IDEO.org Fellow Cris Valerio tells the story of some of the families her IDEO.org is meeting as part of the hear research they're conducting in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Maria is relatively new to Tulsa.

The 23-year old moved here from Colorado with her Honduran boyfriend Marco. It’s just the latest in a series of moves that started when she was 13. That’s when police raided her home, put a gun to her face and arrested her mother, a meth addict and dealer. The monotone timbre of her voice as she tells her story reveals a hardened acceptance of her past. The gurgle of the black-haired, smiling five-month old in her arms is the only thing that elicits a smile from her face. Her tattoo says it all: God’s favorites have a hard time.

Mollie has blue eyes that sparkle and a big laugh that fills a room.

Her East Texas accent and the warm cinnamon rolls she has waiting ring of southern charm. The thirty-five year old mother of 5, yes FIVE kids, is three semesters away from becoming a registered nurse thanks to the consistent support of a loving husband and financial aid that CAP (our client) has offered her. Faith and family are central in her life. It’s how she’s managed the reality that sometimes she can’t feed her kids.

Tashaya’s living room has no furniture. Neither does her bedroom.

She and her partner Cedric got rid of it all one night when their one-year old bumped into a table and fell, “I’m a high speed mom,” she explains. Philly born and raised, this 31-year old mother of two exudes energy and a no nonsense attitude to match. 5 years in the military, a stint on probation and two kids later she knows exactly who she is. 

Three very different experiences.

One common theme our IDEO.org team is seeing: raising kids in poverty in America.

Poverty in the developing world is, at times, a more abstract concept and as such easier to process. When you are faced, however, with poverty amongst peers that look, talk and have the same cultural reference points as you, the tenor changes.

It’s personal.

What does a low-income parent in this country look like? 

What themes exist amongst those that successfully manage the opportunities they’ve been given with the baggage they carry? 

What factors must be in place to support, and importantly, affirm parents?

These are some of the questions we have been asking ourselves as we set about designing solutions that address the issue of social mobility (or lack there of) within poverty. That is, how can we design systems that support early childhood development by taking on home environments? At times, this is a really uncomfortable place to be. We are essentially asking, how much can we or should we get involved in people’s personal lives?

Our IDEO.org team is in the Hear stage of the human-centered design process. Two weeks of interviews in Tulsa have provided rich color for what’s next. And let me tell you, we have a LOT of interviews to process as we move into the synthesis stage of the design process. 

• 9 social workers
• 4 site directors
• 1 teacher
• 11 of CAP’s staff and leadership
• 10 in depth family interviews
• Countless other informal conversations with parents

Let the synthesis begin, one Post-it note at a time.