I.D.E.A Academy

The City of Sugar Land’s (COSL) staff curriculum: Ideas Driven by Employee Action (IDEA) Academy aids city staff in enhancing their problem-solving skills and effecting organizational change. I reimagined the learning framework to increase engagement and satisfaction!

There were many content to cover in one single 4 hours sessions, which obstructs the learners from obtaining a deeper understanding of the lesson and causes confusion. The previous curriculum also encouraged employees to submit project ideas that may solve city challenges post-session, yet there were minimal submissions.

I implemented the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle along side the design thinking process! I created an evaluation form to identify the learners’ pain points. During the “Study” phase, I crafted a persona of city employees and analyzed other educational programs. Drawing from the research, I ideated solutions tailored to meet the learners' needs.

As a part of an iterative process, I was able to test the new curriculum with FBISD students.

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One single 4 hours session turned into an 3-days class featuring a combination of lectures and hands-on lab activities

Participants collaborate on a group project throughout the duration of I.D.E.A Academy. At the end, they’ll have a business case ready to submit for potential implementation. The class provides worksheets for learners to follow along and keep beyond I.D.E.A Academy. City employees will have access to templates that they can implement in their daily tasks.

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In preparation for the soft launch and beyond, I designed the Department of Innovation's Sharepoint site that also enables employees to sign up for I.D.E.A Academy sessions and download digital worksheets.

(Check the timestamp in the descriptions for quick watch!)

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