Designing Systems That Work for Us with the Roots, Stems, Seeds and Flowers Framework

This 1.5 hour immersive workshop offers a comprehensive systems thinking cycle, allowing participants to delve deeply into the systems they aim to transform. Tyjana Connolly (she/her), a passionate community builder, organizer, and co-founder of Black Eco Bloom, will guide participants through the different phases of systems thinking using The Roots, Stems, Seeds and Flowers (RSSF) framework, encouraging individuals to approach decision-making and actions through the lens of cultivation – based on community, learning, re-learning, envisioning, and evaluation.

This workshop is part of the STARCAP Climate Action Fall Workshop Series. Live ASL interpretation will be available at this event.

funded by the government of canada bilingual

More Details

Participants will be guided through the different phases of systems thinking in the framework:

Roots: Analyzing the Problem Landscape
In order to change a system, it’s essential to delve deep into its roots and understand how it came to be. This involves looking at the past, understanding history and previous knowledges.

Stems: Reflecting on Our Roots Assessment, Deciding What to Keep and What to Let Go
We need to determine which aspects of the current system are valuable and which ones need to be eliminated. Where do we want to go from here, and how can our roots inform our decision?

Seeds: Developing a Counter-Infrastructure: Habits, Legitimacy, and Community
What does it take to create a counter-infrastructure? Start with building habits, establishing infrastructure, and gaining legitimacy. This involves movement building through education and community building. Keep in mind that the process of sowing is cyclical in nature.

Flowers: Cultivating Impact
When reflecting on our actions, it’s important to consider their effects on the current system. Ask yourself how much progress you’ve made, and whether the impact is positive, negative, or somewhere in between.

Participants will engage with the provided workbook throughout the facilitation and have a chance to apply RSSFs in breakout rooms with a provided example system.

About the Facilitator

Tyjana Connolly (she/her) is a passionate community builder, organizer, and co-founder of Black Eco Bloom, a sustainable development organization that focuses on environmental education, and community-based solutions to tackle climate. She is passionate about research and community development with over four years of experience in community engagement, program development and facilitation. She is also a Fellow at the Sustainable Capacity Building Institute.

Tyjana’s experience with training and education has a diverse range, she has created toolkits, training and facilitated workshops, more specifically encouraging community members to re-imagine their communities and incorporate systems design.

Tyjana is a co-author of “Green Is Not White: Giving Voice to BIPOC Workers in the Environmental Justice Movement,” featured in the Research Handbook on Inequalities and Work. This publication, included in the social science citation index, delves into the topic of environmental racism and environmental inequity for BIPOC workers in Canada. She is the creator of the Roots, Stems, Seeds and Flowers, a methodology she is cultivating on understanding and incorporating systems thinking into movement work.

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Designing Systems That Work for Us with the Roots, Stems, Seeds and Flowers Framework

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Date: November 20, 2024
Time: 11am-12:30pm PT / 1-2:30pm CT / 2-3:30pm ET

Accessibility

CCEDNet is committed to creating an accessible environment for all participants. Closed captioning will be available. However, accessibility goes beyond space considerations. If you are experiencing anything that is preventing you from attending this program, please contact Amanda San Filippo to discuss how we may help.