• Start Early: Planning to implement the pedagogy takes time. It is a deceptively simple concept, but the logistics take time.
• Choose Wisely: Be intentional about why you might choose a particular neighbourhood. It should have some characteristics that link to your course objectives.
• Survey your Students Often: We find that regular check-ins with students boosts engagement and participation rates, while neglecting them and assuming things are progressing as planned results in a mad dash at the end of the project cycle.
• Assign Everyone a Role: Students perform better in team projects when they have a defined role and distinct obligations. In Street Challenge, we believe that assigning teams distinct roles, and building in peer-to-peer accountability loops, enhances performance.
• Arrange Interviews Early: Even if you are not planning on having students conduct interviews until late in the semester, make sure you have enough lead time built in to allow for cancellations or schedule changes.
• Bring the Community into the Classroom: The value isn’t just for the students to experience and be part of the place, it is also for the community to experience and be part of the classroom. Set a time and place (perhaps in the community), and invite the stakeholders to come and see the students’ final projects.
• Be Flexible and Allow for Organic Change: Having a plan is fine. Rigidly adhering to a schedule is likely impractical. Things will come up, or serendipity will provide opportunities.​
• Reflect, Reflect, Reflect: As with all experiential learning, reflection enhances student outcomes. We found that students appreciated a chance to tell their stories and discuss insights.