Virtual Youth Civic Engagement Programming: Using the Lean Startup Process Framework

Overview: Our multidisciplinary and statewide collaborative team developed a program that delivers civic knowledge and engages youth in experiential learning opportunities. The current program uses the systematic framework of Lean Startup Process combined with online gamification and simulation. Lessons learned through this process of programming and future directions will be discussed.Proposal text: Considering the marginalized status in society and experiences of political and social exclusion, civic education is critical for socioeconomically disadvantaged youth who reside in rural areas. Limitations have been found in traditional, textbook-based civic education, which may fail to provide practical civic knowledge and skills, retain the interest of students, and facilitate actual opportunities for community engagement. Furthermore, rural youth are often underserved by school- or community-based civic education due to the lack of opportunities and accessibility. Youth living in rural communities and those from racial and ethnic minoritized groups are less likely to have access to civic education and resources to engage in their communities. To address this gap, our multidisciplinary and statewide collaborative team developed a program that delivers civic knowledge and engages youth in experiential learning opportunities.
The current program uses the systematic framework of Lean Startup Process (LSP) combined with a gamified youth civic program. LSP is a practical framework for developing programs that meet customers’ needs in more efficient ways than traditional development processes. This framework suggests that programs and services are developed using a participant-centered approach, adapting to participant and program needs through an iterative design procedure known as the build-measure-learn cycle. The participant-program fit can be determined by following six steps: (1) determine your target participants, (2) identify underserved participant needs, (3) define your value proposition, (4) specify your Minimum Viable Program (MVP) with a core feature set, (5) create your MVP, and (6) test your MVP with participants. In the current program, in addition to providing youth with civics information, we engage them in the LSP process to deconstruct a real-world issue and generate and test potential solutions. This two-pronged approach is intended to equip youth with knowledge about civics, as well as provide an opportunity to engage in problem solving and deeper involvement in their communities. Since we initiated our 5-year project in August 2019, we have conducted a series of MVP tests to develop and refine learning modules for the past three years. In November 2021, we finalized and completed our pilot program.
In addition to engaging youth in the LSP process, our own program development utilized this approach. Through this iterative process of programming, we earned the following lessons: first, as an “outside-in” approach, programming should start from youth participants (i.e., challenge areas, programming gaps, underserved needs), rather than solutions (e.g., expertise, strengths). Second, finding a participant-program fit is one of the most important attributes for a program to be successful. A new program should meet underserved needs of the target population in a way that is better than existing programs. Third, reiterations are critical. It is recommendable to build a minimum viable unit of your program, test each unit by conducting unique user experiences, and refine the unit based on feedback. Last, once multiple units are tested, you may use different combinations tailored to participant groups, delivery modes, available resources, or time frame. Currently, we are building up new partnerships and expanding this program in different rural areas.