Challenge: The National Education Association’s Human and Civil Rights (HCR) division sought to reimagine its professional development (PD) ecosystem to align more closely with its liberatory values and long-term vision. The challenge was to build alignment across the team around its current identity, desired future, and how to bridge the gap between the two. The goal was to clarify what a “liberatory learning ecosystem” means for HCR PD, and how to embody that in their systems, language, and offerings.
Offering & Process: Aminata led a comprehensive strategic visioning process that included in-depth interviews with all HCR PD team members, a review of core NEA documents, and the design and facilitation of a two-day in-person retreat in Washington, DC. During the retreat, the team explored the history of their work, surfaced tensions and aspirations, and aligned on shared language and purpose. Visioning activities helped the team articulate the essence of liberation and ecosystem in their context, and identify what needed to shift in their ways of working, delivering, and communicating.
Results: The process generated clarity and alignment across the team around core concepts, including a shared understanding of what it means to be a “liberatory learning ecosystem.” Participants co-created a vision of their future identity, identified internal systems to strengthen, and mapped out key priorities for expanding their reach and leadership capacity. The outcomes were captured in a synthesis report that is now being used to guide strategic decisions and inform future programming. HCR PD emerged from the process with renewed energy, sharper focus, and a stronger sense of collective purpose.