XQ Youth Voice Kit

Plan

How to build a
changemaking effort


Elizabethton students collaborated with their school board liaison to collaborate on a pathway for gathering student insights. They developed a plan for outreach and how to best share their discovery with the district.


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Now that a great team has been built and
you’ve defined a change to pursue, jump in and
use these four steps to define a vision, plan and
build a movement, and prepare to act:

Step 07      Craft the vision

Change is
rooted in
a powerful
vision for
the future.

Explore these inspiring examples of vision statements drawn from organizations:

What does “vision” mean?

A vision is a vivid picture of the future you hope to create—memorable and inspiring. It is a clear destination for your change effort, and all who are involved should know when you have achieved it.

arrow Tip:

A vision statement is a concise and powerful statement of the team’s vision typically in one to two sentences. It communicates the desired future state in an inspiring way without being too wordy.

arrow  Share your vision

statement with @XQAmerica using the hashtag #youthvoicekit

Team Exercise

Craft the vision

A clear vision should focus your effort, be easily understood, and most importantly, motivate your team and high school community.

Objectives:

arrow Determine a vision

arrow Turn the vision into a clear statement

arrow Tip:

A vision statement is a concise and powerful statement of the team’s vision typically in one to two sentences. It communicates the desired future state in an inspiring way without being too wordy.

Step 08      Build the plan

An effective change plan requires well-planned actions

Key Concept

Action Library

Actions are the steps that help achieve a vision. Use these
actions to serve as inspiration for your team’s change plan
and as the team completes the change plan template. Pull
from the action library and create your own!

  Actions that bring

people together

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  Actions that

educate others

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  Actions that

amplify the effort

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Actions that bring people together
Group 20307
Actions that

educate others
Group 20307
Actions that

amplify the effort
Group 20307

Team Exercise

Build the plan

A plan is a plotted-out sequence of actions, usually in timeline form, that can be taken to make change a reality. A plan is a clear, understandable, and logical roadmap for the process your team will undertake.

Objectives:

arrow Plot out sequenced steps

(actions) across a timeline

arrow Specify the who, n

how, where, why,

and when behind each actio

arrow Tip:

Actions can be large or small,

depending on the scope of

the change and the scale of

the effort.

For every action, consider why

it drives and builds momentum

toward the vision.

Students at New Harmony
High planned out an effort
that culminated in piloting
a recycling program to model
sustainability practices in their
high school community.





Step 09      Prepare the plan for reality

Strong change plans
are anchored by
strong preparation.

Strong change plans are anchored by strong preparation.

arrow Tip:

Your change plan is only as

strong as the preparation,

you do as a team. The more

prepared the team is, the,

the better it can respond to the

inevitable ups and downs of

the journey ahead!

Team Exercise

Prepare the plan for reality

Now that your team has a clear vision (end goal) and a plan for getting there, critically think about how you will know you’re successful, what might stand in your way (obstacles), and how you’ll work together to achieve change.

Objectives:

arrow Determine what success will look

like during the project

arrow Discuss what might interfere with

the plan while brainstorming how

the team will address any barriers

arrow Prepare to support each other

throughout the journey

Step 10      Reflect

Readying a plan for showtime deserves a moment to reflect and celebrate!

The team has made it through the crucial step of planning! As you prepare to turn the plan into action, take some time to celebrate and reflect on the planning stage of this journey and how it felt.

To practice self-reflection on what has been planned up until this point, think about the following:

Reflect on the highs and lows of planning an intense change effort

Determine the support you and the team will need as your plan starts to become a reality

Think about how far you and 
the team have come to this point and how the team can unlock all its potential

Next section

Grounded in a clear plan, powerful actions, and a motivating vision, it’s time to make your plan real.