Systems Change 101

Taking your self-guided journey

This training is delivered as a video-guided, activity-based workshop designed to help you explore the foundational concepts of systems thinking at your own pace, in your own way. The structure blends short instructional videos with facilitated reflection, hands-on activities, and group discussions to ensure participants learn not just what a system is, but how to make change within it.

Whether you’re a coalition member, community leader, or curious change agent, this course invites you to see systems with fresh eyes and begin imagining what’s possible. It is great for onboarding new staff, board members, and volunteers, or for preparing staff or strategy teams to create change.

It can also be facilitated in a group setting at staff meetings, volunteer trainings, and board orientations. You can use the facilitator guide to support implementation.

TRAINING PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES

Workshop Purpose: The purpose of this presentation, along with the associated activities and discussions, is to help participants understand the basic components of a system and begin to understand how to leverage them to make change.

Our Hope: to support participants in moving forward with trauma- and poverty-informed systems change strategies in their workplaces and communities.

Please note that this training is delivered in two parts and takes a total of 45 minutes to complete. Larger groups may need an hour for implementation to ensure adequate time for activities and discussions.

Participants will be able to:

Explain what a system is and how it behaves
Identify and describe the parts, conditions, and barriers within a system
Understand what a mental model is and how they shape our beliefs, decisions, and interventions
Define feedback loops and how systems signal what’s working (or not)
Map a real-world system using coalition-relevant examples

Systems Change 101 - An Introduction to Systems Training Videos

Before you begin...

Please take 7 - 10 minutes to complete the Systems Change 101 pre-assessment. Feedback on incorrect answers will give you guidance on which segment of the training to focus on.

Training Materials:

Systems Change 101 Vocabulary

Systems Change 101 Handout

Systems Change 101 Facilitator Guide

Part I - A System and Its Parts

This section introduces the foundational concepts of systems thinking using the garden metaphor. Participants learn what a system is, how its components interact, and how conditions, barriers, tools, and mindsets shape outcomes. Through accessible visuals and analogies, this part builds a shared language for understanding complexity and prepares learners to identify the elements that influence real-world systems.

Part II - A Real-World System Example

In this section, participants explore the concepts of systems change through an everyday system: a 3rd-grade classroom. By examining programs, conditions, barriers, leadership roles, and tools within a familiar setting, learners practice identifying system components and tracing how they influence outcomes. This part bridges theory and practice, helping participants see systems thinking in action and recognize opportunities for change within their own environments.

Before you go...

Please take 7-10 minutes to complete the Systems Change 101 post-assessment. Feedback on incorrect answers will help you identify areas where you may need additional training or capacity-building. Submitting your email address will allow us to send your assessment results. Emails will not be used in any other way.

Participants who score 80 or higher will automatically receive a certificate of participation, provided they enter their full name in question #1.

What's Next:

This video training series provides participants with the baseline knowledge and understanding needed to understand the systems around them. We encourage you to continue learning with our Systems Change 201 Training, Applying an Informed Approach: Systems Thinking for Systems Change.

We have also compiled a short list of Systems Change Resources to help frame your understanding.

Systems Change Resources

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