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LIGHT UP BRIDGE PROGRAMME

Light Up Emotions Matter Foundation is an organisation based in New Delhi, India that works closely with children and adolescents building their using art, theatre, movement, creative writing, music and games to provide trauma-informed therapy and social-emotional learning.

Post Covid, their learning on ground prompted the organisation to relook at their Theory of Change, and build a bridge programme for the adoloscents in the community, starting with Sanjay Camp.

Team : Juhi, Sanya, Anchita
Role: Research, Synthesis, Curriculum development
Tools: Participatory Research, Design thinking methodologies
Duration: Ongoing | Light Up Emotions Matter Foundation

MY ROLE

My key role on this project as a research and development fellow was working towards the research and development of the grassroots leadership programme. As a design researcher on the team working directly with the founder gave me the opportunity to understand first hand the experience of running an NGO as well as the challenges that come with it.

The composition of the team gave me a lot of freedom as a designer to pitch and execute participatory research methodologies to conduct workshops with the youth in the community. I brought a design research led and participatory approach to the process to build a creative programme.

I came up with the idea as a collaboration and further went on to conduct research This included workshop design, field research, research synthesis and problem redefining.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM CYCLE

HOW MIGHT WE....

Make learnings from individual therapy and Socio Emotional Learning Modules more tangible and visible to the community so as to make youth participants potential community role models?

Create a bridge between the SEL Modules and Livelihood generation modules to result in a holistic programme?

Support students to build power within (intrapersonal) and convert that to build power with (interpersonal) skills to engage in active citizen ship and leadership?

THE PROGRAMME VISION/ TOC

The Grassroots Leadership Programme, is a flagship programme by Light Up Emotions matter foundation as an attempt to extend their one year mental health intervention to make the mental health intervention actionable for the students partaking in the programme. The idea is to use design thinking as a methodology to help students from the community build hyperlocal solutions in mental health advocacy.

PROGRAMME THEORY OF CHANGE

The Grassroots Leadership Programme, is a flagship programme by Light Up Emotions matter foundation as an attempt to extend their one year mental health intervention to make the mental health intervention actionable for the students partaking in the programme. The idea is to use design thinking as a methodology to help students from the community build hyperlocal solutions in mental health advocacy.

CURRENT ASSUMPTIONS OF THE PROGRAMME

This can help create awareness about mental health on ground

The creation of support/ infrastructure to engage youth in leadership roles with result in them becoming role models

Community based solutions can create a platform where the youth can exercise skills and agency

The emergence of local leadership will give voice and agency to the youth

The creation of role models in the community will reduce the cycle of high risk behavior in the youth

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SECONDARY RESEARCH

The desk research involved looking at programmes that include mental health + youth design, led project based approaches

The desk research involved looking at programmes that include mental health + youth design, led project based approaches

PRIMARY RESEARCH GOALS

What is the local understanding of leadership amongst the youth and community members?

Who do they see as role models?

What do they learn from their role models and in what aspects of life?

What are these attributes of local leaders that stay with the community?

UNDERSTANDING LEADERSHIP

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF PROBLEMS THAT CAN BE TACKLED IN THE DESIGN THINKING PROCESS

What do they think of or look at as problems?

What are the "problem areas" they would be excited to solve for/ advocate for in the community?

How do they work together, i.e, what groups in terms of gender, involvement of non community members, to go through the design thinking process?

RESOURCES

What resources are required for leadership to emerge?

What are skillsets/ resources they require?

MENTAL HEALTH

Do do they think the socio emotional learning module and therapy has benefitted them?

Where would a larger programme such as this fit into their goals and aspirations? What would be their incentive to join?

The objective of primary research was to test ideas and gather perspective on the structure of the programme we had envisioned.

RESEARCH POPULATION

Youth who have been a part of the Light up but not the therapy

Volunteers, youth who have not been a part of Light Up

Youth who have been associated with Light Up been a part of the programme

More details of the project are currently confidential and can be shared during further discussion

FIELD RESEARCH DESIGN

Before venturing into the field to conduct interviews and apply various research methods, research had to be designed and systemized. This allowed me to ensure that suitable methods were being explored to uncover insights. A part of the primary Research was done in the form of a participatory workshops that spanned over 4 days.

Activities

Makethon

Interviews

PRIMARY RESEARCH

OBJECT LIBRARY

Aim : To be used as an icebreaker to the workshop and to get a socio cultural understanding of the community by understand what kind of objects they interact with on a daily basis. An extension of the activity was to be on day 2 where in they were to bring their own objects from their houses and talk about it to help us gain insight into the material resources they have at their disposal.

Procedure: The activity involved asking the participants to pick up one object each from the multiple objects that were got by us and introduce themselves through the objects

Key Findings:

LEADERSHIP AND ROLEMODEL MAPPING

Aim : To understand
- What is their understanding of leadership?
- Who do they see as role models?
- What do they learn from their role models?
- What are the local attributes of leadership? What is the kind of training they require for local leadership to emerge?

Procedure: A group discussion, the activity began with discussing what a role model is, who do they see as role models/ heroes in movies, in the outside world. On a chart with 3 circles mapped as - role models in the outside world, around you/ in your community, in your homes and in yourself. This was done through a group discussion.


Key Findings:

Procedure: A group discussion, the activity began with discussing what a role model is, who do they see as role models/ heroes in movies, in the outside world. On a chart with 3 circles mapped as - role models in the outside world, around you/ in your community, in your homes and in yourself. This was done through a group discussion.


ASSET MAPPING
PERSONAL - COMMUNITY

Aim :

Procedure:

Key Findings

DESIGN SPRINT

Aim :

Procedure:

Key Findings

Click here to read in detail about the design sprint and insights gathered

GAME CHARCHA PALTAN

Aim :

Procedure:

Key Findings

Click here to read in detail about the design sprint and insights gathered

DRAWING AS A RESEARCH TOOL

Aim :

Procedure:

Key Findings

Click here to read in detail about the design sprint and insights gathered

Bright living room with modern inventory
Bright living room with modern inventory
Bright living room with modern inventory
Bright living room with modern inventory
Bright living room with modern inventory
Bright living room with modern inventory

Images of the activity in progress

RESEARCH SYNTHESIS

KEY INSIGHTS FOR THE PROGRAMME/ VALIDATION/ DIRECTION

Currently the project is still in the works of further synthesis and curriculum development. The next steps of the project would include further co creation sessions with students, and experts.

CURRENT STATUS

Currently the project is still in the works of further synthesis and curriculum development. The next steps of the project would include further co creation sessions with students, and experts.

REFLECTION

Currently the project is still in the works of further synthesis and curriculum development. The next steps of the project would include further co creation sessions with students, and experts.

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