For the practice session:  Decide who will be the facilitator  Go to the first session in your guide  Review the groundrules – your group can change them if you want  Start with the first question and go around the circle – then do any other questions you want, in any order  If you have time, start in on Session 2

At the beginning, explain your role. Encourage and affirm each person. Be aware of your body language and other subtle clues. Never ‘take off your hat’ and step out of your impartial role. Ask participants to give you feedback. Facilitating impartially

Growing Healthy Communities

The Study Circles Resource Center  Started by the Topsfield Foundation, now the Paul J. Aicher Foundation, in 1989 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.  Assists communities organizing for dialogue and change.  Provides discussion materials, consultations, occasional visits, and trainings.

Citizens in the 21 st Century:  More educated  More skeptical  Have less time to spare  Use the Internet to learn and connect Public leaders in the 21 st Century:  Fewer public resources  Tired of conflict with citizens  Lower levels of public trust

“When you get down to it, what we’re really talking about is whether the current form of representative government is obsolete.” - Steve Burkholder, mayor of Lakewood, CO, and first chair of the Democratic Governance Panel for the National League of Cities.

Four Successful Democratic Strategies 1.Proactive, network-based recruitment to reach a critical mass of people 2.Use both small-group and large-group meetings 3.Give people the chance to share experiences and consider a range of views or options 4.Different levels of change: volunteerism, organizational change, policy change

Effective small groups (often called study circles) No more than 12 people per group; Facilitator who is impartial (doesn’t give opinions); Written materials provide background info, main views or options, discussion questions; Start with people describing their experiences, end with action planning.

Many projects look like this: OrganizingDialogueAction Action Forum Task Forces Set Goals Pilot Circles Facilitator Training Develop Materials Kick Off Plan for Action

Recruitment strategies  Map community networks;  Involve leaders of those networks in leadership of the effort (always ask “Who is not at the table who needs to be here?);  Hold a kickoff meeting;  Follow up, follow up, follow up.

More talk, more action  Individual volunteerism  Small-group action efforts  Changes made by organizations  Policy changes

“KCK Study Circles” Kansas City, KS Began in 2000 Initial Organizer: United Way Issue: schools 1,300 participants

“KCK Study Circles” Kansas City, KS Outcomes:  Parent support group for Spanish- speaking mothers  “Black Roses” after-school program  “Missing Link” project for tutoring, mentoring, mediation  Higher test scores – in concert with “First Things First” initiative

“Decatur Roundtables” Decatur, Georgia Temporary effort held in 1998 Initial Organizer: city government and a local nonprofit (Common Focus) Issues: schools, race, growth 450 participants (city of 17,000)

“Decatur Roundtables” Decatur, Georgia Outcomes:  Decatur Neighborhood Alliance  Promotion of tax abatement plan for seniors  New model for land use decisions  Extensive citizen input into city’s new strategic plan

“Community Chat” Southwest Delray Beach, FL  Began in 2000  Initial Organizer: Local chapter of MAD DADS  Issues: crime, education, housing, youth  100 participants

“Community Chat” Southwest Delray Beach, FL Outcomes:  Parent support group  Youth basketball team  Expansion of “Delray Divas” youth group  Westside Neighborhood Presidents’ Council  Prayer vigils to eradicate drug activity  Citizen input to street redevelopment plan  “Maintaining the Village” effort to rehabilitate housing  New deregulated public school - the “Village Academy”

Citizens want:  Legitimacy  Sense that they’ve been heard  Visible, tangible changes Leaders want:  Respect  Benefit of the doubt  Citizens to know how difficult public decisions can be

Discussion questions:  How does this compare to the kind of organizing/recruitment/involvement you’ve done before?  What challenges are you worried about?  What strengths and assets can you draw upon in these communities?

All of the steering committees will need to answer these questions:  Who are your key allies? (what small group of people can help you pull this off, and help you reach into all parts of the community?)  What groups, organizations, and networks in your neighborhood can you tap into? (each group can make a list or even a map)  How will you ‘pitch’ the circles so that people are excited about participating? So: devise an agenda for the first meeting of the steering committee that will get them excited and help them find answers to these questions.