Positive deviants for change

Friends of Peak Creek (FOPC) was asked to participate in a research project conducted by Dr. Natalie Kruise Daniels with the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Daniels was working on a research project about building resilience to extreme weather events such as flooding, extreme heat, high wind, and storms. 

Part of the effort included contacting grassroots organizations actively engaging with issues of extreme weather like flooding. One of the terms used in early discussions was “positive deviance.” The researchers were looking for groups that didn’t wait for someone else to bail them out of an issue, but those that looked at problem solving through a different lens, focusing on amplifying what’s already working rather than focusing on what’s not working. They were looking for positive deviants. (Scroll down to see some of ours. ) 

In the project, we were asked to show what community resilience in Appalachia looks like through photography, video segments, or existing educational and outreach materials. FOPC sent them a video of interviews with our board members and community leaders, accompanied by photos, documents, and our results over the years.

The link below, "Appalachian Bright Spots," takes you to the Story Map created as a result of our participation highlighting our ongoing efforts. We are proud to be included in this study and acknowledge we haven’t done this alone. We are made up of a committed board of directors, dedicated community volunteers, like- minded organizations and non-profits, and supported by our local government. Special thanks for our study involvement go to Jeremy Riffe, Kristal Lovern, Dr. Leigh-Anne Krometis (VT), Dr. Natalie Kruise-Danials (OU), Nora Sullivan (OU), Town of Pulaski, New River Conservancy and Pulaski County.

The successful application of the positive deviance approach has been documented in more than 41 countries in nutrition and a variety of other sectors from public health to education to business. Our sector is environmental stewardship. And we have embraced the idea of positive deviance. 

We were nominated for the project by the Virginia Tech Biologicals Systems Engineering Department’s Dr. Leigh Anne Krometis, who is a positive deviant in her own right. Funding for this study was provided by NOAA CAP/RISA.

Proud Positive Deviants