(from the Enrollment Management Association) "Design thinking," or adopting a design mindset to solve all kinds of problems, can help schools tackle enrollment challenges, says Greg Bamford, head of Watershed School in Colorado. His tips:
- Collect stories: "We started our design process by collecting stories, seeking insight into how families really made decisions about where to attend school... Surveys often flatten the granular details that show how life is truly lived."
- Consider needs first: "One habit of design thinkers is defining the human needs you want to meet before you start designing solutions... When we used design thinking to rethink our progress reports, for example, we found that parents had a deep need to feel connected to their child’s experience. Meeting that need would mean a better educational program as well as a better parent experience."
- Practice divergent and convergent thinking: "Our brainstorming team included admission professionals, but also teachers and program leaders, to bring together a diversity of perspectives that more creative ideas."
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