Stories
Insights & Ideas
Stories from reDirect collaborators about applying SEE in their own lives.
Relying on Technology Alone to Sharpen Your Focus? You Might Be in For a Wait.
If we pause and look at the people around us in almost any public space, we’re likely to find someone with a wearable device. "Wearables" have become widespread consumer products that also provide us with more information about ourselves than we ever thought possible. But are wearables worth our attention and the other resources we spend on them?
Crafting a Visual Environment for Sharing Information
In the modern era of technology, humans are constantly inundated with visual information. When visual information is so pervasive, how can we share our knowledge in a way that increases clarity and understanding instead of adding to the deluge?
The Science of Restorative Breaks
Have you ever considered that your attention is as valuable a resource as your time? And just like the number of hours in a day, your capacity to pay attention is limited. In this article, we’ll explore why our brains get tired and how the power of nature can reboot them effectively.
Micro-Breaks for the Busiest of Times
What is a "micro-break"? While the best way to restore your attention is to spend time in nature (and avoid looking at screens), we know that isn’t always possible. This post offers some simple micro-break ideas that may give your mind some relief throughout the day.
Supporting Mental Bandwidth: Break Culture in Workplaces
We all start the day with limited resources. When it comes to work, those resources include our time, our energy, and our attention. And, despite what “hustle culture” tells us, there’s a limit to how much we can accomplish each day.
This post explores what it means to “take a break,” and how we can foster work environments that support them.
Breaking Barriers: How to Structure Environments to Support Accessibility Needs
This July, as we mark the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Disability Pride Month, we delve into the transformative power of embracing workplace accessibility through a SEE lens. Click the link below to learn more and read this guest blog from Rachel Fink, a 2023 reDirect Fellow.
Reflections on the Environment as “The Third Teacher”
Discover how Verdi EcoSchool, a reDirect grantee and urban farm school in Melbourne, Fl., harnesses the potential of “The Third Teacher" in education. Delve into their reflections on how intentionally crafted environments can shape behavior, ignite curiosity, and foster a strong sense of community. Learn from Verdi EcoSchool’s insights into the power of conscious design, feedback, and the profound impact of the environment as a vital classroom.
From Planning Routes to Planning Cities: SEE Can Help
“There is an innovative dialogue between urban planning and the SEE framework, prompted by their orbit around a common inquisitive core: How can we leverage our environmental surroundings to bring about the best version of our society, our communities, and ourselves?”
SEEing our Way to Solar: Using Supportive Environments for Effectiveness (SEE) in Program Analysis
“Incorporating Supportive Environments for Effectiveness (SEE) in program analysis is a great way to understand a program’s success, as well as potential areas for improvement. This past summer, I had the privilege of working with Julie Roth from the City of Ann Arbor to take a closer look at what is making the Solarize program so successful in the Ann Arbor area…”
Communicating to Achieve the Shared Mission
“Over the past 12 months, I have been part of an amazing group, a first time cohort of Points of Light affiliates who are conducting volunteer engagement and Service Enterprise training across the country, while introducing a new framework called Supportive Environments for Effectiveness, or SEE…”
The Big Idea of Small Experiments
Small experiments – whether in the design of spaces, programs, or just our own lives – can have big impacts. They can also keep us from making big mistakes. Although the quick, flexible, and impermanent nature of small experiments can make them feel haphazard, they are anything but.
Why Don’t People See the Obvious?
It can be extraordinarily frustrating when people fail to see the obvious. Why can’t they perceive what’s right in front of them? Why can’t they see what’s real and true?