WIND’S BRIDGE Program
Expanding Access and Empowering Lived Experience Leaders Through Digital Innovation
Brief
Women, particularly those who are currently or formerly incarcerated, face significant hurdles in accessing life skills education and leadership development. Existing reentry programs often lack accessibility during incarceration and are seldom designed to empower these women to become peer mentors. WIND's BRIDGE Program trains women as Lived Experience Leaders (LELs).
The core challenge was to create an accessible and scalable way to deliver this training, overcoming barriers of digital literacy, sporadic internet access, and the need for a safe, empowering learning environment, all within a defined budget and timeline.
SOLUTION
Development of a human-centered virtual learning platform
User Research & Testing
Conducted usability testing with system-impacted women in Chicago to understand their needs, fears, and learning preferences. We identified friction points in navigation, readability, and accessibility.
Curriculum Co-Design
Collaborated closely with the curriculum team to align design with educational goals. We created interactive modules emphasizing emotional safety, reflection, and practical application.
Facilitator Skill-Building
Developed unique facilitation quizzes and worksheets as reflection tools to assess women’s readiness to lead and mentor others—a core part of the program’s long-term impact strategy.
Platform Design & Development
Designed an easy-to-navigate interface with a calming visual design and step-by-step learning goals.
OUTCOME
Empowering system-impacted women and strengthening Community Engagement
Active and Accessible Platform:
The educational platform is now live and actively utilized by system-impacted women throughout Chicago. Its flexible structure allows participants to complete courses at their own pace, accommodating diverse schedules and learning styles.
Positive Participant Feedback:
Users have reported increased confidence, clarity, and comfort navigating the educational content, highlighting its effectiveness and usability.
Pathway to Leadership:
Multiple participants have successfully completed their courses and are advancing toward roles as Lived Experience Leaders, empowering them to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Scalable Educational Resource:
WIND has gained a scalable and adaptable tool designed to foster personal growth, enhance community leadership, and support successful reintegration post-incarceration.
Expanded Digital Reach:
The initiative significantly enhanced WIND’s digital presence, driving a 30% increase in social media traffic, broadening audience reach and engagement.
Strengthened Community Awareness:
Increased visibility through strategic storytelling and compelling video narratives has amplified community awareness of WIND’s mission, impact, and the lived experiences of system-impacted women.
“Our associate from Impact Partners has grown our online presence substantially, increased participation in our programming, and has been an integral part of our team. We’d be lost without her!”
— Co-Founder, WIND
Project Type
Co-Design
Facilitating
UX Research
Platform Design
Our Offerings
Service Design
Concept development
Research
Partners
WIND
Year
2024