Supporting Schools With the Inspiration Visit

Overview

In this step, your team will work with the facilitator to plan virtual or in-person inspiration visits to help school teams observe and explore innovative educational practices aligned with their transformation goals. With the facilitator, you will identify purposeful visit locations, curate resources, and equip schools to make the most out of each inspiration visit.

Outputs
  • A finalized inspiration visit plan tailored to the school team’s goals
  • Completed Inspiration Visit Template with aligned theme, purpose, and key takeaways
  • Curated set of resources (videos, articles, student schedules, etc.) shared with the school team in advance
  • Debrief session scheduled and conducted to synthesize learnings and connect them to the evolving Case for Change

Goal
Support school teams in planning thoughtful inspiration visits that will refine and strengthen each team’s Case for Change.

Owner(s)
District Transformation team or facilitation partner
(If district does not have a facilitation partner they will need to own this step)

Contributor(s)
School design team leads

Resources

Virtual Inspiration Template
A step-by-step template district teams can use to plan, conduct, and reflect on a virtual inspiration visit

Inspiration Visit Guidance
A step-by-step guide for planning and leading inspiration visits, with tips, mindsets, and a mini-visit example.

Transcend Models Exchange
An online gallery of innovative school models curated by Transcend, offering inspiration and practical examples aligned to diverse design goals.

Education Reimagined Map
An interactive map highlighting learner-centered school models across the country. This would be a great place to look for content for an inspiration visit.

Putting It In Practice

1

Work with the school team to identify purpose and define a theme or central question.

Clarify what the team hopes to gain from the visit (e.g., mindset alignment, experiential insights, specific instructional practices, etc.).

2

Brainstorm and research potential sites with your facilitation partner.

Use resources like the Education Reimagined map or the Transcend Models Exchange to identify schools or organizations relevant to the team’s focus or questions.

-> 💡Pro Tip: Consider school-adjacent spaces—like community organizations or creative studios—that might offer fresh perspectives..

3

Customize the Inspiration Vision Template:

Adapt the Inspiration Visit Template to align closely with your team’s central question or theme. See an Example: Charlotte Lab School

4

Curate resources for participants:

Collect relevant videos, photos, websites, social media posts, news articles, student schedules, and other materials. Share them with the school team in advance to provide context for the visit.

5

Prep your facilitator to conduct the visit:

Ensure the inspiration visit facilitator understands the visit objectives and the use of the template. Support logistical planning, whether virtual or in person.

6

Plan a debrief session with the school team:

In this session, help the team craft insights and reflect on next steps. Use this touchpoint to ensure that key takeaways are clearly captured in the Design Journey Notebook and tied to upcoming design work.

Go to Next Step
Preparing for Design Experience 1
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