• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

SEL Center

Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety

  • Peer Collaboratives
    • Transforming Kindergarten
    • Data for Truth and Action
    • Comprehensive School Safety
    • Alignment, Coherence, and Strategic Communication
  • State Profiles
  • Resources
  • News
  • Events
  • About
    • Our Work
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us

Resources

Participatory Systems Change for Equity: An Inquiry Guide for Child-, Youth- and Family- Serving Agencies

Amber Valdez, Rebeca Cerna, & Shazia Hashmi; California Center for School Climate & Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate

  • Download in English

    View this resource
  • Descargar en español

    View this resource

When child-, youth-, and family-serving agencies facilitate systems change efforts without those who experience and are impacted by these systems, they run the risk of perpetuating inequity and causing harm to the very people they intend to serve. Participatory systems change involves community members and system leaders to collectively identify, design, decide, implement, and assess priorities, actions, and investments that work toward eliminating systemic oppression and generating system conditions that promote equity, opportunity, and well-being.

System leaders can use this guide to help facilitate participatory systems change. The guide features elements of participatory systems change that institutions and organizations can apply depending on local context and locally defined goals. With this guide, system leaders will:

  • Understand what participatory systems change is and how it can contribute to transformative change at the systems level that promotes equity, opportunity, and well-being for young people, families, and communities
  • Gain insights into integrating elements of participatory systems change into any initiative at any phase of implementation
  • Consider key questions and resources in order to align change initiatives with elements of participatory systems change

Published

March 7, 2023

Topic

Alignment and Coherence Data-Driven Cycles of Improvement Race & Equity Sustainable Implementation

Category

Professional Learning & Practice

Audience

Local Leaders

Resource Type

Actionable Tools/Guides

Back to Resources

Footer

Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety
  • Peer Collaboratives
    • Transforming Kindergarten
    • Data for Truth and Action
    • Comprehensive School Safety
    • Alignment, Coherence, and Strategic Communication
  • State Profiles
  • Resources
  • News
  • Events
  • About
    • Our Work
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us

Learn about new SEL & School Safety Resources

Receive our newsletter with the latest SEL & School Safety news, opportunities, and resources

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety is a project of WestEd. WestEd is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency that partners with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children and adults.

This site and its contents copyright © 2018-2025 WestEd. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Accessibility | Visit WestEd.org