MES Pre-Conference Workshop | Equity Design Sprint: Solving Wicked Problems
Tuesday, January 27, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Wicked problems are complex, context-specific issues with no single “right” answer, like building trust in historically excluded communities, balancing competing stakeholder needs, or designing for long-term participation. Bring your thorniest challenge yet, no matter how complex or unresolved. This fast-paced, equity-centered, design sprint-style workshop is for practitioners ready to move from stuck to strategic.
You’ll learn to break down these challenges into manageable parts and generate community-responsive ideas using a condensed sprint structure: Define → Reframe → Ideate → Select → Sketch. You’ll work in small teams to clarify your challenge, generate ideas rooted in equity and lived experience, and walk away with renewed clarity and a draft solution to move forward. Facilitators will guide each step and offer real-time feedback. You won’t solve everything, but you’ll leave with a concrete direction, practical tools, and energy to keep moving forward. Attendees can expect to roll up their sleeves and get to work during this actionable session.
Register for the pre-conference workshop when purchasing your ticket to MES here. If you already registered for MES, you are able to add pre-conference events to your existing registration. This training is $50 for MEEA Members and $75 for Non-Members.