Introducing community-wide study circles
Jobs – NSW
July 1, 2007Can WE cope with community-wide ‘creative conversations’?
July 2, 2007In 2006 Mark Brophy won the Fulbright Professional Award – sponsored by the Australian Department of Education, Science & Training – to investigate study circles and community-wide circle programs in the US. This has been his passionate interest and research topic for ten years.
The intention of the scholarship was that Mark could introduce the process in Oz and he has posted a heap of info about it all here.
How do you think Australians would respond?
You can find out more at Study Circles Australia’s next meeting:
Time
10.30am, Friday 3 August 2007
Venue
RMIT Building 94
23 Cardigan Street
Melbourne.
RSVP
Please email studycircles@pigswillfly.wpengine.com.
Mark says:
“Study circles are a type of community dialogue process that can help people explore complex issues, make some decisions and begin to take action. During study circles, community members come together to have a community dialogue on an issue. It is a community – driven process that recruits from all parts of the community. The process begins with community organising and is followed by facilitated, small group dialogue which leads to community change. Study circles don’t advocate a particular solution. Instead, they welcome many points of view around a shared concern.”
Background info
- 2006 Media Profile – About Mark, his research and the purpose of his Fulbright Award.
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2006 Media Release – Study Circle Resource Centre (SCRC), Connecticut, US.
Fulbright scholar to examine study circles addressing student achievement – Center to host its first visiting Fulbright Scholar. - Fullbright report pdf
- 2007 ‘First community-wide study circle orientation workshop ever conducted in Australia’. Cultural Synergies published this article on Mark’s return from the US.
- 2007 Blog site set up by Sally Burgess in WA.
- 2002 Mark’s Doctorate Thesis on study circles – The Study Circle. Participatory Action Research, With and For the Unemployed. Victoria University.
YouTube video clips of study circles
- Americans finding their voices – Community-wide dialogue
- Montgomery County Public School – Improving student achievement
- Syracuse study circles – Community-wide dialogue
