What specific institution will you focus on and how does it impact the lives of real people?
Cultural Emotions —-Template for the Meso Strategy Proposal – Transforming Institutions
Key notes for every section. Make sure each section has these:
Be cultural – instead of saying “we need to change culture” or “stereotypes are harmful”, target specific schemas ———————————–>
Back up every claim with research, interviews, and personal experience – reference at least 2 concepts & cite at least 2 authors. Remember to ground your analysis of the problem in the experiences of real people (e.g., the interviews).
Be detailed – e.g., not just “the people have important perspectives” or “this organization also serves the community” or but precisely what they do and how it works.
Use your creativity, but also make sure all questions on the Assignment Guide are addressed.
Los Angeles Times
[Targeted Subtitle – e.g., Transforming los angeles ]
Issue: [SECTION TITLE] Guadalupe
Make the reader care about your issue:
Basics. What is the issue you have chosen? Why is your group passionate about this issue and how does it matter at the macro (e.g., city, state, national, global) level? What specific institution will you focus on and how does it impact the lives of real people?
The issue we decided to go with is the issue of poverty that affects the minority areas of south Los Angeles. We decided to choose this issue because we want to see change in these areas as these people are hard workers and don’t have the financial means for a better life, thus making us passionate to help the community as well, we’d like to see change in the neighborhood. We also would like to argue about the stereotype the people from the outside see the people of South LA, as lazy, violent, and poor. This issue matters in the macro level as people from the outside of the South LA areas see these people as inferior due to their living conditions and educational levels. Many outsiders only know areas of South LA based on what they see in movies like “Straight Outta Compton”, or other gang related romanticized films by Hollywood. Areas like Inglewood and Compton are known to be portrayed as violent and full of gang violence, which is not really the case. The institutions we would like to improve is the High Schools in this region. We choose Fremont High School because it is so underdeveloped and lacks infrastructure, materials, and school programs that help these students go seek college education. If this school was funded properly many kids would have better opportunities to seek college education which in return will open the doors for a better life and a way out of the streets of South LA. Better school programs will allow students to be off the streets, potentially leading them away from gangs and criminal behavior. High Schools are the final steps a student takes before entering the real world, and the better the school, the better chance for the students to have a better future. By funding Fremont High school and improving the educational system for the youth it will create a ripple effect that will begin to change the stereotypes of how people look at the area of South LA.
Needs & strengths. How does the issue manifest in this specific institution? Focus in: which aspects of the institutions – and of culture (e.g., beliefs, values, symbols, scripts) – reinforce the problem? What are strengths, resources, or people who might help to address the problem?
Fremont High School has been open since 1924, and has operated in 7676 South San Pedro St. in Los Angeles. With almost 100 years of history, this school has played a significant role in the development of children of the South LA region. Unfortunately it has been through alot of wear and tear and needs more funding from the district in order to make improvements both physically and through education for their students. Many of the people that attend these schools are minorities primarily hispanic and to a lesser degree African American. I feel there are many influential people who live in Los Angeles and I feel that these people famous people who buy million dollar cars should invest in the community that could need their help. Many famous people like Oscar de La Hoya have helped other minority communities and thus I others could step up to help this historic school in the center of South LA. Also the people of South LA should get together and demand better funding for schools.
Your vision. Describe your approach to the issue – your frame and the kind of institution you would create if you could start from scratch. What are the most important ways it is different from the specific real-world institution you have chosen?
The approach I will take to solve the current issue is to give the school proper funding better classrooms with more technology. Also more funding for afterschool programs, AP programs, and tutoring programs. If I could start this institution from scratch is to build the school maybe 2 or 3 stories that way we have more classrooms and more land for a good sport fields and a proper Gym area. As more money is spent on technology more kids will have better access to technology and this will improve their learning experience in the classroom. A proper gym and field might led to this school being a top choice for high school athletes, making this school a hub for sports and education. Currently this school is not like this as it has a lot of wear and tear in the classrooms and the field is not properly maintained, making it a bad environment for education and sports.
Impacts: [SECTION TITLE] Yue
Lay out the strategy you are proposing to make change:
Measures. What are short term benchmarks that you would need to accomplish in the next year to put this in place? Articulate 2-3 clear goals: specific measurable outcomes that will happen in 1 year and 5 years. Here are some examples – but remember to choose goals that matter to you:
Reach: In Year 1 we will reach XX more people with […]; by year 5 will reach YY people.
Policy: We will implement this policy in year 1 and lay out a plan for evaluating and refining it; by the fifth year we will have packaged it as a model for similar institutions.
Attitudes: After the first year, XX% of employees will report feeling […]; by year 5, this rate will raise to YY%.
Behaviors: In its first year, this intervention will enable XX% more people to […]. After five years, the rate will have raised by YY%.
Challenges. Name 2-3 challenges you think will stand in the way of implementing your strategy. How will you learn from these challenges and use them to make your model better?
Scaling. Assume that your strategy is successful. What are the other institutions you would focus on to spread your strategy, and how would you approach them to grow your impact toward macro change? Connect back to your vision: – if you meet your goals, how will this field of institutions look different 50-100 years from now?
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