Journey Mapping Engagement: Read and Feed
CLIENT: Read and Feed (https://readandfeed.org/)
BACK STORY: Read and Feed is a non-profit organization that partners with Wake County, NC schools to identify children at risk and below reading level and provides weekly tutoring programs as well as healthy meals and books to these students. Its mission is to strengthen literacy skills among under-served elementary school children, and provide meals in a nurturing neighborhood environment. While the program is incredibly successful with over 20 program sites across the county, Executive Director Kati Mullan and the Read and Feed staff recognized that they needed to document, standardize, and improve their program site processes.
WHAT WE DID: Stabilimenta conducted a journey mapping engagement with Read and Feed to map out Read and Feed’s program site journeys, which include multiple stakeholders: school administrators, school contacts, teachers, parents, Read and Feed staff members, numerous volunteers, and of course, students.
Phase I: Research & Discovery
Stabilimenta reviewed all background on the program, including results from previously conducted surveys sent to volunteers and teachers as well as qualitative data from previously conducted interviews. Stabilimenta also conducted a 90-minute discovery session with Kati.
Phase II: Virtual Workshops
Stabilimenta hosted 3 journey mapping workshops to address the full program site lifecycle: 1) initial program site setup, 2) weekly recurring sessions at program sites, and 3) program site annual renewal. Due to COVID-19, all workshops were conducted virtually using Miro, a virtual brainstorming and journey mapping tool. The workshops included five Read and Feed staff members as well as a school contact (who is also a teacher) and a volunteer who leads at team at one of the program sites. The first workshop included a discussion about journey mapping and provided context for each of the key stakeholders.
For each of the three journeys, participants discussed the journey phases, their duration, and the key stakeholders involved. Participants also used Miro’s virtual sticky notes to list the tasks, goals, and attitudes for each stakeholder during each phase (see below). Finally, participants used Miro’s virtual voting on the parts of the journey where they believed pain points or opportunities for improvement exist. During the last workshop, the participants also brainstormed ideas for improvement.
Phase III: Journey Map & Process Improvement Documentation
Following the three journey mapping workshops, Stabilimenta created all maps, using color coding to represent each stakeholder (see below). Stabilimenta also created a document that comprehensively lists all innovation ideas and recommendations.
KEY OUTCOMES:
Successfully conducted brainstorming workshops in a virtual environment, thanks to Miro
Documented journeys of the program site experience, which allows everyone associated with Read and Feed to have a shared perspective and understand the complexity of interactions throughout the three program site journeys
A clear understanding of the end-to-end program site process for Read and Feed staff members who can visually see where there are gaps or areas for improvement
A comprehensive list of innovative initiatives that Read and Feed staff members can now prioritize and begin to systematically address
“I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am that this journey mapping work has been done; we as a staff have talked about it for quite some time now. The proposed process improvements will strengthen our existing programs as well as assist us as we think about program expansion. And in light of COVID-19, we know that our program services are going to be even more critical.”
“I just wanted to thank you for a great session on Friday. I was excited to see how the post-it activity could be done virtually. I have done PLENTY of programs with “post it note technology” but never one that used technology to actually drive the experience. Well done!”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR READ AND FEED?
While its regular programming has been paused due to COVID-19, Read and Feed has continued to provide meals to families in need during the pandemic as well as created “Tell Me a Story” livestream events where audiences of all ages can listen and watch an engaging storyteller. Read and Feed is working to adapt its program for the upcoming school year, incorporating innovation initiatives from the journey mapping engagement.