Community Engagement

Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute

The Problem

MOI has had a profound impact on the lives of the students they work with. Yet they are experiencing problems when it comes to increasing knowledge about their organization within the communities they serve. This is partially based on the language barrier faced by the families MOI hopes to work with.

In addition, MOI’s quirky aesthetic and teaching style does not resonate with high school students; a demographic they are eager to attract. Lastly, they are moving locations in the summer of 2018 and want to ensure members of the neighborhood get involved in the creation of the new space in order to spread excitement about the learning center.

Early Research and Community Interviews

Working with limited time, in the first week I conducted secondary research of MOI's target demographics while also interviewing community leaders. Most of these individuals belonged to the Somali and the Latino communities.

These interviews taught me a lot in a very short amount of time. Key take-aways included:

• The reliance on smart phones for internet access within the communities MOI works with.

• The skepticism these communities had for non-profits and other efforts to address the achievement gap within their neighborhood.

One of the most enlightening interviews I had was with a political activist/software developer. In my discussion with him, I gained a deeper understanding of how interface choices can create cultural specificity for a website. 

Some of these elements were:

• Using language and imagery that resonates with the individuals who visit the website and would potentially use MOI's services.    

  • At the time, MOI's website had very little in terms of pictures and language specific to the communities they work with.        

• Leveraging visual communication to increase the site's usability for non-english speakers.                                                                   

  • This could save MOI from creating multiple versions of their website in different languages.                                            

Solution Ideation and Wireframing

Based on what I learned through interviews and research, I set out to design improved experiences and suggest actionable changes for MOI's website. 

Making wireframes of the proposed website changes made it easy to open up a dialogue with the staff at MOI about amplifying their organizational message. Shown below are the main alterations.

1. Changing the images of links to reflect their subject increases usability for non-English speakers.

2. Shown here in the mobile version, iconography can be an additional way to improve communication.

3. Creating a page specific to parents will give MOI a chance to more thoroughly describe the value of their services as well as the various classes they offer.

4. Highlighting the organization's move to south Minneapolis will ensure that residents of their new neighborhood have a way to answer any questions about MOI's new location.

In addition to clarifying MOI's brand voice through simple changes to their website, I recommended that they also create a short video explaining who they are. The organization has made many inexpensive videos in the past, though none accurately and succinctly communicate their mission and their services.

Following the input from those I interviewed, I outlined for MOI some core community engagement strategies and practices. Some of these plans were:

1. Maturing their current space ideation sessions:

MOI values the input of the families and students they work with. They have been asking the community for ideas on what their new space should like, though the feedback hasn't been as detailed as they would hope. By putting a greater emphasis on wanting to create a space that is designed by the community, for the community, MOI can pivot the image of their organization to that of a conduit of community values.

2. Develop cultural specificity to generate greater interest:

The staff at MOI have an intimate understanding and deep appreciation for the struggles their students face on a daily basis. Although the personal relationships between staff and students are a huge part of MOI's value, the cultural specificity of their brand has room for improvement. As the new learning center is built, the organization has the opportunity to alter their aesthetic and to bring on new staff and volunteers from the surrounding neighborhood. By doing this, students and their families will feel at home within the new space, and by effect, eliminating the stigma associated with attending a learning center.

Criteria for Success

A few simple indications of the success of these strategies are:

• Retention of students

• Increased student involvement

• Attracting more volunteers - especially from the local community

• Higher donor involvement

• Increased number of donors

• Gaining new partnerships within the neighborhood