National Community of Practice on Transition Community Meeting February 6-7, 2006 Welcome!

What Can 10 states, 2 Federal Agencies, 14 National Organizations, 5 Technical Assistance Centers and a Network of Young Adults Do in 48 Hours to Improve Transition? Let’s Find Out!

Session 1

Why Communities of Practice? “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.” Yogi Berra

The National Community Bridges the Levels Where Transition Is Shaped Federal State Local Site Individual

The National Community Makes the Practice Knowledge of Implementers and Consumers Explicit Leaders need the support of those that do the work and receive the services to achieve results Real change requires that leaders and workers build a shared sense of purpose around the change

The National Community Brings Many Stakeholders Together to Find Solutions to Persistent Problems Community work is not an ‘add on’ to the ‘real’ work. Community is the way of doing the ‘real’ work. The community must add value and provide new ways to accomplish together what has been challenging alone.

How Does the Community Operate? The National Community Federal Agencies, States, National Organizations and TA Centers Regular Communication Shared Activities Practice Groups on Issues Learning From and With Each Other Using existing networks to spread existing and new knowledge More Predictably More Quickly Using existing networks to influence beliefs, dispositions and practice The State Communities Build on current efforts Modeled after the national community Different stages of participation and devlopment

Community Is a Strategy to Achieve Outcomes; It is Not the Outcome! Collaboration without focus or action feels contrived to all Community offers a new approach Bring groups together around shared interests Explore gaps Find new approaches Use existing networks to communicate why and how the new strategy is valuable Continually build understanding that supports implementation Detect problems early and find shared solutions Impact of the community strategy demands examination If the outcomes are not improving, the community is not adding value

Evolution of the National Community Content Focus Relationship Focus Learning Focus Outcome Focus

Our Purpose: To Create the Infrastructure for Committed Partners to Support Change and Improve Outcomes through Community Do you have a vision for change through community building? Do you have the administrative support to share learning and action? Are you committed to bringing stakeholder networks into the state work as allies? Do you believe we can learn from young adults that have exited our systems? Do you believe that deeper understanding can influence practice? Will you develop leaders at all levels to share the load? We will explore these questions in the next two days and will go forward with states that want to act … and measure the results of their actions.