Families Cutting Costs Development Path
Minimum Viable Product
Questions
- Is the app ready for testing?
- Are there two or three community associations willing to sponsor a test in their community?
Status
- Start with Youth Challenges for Observation and Data Gathering
- Tabling at community association > CC Detectives use AI to help families estimate costs/emissions and initial suggestions how to reduce
Metrics
- 3 community associations commit: provide opportunity for tabling, help recruit youth, promote test
Test MVP with Dozens - Nov.-Dec. 2025
Questions
- Are youth interested in helping their families reduce costs? emissions?
- Are families interested in reducing their costs and emissions?
- What are the best ways to engage youth? through schools? clubs? community associations youth organizations? climate action organizations?
Status
- Starting with Food, Home Energy, and Transportation Costs
- Family Cost Calculators, Tally Sheets, Scorecards, and Better Choices Plans
- AI is critical to suggest benchmarks and best practices until Community DataSets available
Metrics
- Cost Reductions: 25 youth/families @ $1000 cost reduction per year -> $25,000
- 5 of 25 youth pursue a green career pathway
Pilot with Hundreds - 2026
Questions
- Will youth and families be more interested if part of a group or community?
- Will families be willing to share data on costs with a larger group to see how their costs compare and to see if there are other families figuring out better ways that lower costs?
- Will famillies be willing to collaborate with other families in a group or neighborhood to reduce costs?
Status
- Add Credit Costs
- Build Community Cost Cutting Measures
- Community Tally Sheets and Community Scorecards - tracking aggregations of family tally sheets over time.
- Youth Groups and Community Teams
- AI still important as Community Teams develop Community DataSets.
Metrics
- 5 Community Teams @ 25 families @ $1000 cost reduction per year -> $125,000/yr.
- Community CC Measures - additional $1,000 cost reduce per year = $125,000/yr.
- YC's: 25 of 125 youth choose a green career pathway
Scaling > 2027
Questions:
- What support is required to scale the app to serve many more families and communities?
- What is the best way to provide that support while covering costs for technical assistance?
- Which communities should be targeted?
Status
- University Programs provide technical assistance fo FCCM's and YCEC'sl
- AI is less critical as many Community Datasets can give families relevant local data for benchmarking and proven best practices
Metrics
- 5 communities x 5 Community Teams @ 25 families @ $1000 cost reduction per year -> $625,000/yr. cost redutions
- Community Measures: additional $1000/yr. per family -> $625,000 per year
- YC's - 100 of 625 youth choose a green career pathway
- Technical Assistance: University programs provide TA
Keys to Development Path
Youth Groups and Community Teams
- Youth organizations: Scouts, High School Green Teams, College Envirornmental Clubs
- Help young members try Challenges with their families, provide training and support, maintain lending library of Devices, Apps, and Kits
- Community Teams maintain momentum among members over time and continually imrprove Community DataSes
Technical Assistance by University Programs
- Courses, Kits, Credentials for FCCM's, CCCM's, and YCEC's
- Synchronous and asynchronous courses and credentialing
- Badges for youth completing courses, kits and hands-on experiences, demonstrating skills necessary to assist Family Cost Cutting Measures
Funding
- For infrastructure to support instances of the app for communities to easily and quickly deploy; marketing; ongoing data tracking and communication to/from families and communities
- Potential funding sources: university programs; businesses and organizations with products, services, and expertise that help families reduce costs; community foundations; public agencies, civic organizations; credit unions; employers and member-organizations sponsoring cost cutting optimization for their member families.