to support efforts to build a culture of health and well-being.
1. Learn and practice key concepts
Before you start, take some time to learn how a systems approach can help create a healthy school or district. You will read about and practice applying several key concepts.
2. Gather your leaders
Once you have learned the basics, decide who can help lead your work. This group will guide others in using a systems approach to understand what it takes to implement the WSCC model.
3. Define your problem and process
Figuring out what specific problem you are solving is important. It is equally important to determine whose input and what activities will help you explore that problem more deeply.
4. Model the system driving your problem
Now, you are ready to facilitate a workshop to explore how your school or district supports health and well-being. You will learn about how to set up and execute a workshop and document insights from it.
5. Build confidence in your system model
Once you have a good idea of how your system functions — or doesn’t function — to support health and well-being, it is time to check your understanding with others and take what you have learned to the next step.
6. Apply your new thinking
There are many ways to apply what you have learned. You will see examples of how a systems approach can change the way you relate with others, organize your systems, make decisions, and prioritize actions.
7. Read about this work in St. Louis
Read the case study to learn how a team of researchers, educators, and community partners in two school districts in the St. Louis region used a systems approach to understand the factors that create healthy schools.