Systems Thinking
Below are websites, documents, and other resources that are helpful in learning about systems thinking as well as creating learning plans that can be incorporated into educational programs or community food forest workshops.
The Waters Foundation
About the Waters Foundation
We help create positive change and improved performance through the Habits and tools of systems thinking. We’re all about delivering benefits and working with others to help them do the same — whether it’s in a classroom, school, district, business or community, systems thinking helps people of all ages and walks of life see beyond the heart of a problem to find equitable and essential solutions.
Our work is recognized worldwide for making systems thinking accessible and practical, both for children in classrooms as well as executives in boardrooms. We’ve worked across the U.S. and around the globe to develop systems thinkers who will shape our current and future world by understanding the complexities of the systems we live and work in, and identifying leverage actions to achieve desired results.
Systems Thinker- Website Repository
The Systems Thinker has been published by Pegasus Communications since the early 1980’s. Daniel Kim and Colleen Lannon were essential in launching this valuable publication and it has been carried forward by many capable hands over the years. In 2013, Pegasus Communications went through bankruptcy proceedings and The Omidyar Group purchased the assets to ensure continued access to all of the great material published over the years.
With the launch of thesystemsthinker.com, we hope to drive much broader adoption of this insightful material. Our intention is for the site to be an archive of already published material. At this time, we’re not planning on publishing new material.
Download available from this website: Systems Thinking Tools- A User’s Reference Guide
Twink.org
http://www.thwink.org/sustain/glossary/SystemsThinking.htm
About
Thwink consists of a small band of innovators out to change the way modern activism works.
Thwink believes that root cause analysis is necessary to solve difficult social problems. They also believe that deep, correct root cause analysis of insanely difficult social problems like sustainability is possible. All this site is trying to do is show how this can be done.
FSG- Re-imagining social change
About
FSG is a mission-driven consulting firm for leaders in search of large-scale, lasting social change. Through our combination of customized consulting services, powerful ideas, and learning communities, we help foundations, businesses, nonprofits, and governments around the world unleash their full potential to reimagine social change.
Our expertise in strategic planning, evaluation, and implementation helps clients such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Lilly, and the Global Fund for Women create social impact in health, economic development, education, and more.
Tools for Supporting Systems Thinking and Change
Disrupt Design
About from their website:
Founded by designer, sociologist, sustainability provocateur and United Nations Champion of the Earth, Dr. Leyla Acaroglu, Disrupt Design is a provocative new type of capacity building creative agency.
Our mission is to build the knowledge, intervention opportunities and tools that help activate a global community focused on purpose-driven change for positive impact on the planet.
We build capacity for organizations and individuals to be an active part of the new circular and green economy.
Using a robust scientific approach to understanding the complex systems that impact society, we developed the unique Disruptive Design Method which leverages systems, sustainability and design to understand, explore and intervene in existing systems and activate change globally. Taking on big challenges such as Gender Equity, a Post Disposable Society and Cognitive Biases with our method, we create substance-based trainings and toolkits that are helping tens of thousands of people globally activate their agency and positively impact the planet.
Tools for Systems Thinkers: Systems Mapping
The Center for EcoLiteracy
About
The Center for Ecoliteracy is dedicated to cultivating education for sustainable living.
We recognize that students need to experience and understand how nature sustains life and how to live accordingly. We encourage schools to teach and model sustainable practices.
The Center leads systems change initiatives, publishes original books and resources, facilitates conferences and professional development, and provides strategic consulting. We work at multiple levels of scale, with local, regional, state, and national programs.
Resources on systems change/thinking
Learning for Sustainability.net
http://learningforsustainability.net
About
This site aims to provide a practical resource for those who work with communities (in the wider sense of the term) to help them identify and adopt more sustainable practices. It provides a guide to resources relevant for those working to support social learning and constructive action in multi-stakeholder settings. It brings links to a wide range of on-line resources together in one easy to access place. Site content is largely sourced from the sustainable development, natural resource management, urban development, public health and agricultural sectors.
The Guardian- Article on Systems Thinking
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/systems-thinking-sustainable-transformation
The art of systems thinking in driving sustainable transformation
Changing systems, and helping multiple stakeholders find a common vision, requires expertise and a deft touch