Community Adoption Lab

Reading the terrain so your mission can move.

Before we map your Community Adoption Terrain, we are conducting a focused 5-day sprint to test a single idea: a community-based prevention engine that uses food access to reduce pediatric food insecurity.

This sprint is not a pivot. It is a signal test — designed to clarify community conditions, stakeholder influence, structural barriers, and what “prevention” looks like in real life.

This is an opportunity to listen, clarify, and explore what’s real.
Formation Sprint Progress
Each day: Not Started • In Progress • Submitted • Under Review
1
Day 1 — Internal Clarithy
Not Started
Ground the model in lived conditions. Who is impacted, when, and how it shows up.
  • Who experiences pediatric food insecurity most often in your community?
  • When does it show up most clearly in daily life (weekends, summer, end-of-month, etc.)?
  • What daily constraints shape food decisions (time, transportation, cooking tools, stress, stigma)?
Concrete > general. Name real conditions you’ve seen.
2
Day 2 — System Stakeholders
Not Started
Food insecurity is shaped by a network. Identify who influences access, trust, and flow.
Stakeholder Landscape Examples
  • Schools: principals, counselors, social workers, after-school leaders
  • Healthcare: pediatricians, clinics, hospital community benefit teams
  • Community & Faith: pastors, community centers, youth mentors
  • Food Access: food banks, pantry networks, grocers, farmers markets
  • Public Sector: public health department, city council, housing authority

Pediatricians / Healthcare Providers

  • What health issues are you seeing that may be connected to poor nutrition?
  • At what point do food insecurity issues become visible in a child’s health?
  • What support would help families maintain more consistent nutrition?

Schools (Teachers, Nurses, Social Workers)

  • How does food insecurity show up in the classroom?
  • What patterns do you see in behavior, attention, or attendance that may relate to nutrition?
  • What types of programs have helped students most?

Food Banks / Food Access Organizations

  • What patterns do you see in demand for food assistance?
  • When during the month do families struggle most with access to food?
  • What barriers prevent families from using available food programs?

Community & Faith Leaders

  • What challenges do families talk about when it comes to food and nutrition?
  • Where do families typically turn for help first?
  • What community resources already exist that could support better food access?

Families

  • When does food access feel most difficult for your household?
  • What kinds of support would actually help you maintain healthier food routines?
  • What programs have you tried before, and what worked or didn’t work?
Aim for “who shapes conditions,” not “who likes our org.”
3
Day 3 — Community Signal Conversations
Not Started
Talk to the system. Two short conversations will reveal more than ten assumptions.
  • Speak with at least two stakeholders from Day 2.
  • Ask: Where does food insecurity hit children hardest? What has failed in the past? What would actually help?
  • Capture what surprised you and what repeated across conversations.
No selling. Just listening and recording signal.
4
Day 4 — Why current systems fail.
Not Started
Name the friction. What keeps families from turning food access into stability?
  • What prevents consistent access (transportation, time, documentation, stigma, scheduling, SNAP timing)?
  • What prevents healthy use of food (cooking tools, storage, knowledge, preferences, stress)?
  • Which barriers are within your control vs outside your control?
These barriers become your CAM “Risk Exposure.”
5
Day 5 — Prevention Engine Integration
Not Started
Integrate the week into a clear prevention statement (problem → intervention → outcome).
  • Problem: How does pediatric food insecurity show up here?
  • Intervention: How does your work convert food access into prevention (education, routines, engagement)?
  • Outcome: What changes for the child and family over time?
Clarity beats complexity. Be direct.
Sprint complete. Thank you — your reflections are now ready for synthesis.
Insights Layer (Facilitator)

Findings

Core observations across Days 1–5.

Pattern Recognition

Recurring themes, tensions, and leverage points.

Structural Risks

What could stall adoption or strain delivery.

Viability Assessment

Signal strength across demand, pathway, and feasibility.

Leadership Readiness Note

Capacity, conviction, and operational posture.

Capital Alignment Potential

Where funders may lean in—or hesitate.

Decision Node: Solidify conclusions + next steps, then advance to the next layer.