Projects
The Partnership for Safe Water in the Mara: Appreciative Action has partnered with William James College, Fairmont/Accor Hotels and the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Project to deliver clean water and education to 14,000 community members in Narok County, Kenya. This region faces unprecedented threats from pollution, gold mining, encroachment, deforestation and climate change, and is is geographically remote with limited access due to poor roads. Our goal is to continue the distribution of water packets to hardship areas in Kenya’s Mara region, through implementation of our whole community education model.
Always Keeping Girls In School: Ongoing menstrual hygiene management (MHM) program throughout Kenya where girls and boys learn about health and hygiene, changes in their bodies, critical thinking and decision-making, character strengths, relationships and the importance of being able to communicate openly with parents and teachers. Our project researches the efficacy of the program using technology-based survey methodology, psycho-educational measurement and project outcome studies.
P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Project: The non-profit P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program provides clean drinking water to children and families in need around the world. Our projects have included schools and communities in Muranga and Kiambu Counties. Currently, we are working in Narok County with Maasai Communities to help provide access to clean, safe water and education around health, hygiene, and well-being.
Gathage School, Kandara, Kenya: Project to create a positive education curriculum for a public school (ages 4-17) in Kandara, Kenya. We are collaborating with teachers, families and community members to create a model curriculum to increase well being and academic achievement.
KIMO Wellness Foundation, Murang’a County, Kenya: Project to create culturally appropriate strength based practices with Kimo, a Kenyan NGO with the mission to alleviate human suffering through community based programs and collaboration.
Farm Africa, Kenya: Long term project, facilitated a planning retreat for Farm Africa, Kenya. Inspired a vision for Farm Africa Kenya to increase impact, rigor, and sustainability and to strengthen staff capacity through cultivating perspective, creativity, proactive behavior, and playfulness. To reach this purpose we met people with respect and acceptance.
Population Services International/Lesotho, Africa: Long term project, planned and facilitated a three-day Appreciative Inquiry Summit with a group of 125 persons from Lesotho. Created an evaluation team, collaboratively created AI interviews, collected data and made recommendations informed by the data analysis. Diversity of opinion was valued and tolerated and creative new directions emerged.
Project Harmony, Volgograd and Petrozavodsk, Russia, U.S. State Department: U.S. State Department funded Domestic Violence Community Partnership Program, collaborating with communities in Volgograd and Petrozavodsk, Russia in developing a systemic response to domestic violence.
PSI, Washington, D.C.: Engaged a learning and development team in AI training and collaborated on the development of new structures and processes for program implementation and evaluation. Equality was valued, respectful listening skills were enhanced, and the team reported the unfolding of creative opportunities.
Wheelock College, Boston, Massachusetts: Designed and developed an “Appreciative Training” model for professional psychologists to facilitate the cultivation of strengths using collaborative assessment, reflective dialogue, and appreciative inquiry. Feedback indicated that the process of assessment, dialogue, and reflective feedback generated feelings of confidence, competence and a sense of belonging to the community.
The League School, Walpole, Massachusetts: A 6 month project involving consultation and training in Appreciative Inquiry at a school for Autistic Children with administration, staff, and teachers.
University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dept. of Child Psychiatry: Presented a supervision training and evaluation model to medical faculty teaching the cultivation of strengths using reflective dialogue and appreciative inquiry.
Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, Boston, Massachusetts: Ongoing whole system Appreciative Inquiry change effort including administration, trustees, faculty and staff.
Community Healthlink Detox Unit, Worcester, Massachusetts: A year long project in “Revisioning Through Appreciative Action: The Best It Can Be” at a Detox Unit at a State facility in Massachusetts.
Juvenile Court Clinic Program, Youth and Family Services, Worcester, Massachusetts: “Appreciative Action: Moving Forward with Appreciative Inquiry” a consultation and Staff Retreat at Juvenile Court Clinic.
Boston College, Department of Counseling Services, Boston, Massachusetts: An Appreciative Inquiry of Clinical Supervision in Higher Education
FAIMER Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Consultation and teaching at The Foundation for Advancement of Medical Education and Research, a non-profit foundation committed to improving world health through education.
Murang’a Counselors and Psychologists Organization (MuCoPO), Murang’a County, Kenya: The Worcester Foundation, Worcester, Massachusetts
American Diabetes Association, Washington, D.C.: An Appreciative Inquiry to inspire and connect Volunteer Staff at the American Diabetes Association.
Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, Massachusetts
Newbridge on the Charles, Dedham, Massachusetts: Consultation at a living and learning community providing a continuum of wellness addressing the “whole person” and integrating the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of aging.
The Bedford Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Bedford, Massachusetts: Appreciative supervision and management training at a U.S. Veteran’s Administration hospital in Massachusetts.