Abstract for: Student desertion: bringing young people to the conversation through participatory modeling

The objective of this project is to design a strategy that impacts the dynamics that emerge around desertion at CJBO based on a systemic understanding of this problem. Group Model Building (GMB) was used to understand the problem from a systemic approach and considering the CJBO´s community perspectives. In this way and in conjunction with interviews, a Causal Loop Diagram was developed. Based on this, a proposal was formulated to impact 5 of the 10 Leverage Points proposed by Donella Meadows (1999). GMB allowed to involve the actors that are affected by the problem which allowed the design of possible solutions that impact the current situation of the system. The GMB workshop showed that one of the main factors affecting student desertion is communication, and based on this, strategies were generated to encourage trust so that students feel listened to. Having GMB sessions also made students realize that although they are affected by the current state of the systema, they also have the power to generate changes based on their proposals; In this way, the actors of this problem take actions that will hopefully decrease desertion in the CBJO by recognizing that they can be part of the solution.