Preparing to Lead: CUG Navigators Train for Chicago’s First Quality of Life Plan for Girls

Community leaders and stakeholders come together to prepare for Design Labs that will help shape a stronger future for girls across Chicago.

Meaningful community change begins with listening, collaboration, and the people committed to making it happen.

The Coalition on Urban Girls (CUG) recently brought together a dedicated group of Navigators at the Northwestern Bronzeville Center for an interactive training session in preparation for Chicago’s first Quality of Life Plan for Girls.

These Navigators are more than facilitators. They are program leaders, community stakeholders, and advocates who already work directly with girls and understand the opportunities and challenges they face. Their role will be essential in guiding the upcoming Design Labs, where participants will share experiences, identify priorities, and help shape recommendations for a more equitable and supportive Chicago.

Learning the Process Before Leading the Process

Throughout the training, Navigators gained hands-on experience with the Design Lab approach, exploring the tools and facilitation techniques they will use to guide meaningful conversations.

Through facilitator-led instruction, individual reflection, and collaborative exercises, participants examined how to create welcoming spaces where different perspectives are valued, and every voice has an opportunity to contribute.

The training emphasized an important principle: effective community engagement requires more than asking questions. It requires intentional listening, thoughtful facilitation, and a process that turns shared experiences into actionable ideas.

Bringing Community Experience to the Table

One of the greatest strengths of the Navigator team is the experience they bring into the room.

Selected for their existing leadership and involvement in programs serving girls and communities, Navigators contributed valuable perspectives throughout the training. Group discussions created opportunities to exchange ideas, consider different approaches, and build a shared understanding of the Design Lab process.

This collaborative preparation will help Navigators facilitate conversations that are both structured and responsive to the needs of participants.

Turning Conversations Into Actionable Insights

During interactive activities, Navigators practiced using posters, sticky notes, and visual exercises to capture ideas, identify common themes, and organize participant feedback.

These tools will play an important role in the upcoming Design Labs, helping transform individual experiences and group conversations into insights that can inform the Quality of Life Plan.

A gallery walk provided another opportunity for collaboration. Navigators reviewed the work of other groups, identified connections across different perspectives, and considered how multiple viewpoints can contribute to stronger recommendations.

Participants also practiced presenting their findings and guiding group discussions, strengthening the communication and facilitation skills they will use in the field.

Five Focus Areas. One Shared Vision.

The upcoming Quality of Life Design Labs will explore five interconnected areas that influence the experiences and opportunities of girls across Chicago:

• Healthy Girls: Supporting physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

• Safe Girls: Creating environments where girls feel protected, respected, and secure.

• Learning & Opportunity: Expanding access to education, enrichment, and pathways for growth.

• Stability & Economic Mobility: Exploring the resources and opportunities that support long-term stability and economic advancement.

• Connected Girls: Strengthening relationships, community connections, and systems of support.

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Together, these focus areas will help guide conversations about what girls need to thrive and what communities can do to better support them.

Ready to Listen. Ready to Lead.

By the end of the training, Navigators had strengthened their understanding of the Design Lab process, practiced essential facilitation techniques, and built connections with fellow leaders who share a commitment to improving outcomes for girls.

Their preparation represents an important step toward developing a Quality of Life Plan grounded in community perspectives and informed by the experiences of girls themselves.

As CUG moves into the next phase of this initiative, these Navigators will help create spaces for meaningful participation, thoughtful dialogue, and collective problem-solving.

The training may be complete, but the work of shaping a stronger future for Chicago’s girls is just beginning.

About the Quality of Life Plan for Girls

Led by the Coalition on Urban Girls, Chicago’s first Quality of Life Plan for Girls is a citywide initiative focused on understanding and addressing the needs, experiences, and aspirations of girls. Through community engagement and collaborative Design Labs, the initiative seeks to develop priorities and recommendations that support girls’ well-being, opportunities, stability, and connectedness.

Learn more: coalitiononurbangirls.org