Clarifying
What does clarifying mean? Clarifying is the first step in the creative problem solving process, During the clarifying phase, the goal is to gain a deep and nuanced understanding of the problem at hand. This involves gathering information, observing the situation, asking probing questions, and identifying the real issue behind the perceived problem. It's about distilling the complexities into a clear, concise problem statement that captures the essence of the challenge without any preconceived notions or biases. By clearly defining the problem, the clarifying stage ensures that efforts are not wasted on solving the wrong issues. It sets the direction for ideation and development of solutions that are relevant, practical, and creative. A well-clarified problem is more likely to lead to innovative solutions that are aligned with the real needs of the situation. This clarity is what ultimately enables problem-solvers to brainstorm effectively, leading to breakthroughs and innovative outcomes.
What Do I Know?
- Retreats can be very effective at providing students with emotional and social skills.
- There is a lack of community and connection in our school systems today.
- Freshman will likely lack the maturity necessary for an emotional oriented retreat.
- Retreats towards the end of high school approaching graduation are effective at preparing students for the future.
- The weather at the beginning of the school year will likely be better for outdoor activities
What Do I Need to Know?
- Constraints of the school calendar for each school system.
- Will schools want to put down the money for this
- Is building community important to school districts
- Feedback from students who have and have not been on a similar retreat
- How to make the retreats enjoyable for students while also being impactful.
- What are the most important values to
- A way to measure success once the retreats begin to happen
How Could I Find It Out?
- Conduct interviews that goes in depth to understand the true importance behind these retreats
- Consult with leaders of past retreats to see how the activities need to be formatted and what activities students enjoyed the most
- Meet with school districts to see how these retreats could fit into the schedule
- Interview alumni from high schools that we helped and see the benefits they have had
Figure 1
Head Research
As we highlighted it is no secret that in the modern day children attending high school struggle with various issues like anxiety and depression. One of the main contributors to these problems is the lack of community to hold these students together. Unfortunately they are missing out on some of the key steps of development at young ages. Having a willingness to try new things, maintaining independence and social awareness are some of the missing factors in these high schooler lives. These missing components are likely to be playing a role in the rising rates of anxiety and depression among teens across the nation.
Honesty, empathy and community are the three values that will be taught to the campers when they attend our retreat. Having key values is crucial in creating positive long lasting experiences for the students, it is a method successfully applied by very successful camps including the YMCA (Harvard Graduate School). According to the YMCA camps (Their key values were; honest, caring, respect, and responsibility) through constant songs, skits and rallies these beliefs were able to be effectively transferred to the campers. By giving these high schoolers at the very least an opportunity to experience our ideals with their peers they will be able to develop a new level of community that was not previously present. Through processes like this we give our campers real world experiences that they can take with them as they move on to college and the working world. Having the students learn of these values together is the impactful variable when regarding community since they will need to learn how to work together and overcome adversity as a fully functioning team.
The social aspect of these trips cannot be underestimated. When the students attend these getaways their phones and all other electronic devices will be taken from them. The reasoning behind this is to increase social awareness/interaction. In our modern digital age the youth of our society have been encapsulated by this digital landscape. There are many pros and cons to come out of this change and it becomes a more and more complex discussion to be had as technology continues to advance but there is one outlier con that stands out to us at The Koinonia Project. That outlier is how destructive formats such as social media can be to communication skills. One of the things that we aim to improve for our campers is their ability to communicate with peers that will aid them in their lives. Being able to hold social interactions with others is a skill that seems to be lost by our youth. This is very alarming since communication is the fabric that dictates many different aspects of life including mental well-being and advancing through ranks in any field. Being able to effectively communicate is critical in the workfield if the individual is hoping to increase their status amongst their peers. It is obviously very critical as well as said job but not being able to communicate with peers will most definitely be a weight on the back of those hoping to rise up within their specific work field. This is especially good to note since not all of our attendees will be going to school. Yes this program will be beneficial to those coming to school but for those entering the workforce straight out of high school will need communication skills when it comes to something as simple as trying to get a job.
Figure 2
One of the leading reasons for why students who chose to participate in sports have higher GPAs than those who do not is because goal setting and achievement is heavily emphasized. This is something that is taken into consideration at The Koinonia Project, since we are using many different competitions. Having competition based games gives the students the incentive of winning and will pull them closer together throughout the process. This is especially important for the freshman since many of them will be coming to a school where they do not know many students who have already applied. With all of this information, we were able to conclude what exactly the problem was, what effect the problem was having on students around the world, and what our solution would be to fix this issue.
Problem Statement: How can we touch the hearts of students in a way that the result will be building intense emotional connections and experiences that will last a lifetime?