Creating HOPE framework content specifically tailored for children and families
Savanah Cool is the director of the Great Start Collaborative of Charlevoix, Emmet, & Northern Antrim Counties in Michigan, and her mission is to bring the Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) framework to families. The collaborative is dedicated to strengthening the early childhood system of the three counties it covers by supporting youth and families who have children, prenatal to age eight. She believes that doing so requires more than just professional development, but by sharing the HOPE framework directly with parents and caregivers.
“Our sweet spot that we’ve really been focusing on is…leaning into HOPE [by] creating content that’s specifically for families. So rather than taking something that was created for a professional…and adapting it to families, we’ve actually created content just for families.”
Engaging the community by building a family coalition
She’s a certified HOPE Champion, and her organization completed the HOPE-Informed Certification in 2025.
“A beautiful component of our work is that we have our collaborative body, but we also have a family coalition…made up of volunteers who live in our community and are parenting kiddos zero to 12.”
These parents are given stipends and honorariums to “sit at the same table” as professionals to make decisions about the early childhood system: what’s going well and what might need to shift.
“HOPE is just another example of how we bring families in and teach them the value that they have and the really beautiful impact that they have on their kiddos through those healthy outcomes from positive experiences.”
Becoming HOPE-Informed has given Cool more inspiration for how to include families, including creating a HOPE framework resources page on their website.
Using the HOPE framework to spread positive change throughout the community
In April of 2024, they provided the Introduction to HOPE session to the Great Start Collaborative, which includes faith-based organizations, educators, nonprofit leaders, governmental employees, libraries and more. Roughly 50 people from the collaborative were in attendance, but it wasn’t exclusive to the professionals. Seven members from the Family Coalition were also present.
Cool is also a Strengthening Families certified trainer, and she recently developed a training, called “Enhancing Family Resilience with Strength” that adds in elements of the HOPE framework that she delivered exclusively to caregivers and families, not to professionals.
“And so they came together, just parents and caregivers…to chat about HOPE from a family lens. We did a lot of noticing practices and reflections on ourselves and our supports, and then [talking about] what our kids need and each of their [Four] Building Blocks [of HOPE].”
Engaging youth through community activities
Cool says that each of Four Building Blocks of HOPE, or key types of positive childhood experiences (PCEs), are critical for supporting families and children, because they all “flow together.” The Four Building Blocks are: safe and supportive relationships; safe and stable environments; opportunities for social and civic engagement; and opportunities for emotional growth.
The collaborative puts on family adventure days which Cool says are “one of our best ways to really thrive in the Building Blocks” because the experience touches on all components.
“We can help them build relationships with other people there and expand their network. We’re getting them out into safe community spaces…and then that emotional growth piece where they’re able to see other kiddos and parents interact, and they’re able to let their littles interact with other little kids to provide opportunities for families to connect with each other.”
These family adventure days are free to any family with a child prenatal to age 12 in Charlevoix, Emmet, and Northern Antrim Counties. Examples include a day at a nature trail that included a sensory-friendly scavenger hunt, an alternative and augmentative communication scavenger hunt, story time, nature hike, and snack. 85 people were in attendance. Another was at a gymnastics facility, with over 200 people in attendance.
She also looks forward to bringing the HOPE framework to circles outside of the immediate family.
“I also see HOPE being that magical connector for coaches, Big Brothers and Sisters, mentors, [and] faith-based congregations to understand the roles that they play, even when they [only] have small doses with families or kids.”
Partnering with existing networks to reach children and families
Cool hopes that every adult who interacts with the HOPE framework will be able to envision at least one new way to bring positive childhood experiences to the children they care for.
In addition to her Great Start Collaborative role, Cool serves as the volunteer director of the local girl scouts for age 2. She’s been introducing the HOPE framework to the Girl Scout Council and trying to bring it to all of their leaders.
“We have [roughly] 210 Girl Scouts in our community. And so if all of our mentors and leaders could understand it and be able to share it, that would be impactful.”
What does the HOPE framework look like in your work?
Do you have an amazing story to share on how you are using the HOPE framework in your work with children and families? Are you looking to start prompting positive childhood experiences? Reach out to us!
