Theory of Change

The theory of change is our conceptual roadmap to impact. PCRC’s ultimate goal is to play a key role in achieving community vibrancy. The theory of change is our plan for how to achieve this goal—what we will accomplish, for whom, and how. We share this plan with the community to ensure transparency and invite collaborative efforts toward cultivating vibrant communities.


PCRC focuses on four entry points as the pillars of community vibrancy: schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and jails. We believe that investing in and working with constituents in these areas can lead to better outcomes. For more information see our Programs and Services.

Entry Points

Schools

Schools goal: Our goal is to provide holistic support and resources for our school communities in order to increase student engagement and achievement. We do this by working with school members at every level—students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators alike—to implement restorative practices that foster relationships and heal harm.

What impacts do we have? Over time, we see that in working with schools to implement more restorative approaches to teaching and learning, school communities are able to thrive. As school leaders and teachers grow to embody the restorative approaches we teach, student outcomes improve. Graduation and attendance rates increase, as do student- and parent engagement. Punitive measures, such as suspension and expulsion, decrease. And students grow kinder and safer, with decreased bullying and violent campus incidents.

Jails

Jails goal: Our goal is to change the culture of incarceration facilities to one of greater well-being and collaboration. Our approach is comprehensive, in that we work with all constituents within the jail system. We aim to support incarcerated individuals in developing the social and emotional skills necessary for changed behaviors, self-improvement, and positive family relationships. We additionally aim to increase staff morale and well-being, with the understanding that staff buy-in is crucial to systemic change.

What impacts do we have? By working at every level of the jail structure, we find improvements to jail culture. Through our programming, individuals grow to see themselves as leaders and agents of change. We find that over time, students of our programs improve their social-emotional skills and self-awareness and have decreased rates of recidivism and violence. These effects proliferate the broader community as folks are able to communicate more frequently and effectively with family and friends, strengthening their support networks.

Workplaces

Workplace goal: We aim to cultivate vibrant workplaces where everyone can do their best work. Our goal is to support positive organizational climates, building a culture of trust, inclusiveness, respect, and cooperation that unlocks motivation toward a shared purpose.

What impacts do we have? Through partnership with PCRC, organizations flourish with improved innovation, collaboration, and efficiency. Organizations achieve positive benefits to culture through increases in honest feedback, clarified vision and expected behaviors, increased accountability, empathy, and communication.

Neighborhoods

Neighborhood goal: Our goal is to empower individuals to cultivate relationships across diverse cultures, communities, and with local governments to advance equity and ownership in the community. We aim to expand access to resources and teach skills that promote civic engagement and allow for individual needs to be met.  


What impacts do we have? Over time, members of the community who engage with our services have an increased sense of safety, satisfaction, belonging, and agency within their lives. Target areas achieve access to resources, representative leadership, resolution to neighborhood-specific issues, and decreased crime rates.