The CREED Framework

The CREED framework from Leath, Mims, and Inniss-Thompson (2023) provides four principles for supporting communities working toward liberation and justice: Cultivating safe and brave spaces, **(RE)**envisioning systems to center joy, creativity, and imagination, Embracing participants’ ideas about their experiences, and Disrupting normative practices.

Emergent Strategy

Emergent Strategy principles from Adrienne Maree Brown (2017) emphasize that change happens through iterative, adaptive, relationship-centered processes. Central is the concept of the “elegant next step” – identifying the most graceful, responsive action that builds on current conditions while moving toward desired change, rather than overwhelming systems with dramatic transformations.

Using This Protocol

Before beginning, specify your focus participants or communities (e.g., students of color, first-generation college students, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, immigrant families). This protocol is designed for collaborative team use when analyzing data, evaluating programs, or reflecting on organizational practices. It combines CREED’s justice-oriented lens with emergent strategy’s adaptive approach to help organizations identify strengths and growth areas in supporting their focus communities. Teams should ask: “What is our next elegant step that honors where we are while moving toward where we want to be?”

Knowles Teacher Initiative_ CREED_Emergent strategy protocol