What Works: Study Circles in the Real World

Best PracticesFor Producing Community-wide Study Circles

What Works: Study Circles in the Real World

04440 Topsfield BPcover 8/10/03, 2:53 PM3

What Works:

Study Circles in the

Real World

Adapted by Gloria Mengualfrom a report of the same name written by Rona Roberts

of Roberts & Kay, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky.What Works is based on

Toward Competent Communities: Best Practices for Producing Community-Wide Study Circles,the result of a two-year research project.

BEST PRACTICESFOR PRODUCING

COMMUNITY-WIDESTUDY CIRCLES

04440pm1 Topsfield BPtext 8/10/03, 2:54 PM3

Credits and Acknowledgments

Best Practices ResearchTeam MembersVivian ElliottSteve KayBiren “Ratnesh” NagdaRona Roberts (project manager)

©Topsfield Foundation, Inc., 2003

Note: These materials may be reproduced as part of efforts to learn about or organize community-wide study circles. Please

include this acknowledgment: “Excerpted from What Works: Study Circles in the Real World, published in 2003 for the

Topsfield Foundation, Inc., and based on research by Roberts & Kay, Inc., Lexington, Kentucky.”

With special thanks to:

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Study Circles Resource Center staff

Peggy WestSchool of Social WorkUniversity of Washington

The 290 study circle organizers,participants, facilitators, andsupporters who contributed ideasand time to the study

The May 2000 Practitioner AdvisoryFocus Group participants, and all thepeople who commented on the first draftof this booklet

About This PublicationProject Director: Amy L. MalickEditor: Molly Holme BarrettConcept Assistance: Martha L. McCoyProduction: Francine NicholsDesign: M&M Design, Columbia, CT


Table of Contents

1

Introduction ......................................................................................... 4

1. Creating a Broad-based, Diverse Organizing Coalition ........................ 6

Best Practices from Experienced Programs ................................................. 6Who Makes Up the Coalition ............................................................................... 7Why Diversity in the Coalition Matters ............................................................... 7Case Study: Building Coalition Diversity from the Start

Jon Abercrombie talks about Decatur, Georgia ...................................... 8Organizational Structures for Coalitions ......................................................... 10Who Takes the Lead? ......................................................................................... 11Pilot Rounds: Key to Building Diverse, Strong Coalitions ............................... 12Using the Coalition to Prevent Organizer “Burnout” ..................................... 12

Community Profiles: ................................................................................ 13Colorado Springs, Colorado ............................................................ 13Fayetteville, North Carolina ............................................................ 13Lima, Ohio ........................................................................................ 13Syracuse, New York ......................................................................... 13


Table of Contents

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2.Recruiting, Training, and Supporting a Diverse Group of Facilitators .. 14Best Practices from Experienced Programs .................................................... 14

Develop Supportive Activities for Facilitators .................................................. 15Case Study: Training Facilitators for Dialogue about Race

Bob Blackwell talks about Springfield, Illinois ...................................... 16Train Facilitators to Deal with Emotional Race Discussions .......................... 17Enhance Circle Discussions, Outreach, and Training ..................................... 17Involving Youth as Facilitators ........................................................................... 18Challenges Facilitators of Color May Face ....................................................... 18

Community Profiles ................................................................................. 19Springfield, Illinois ........................................................................... 19Twin Cities, Minnesota .................................................................... 19

3.Recruiting Participants who Reflect the Community’s Diversity ...........20Best Practices from Experienced Programs .................................................... 20

Capitalizing on Affiliations: ................................................................................. 21Recruitment Goal: Reaching beyond the choir ................................................ 21Faith Communities: A key resource in study circle recruitment .................... 21Case Study: Recruiting Participants in a Community of 400 People

Ron Harder talks about Alread, Arkansas .............................................. 22Media Leaders and their Partnerships with Study Circles ............................. 23High-profile, Large Kickoff Events .................................................................... 25Keys to Maintaining Commitment and Participation ....................................... 26

Community Profiles ................................................................................. 27Alread, Arkansas ............................................................................... 27Aurora, Illinois .................................................................................. 27Maine ................................................................................................ 27New Castle County, Delaware ......................................................... 27


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4.Contributing to Change, Particularly in the Area of Race ......................... 28Best Practices from Experienced Programs .......................................................... 28

Ways Study Circles Contributed to Individual Changes .......................................... 29Ways Study Circles Contributed to Changes in Institutions and Communities ... 29Case Study: Study Circles as a Vehicle for Change

Maria Velazquez-Constas talks about Fayetteville, North Carolina ........... 30Organizing for Changes Related to Race ................................................................. 32

Community Profiles ........................................................................................ 33Fort Myers, Florida ................................................................................. 33North Little Rock, Arkansas ................................................................... 33Oklahoma................................................................................................. 33

5.Linking Dialogue with Action ................................................................. 34

Best Practices from Experienced Programs ...................................................... 34About Action Forums ................................................................................................. 35Different Expectations for the Pace and Scale of Change When Addressing Race ........ 35Case Study: Study Circles and Change

Bill Pollard talks about Syracuse, New York ................................................. 36Tools for Sustaining Action ........................................................................................ 37

Community Profiles ........................................................................................ 38Decatur, Georgia ..................................................................................... 38Greater Hartford, Connecticut .............................................................. 38Inglewood, California .............................................................................. 39Woodridge, Illinois .................................................................................. 39

Appendix A: About the Research Team ...................................................... 40


F

Introduction

The Best Practices Study

In July 1998, the Charles StewartMott Foundation offered a grantto the Topsfield Foundation, Inc.,sponsor of the Study Circles ResourceCenter, to conduct a study aimed atunderstanding more about howstudy circle programs contributeto community problem solving,particularly with regard to improvingrace relations, and to identify andhighlight the best practices organizershave developed to producesuccessful community-wide studycircle programs. The study tookplace from September 1, 1998,through September 1, 2000.Topsfield engaged Roberts & Kay,Inc., to conduct the study. Thecomplete report is posted atwww.studycircles.org, the web siteof the Study Circles Resource Center.

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ive years ago, the Study CirclesResource Center embarked on ajourney to learn about how study circleprograms contribute to communityproblem solving. We published theextensive research findings in a thickreport, Toward Competent Communities:Best Practices for Producing Community-Wide Study Circles. (It is available onour web site at www.studycircles.org.)

The ultimate purpose of the “BestPractices” study was to identify thelessons that would be useful to peopledoing the real work in the field. Withthat goal in mind, we offer this uniquebooklet that condenses a lot of researchinto an easy-to-read format.

The 1998-2000 Best Practices studyfocused on 17 community-wide studycircle programs that did a good job withsome aspect of organizing and carryingout rounds of study circles. Most of theprograms addressed racism and racerelations. These programs have seenmany changes since the study concluded.Some have grown. Some have adapted toaddress new community issues. Somehave concluded their study circles forthe present time. In some communities,people have moved on.

Yet the lessons we learned standtoday. We continue to apply them toour work with people organizing studycircle programs in their communities,neighborhoods, and schools. We hopethese lessons give you fresh ideas andinspiration for your work.

How To Use this Booklet

Treat this booklet as a menu withstories scattered throughout. Thelessons are arranged in five sections,each based on an important bestpractices theme. The sections includelists, tips, narratives, case studies, andcommunity profiles. Read and use thepieces that meet your need — in anyorder that makes sense to you.

A note about names, numbers andstatistics: The information about studycircle programs was current in 2000.Names and statistics may have changedsince then. Please contact the StudyCircles Resource Center to learnmore about these programs today. Allpopulation figures in this booklet arefrom the 2000 Census.

Please see www.studycircles.org toread full profiles about the programs ineach of these learning sites.


The Best Practices Learning Sites

Alread, Arkansas

Aurora, Illinois

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Decatur, Georgia

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fort Myers, Florida

Hartford, Connecticut

Inglewood, California

Lima, Ohio

Maine

New Castle County, Delaware

North Little Rock, Arkansas

Oklahoma

Springfield, Illinois

Syracuse, New York

Twin Cities (St. Paul and Minneapolis),Minnesota

Woodridge, Illinois

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A few definitions

A study circle is...A small, diverse group of 8-to-12 participants who meet for about two hoursweekly for four to six weeks to address a critical public issue in a democraticand collaborative way.

Led by a neutral facilitator, people consider the issue from many points of view whilethe discussion progresses from a session on personal experience of the issue, tosessions that examine many points of view on the issue, to a session that considersstrategies for action and change.

A community-wide program is...Organized by a diverse coalition that reflects the whole community. It includes alarge number of participants from all walks of like, uses easy-to-use nonpartisandiscussion materials and trained facilitators who reflect the community’s diversity.It results in specific opportunities to move to action when the study circles conclude.


I. Creating a Broad-based, Diverse Organizing Coalition

Best Practices from Experienced Programs:

1. Make the coalition as diverse as possible from the very beginning.Particularly make sure it reflects the racial and ethnic diversity ofyour community.

2. Using both traditional and community-based leaders as members,build a coalition that includes four types of leaders.Leaders with:

♦ Vision

♦ Resources and connections

♦ Administrative savvy

♦ Promotional and marketing skills

3. Assess the need to change the coalition as your program changes.

Programs that incorporated someof these best practices are profiledat the end of this section: ColoradoSprings, Colorado; Fayetteville,North Carolina; Lima, Ohio;Syracuse, New York.

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Who Makes Up the Coalition

KeyLeaders

Central Organizing Body

Community Partners/Sponsors

Why Diversity in the Coalition Matters

I

• Key LeadersCircle initiators with extensive responsibilities

• Central Organizing BodyBoard, steering committee, planning groups with significant responsibilities

• Community Partners/SponsorsCircle collaborators, allies, funders with limited and very specific responsibilities

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From the very beginning of the program, it is important forthe organizing coalition to reflect the diversity of the community.A diverse coalition can attract a more diverse group of facilitatorsand participants, and its decisions are more likely to be soundand workable because it reflects a wider range of community-based knowledge and experience. Finally, because they modelthe principles of inclusion and openness, diverse coalitions helpto establish the credibility of the study circle program.


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Jon Abercrombie, a European-American man who lives in Decatur, Georgia,

has worked for the past 25 years to strengthen urban neighborhoods. He is

the head of Common Focus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing

resources for community building. Jon initiated study circles in Decatur,

where they are known as roundtables.

Case Study:

Building Coalition Diversityfrom the Start

Jon Abercrombie talks about Decatur, Georgia

Issues Needing tobe Addressed

♦ School System Controversy —contentious school board elections

♦ Issue between Private Collegeand its Neighbors — a zoning battleover a parking deck built by AgnesScott College in the middle of aresidential neighborhood

♦ Reverse “White Flight” — newcomerspurchased “fixer uppers” atmoderate costs, then renovatedand resold them for large amounts,leading to acceleratingpropertyvalues and taxes that most longtimeresidents could not afford to pay

I remember people moved to Decaturin the ’90s specifically for the diversityit offered. Nine years later, Decaturseemed ripe for both conflict, and forthe health that a colorfully diversecommunity can produce.

I decided to meet with key leadersin inventory-like conversations todiscuss ways we might move forward.One of my initial conversations was withElizabeth Wilson, mayor at that time,who had resided in Decatur for 30 years.Elizabeth, an African-American leader,

“


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supported the idea and recommendedwe hire Harriet Alston, a longtimeresident of Decatur, to personallyrecruit participants from diversebackgrounds to participate in theroundtables. I realized Elizabeth’sdecision to give the approach a trywas a significant action.

The mayor, city manager, city marketingadministrator, a member of citycouncil, a manager in the city planningdepartment, and others worked closelywith me on securing resources andorganizing the effort. This connectionwith key leadership helped bring studycircles to our community.The approach to organizing was unfamiliarto us, but we moved ahead in a timelymanner, building a coalition of folks to

develop criteria for what we reallywanted for Decatur.

I was fortunate to find AmaniBedford-Coleman, who had moved toDecatur without a job just when weneeded administrative assistance. Wemoved ahead within a short time frameto plan. We recognized the importanceof different elements of the situation(broad community involvement acrossraces, multiple sites, etc.), and presentedan approach novel to most communityleaders. Our success was built byhundreds of volunteers who madecalls, facilitated discussions, hauledchairs, made cookies, and did mailingsto make the process successful.

Strengths of Diverse Coalition Leaders in Decatur

♦ Mayor Elizabeth WilsonHer decision to give the approach a try was a significant action.

♦ Longtime Resident Harriet AlstonHer ability to recruit participants from diverse backgrounds provideda key element toward ensuring success.

♦ Mayor, City Manager, City Marketing Administrator,City Council Member, City Planning ManagerInvolving key leadership helped secure resources, organize the effort,and ensure successful implementation of study circles.

♦ Administrative Assistant Amani Bedford-ColemanHer organizational skills expedited our efforts to frame the plan.

”


Organizational Structures For Coalitions

10

Effective coalitions have producedstudy circles within a variety of differentorganizational structures. Organizingcommunities should decide what willbe easiest and most workable.

In each case noted in the box on thispage, organizers used local knowledgeof what would work best when theydecided on the organizational structure.Its nature did not seem to have muchimpact on the quality or effectiveness ofa particular study circle program’s work.One exception: Intentionally short-termcoalitions were not likely to buildpermanent structures in support ofaction efforts.

♦ Temporary CoalitionsPeople in Alread, Arkansas, and Oklahoma built temporary coalitions andorganized study circles without paid staff. Organizers in Colorado Springs,Colorado, and North Little Rock, Arkansas, built temporary coalitions andpaid temporary staff.

♦ Permanent CoalitionsOrganizers in Lima, Ohio, formed a loosely structured coalition andsustained it over several years. The program, which produced significantnumbers of study circles, was usually assisted by one person and partlyfunded by the city of Lima.

♦ Independent, Tax-exempt, Nonprofit OrganizationsPrograms in Aurora, Illinois, and Fort Myers, Florida, formed independentorganizations and carefully selected, diverse boards, along with some paid staff.

♦ Part of a Larger OrganizationBecause the study circle programs help further the mission of existing,larger host organizations in Syracuse, New York, and New Castle County,Delaware, they devote paid staff time to study circle work.

♦ Appointed Governmental BodiesThe Race Relations Task Force in Springfield, Illinois, guides andresponds to study circles there. In Fayetteville, North Carolina, theHuman Relations Commission constitutes part of the organizationalstructure for study circles.


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Who Takes The Lead?

Each community’s habits andtraditions affect how its citizensaccomplish change and who takesthe lead in community change efforts.

Taking the Lead:

1. Government

Strength: The mayor or other high-ranking official championing studycircles boosts publicity and promotion and may provide significant fundingand other resources.Weakness: When coalition members leave everything to government,it weakens the effort and may depend too heavily on one key person.A change in government leadership (i.e., new mayor) may diminishthe program, or it may not be sustained.

2. Businesses and Corporations

Strength: Corporate resources can add much to what a coalition cando with promotion and events.Weakness: Programs led by businesses and corporations need to putextra effort into recruiting from the grass roots to ensure broad-basedparticipation.

3. Faith Communities or Nonprofits

Strength: Faith communities or nonprofits provide access to likelyvolunteers and study circle participants and may also have a historyof collaborating on other ventures.Weakness: Access to and partnering with private sector leaders, alongwith finding funding for a study circle effort, may be more difficult.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Different Approaches


Pilot Rounds:Key to Building Diverse,Strong Coalitions

Using The Coalition toPrevent Organizer “Burnout”

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♦ Orient to Process/PotentialPilot rounds help beginningcoalition members learn aboutstudy circles by experiencingwhat they are and what they cando firsthand.

♦ Enhance Recruitment EffortsCoalition members who completestudy circles typically become moreenthusiastic and knowledgeablepromoters of study circles.

♦ Help Identify the TopicPilot rounds can also help coalitionmembers determine the mostappropriate study circle topic fortheir community-wide round.

Coalitions can play a crucial rolein making the work of the centralorganizer manageable and sustainable.Programs that rely too heavily on onecentral organizer’s volunteer contribu-tions often find that the organizer’sefforts cannot be sustained beyond afew rounds of study circles. Thesolution? Share the work.

Organizer-suggested strategies:

♦ During coalition meetings, develop a list of all work to be done.

♦ Coalition members should share the most time-consuming, leastglamorous and most detailed work: arranging study circles, facilitatortraining and support, handling extensive promotion /marketingresponsibilities, arranging for food, child care, transportation, etc.

♦ Raise money to fund at least some of the central organizer’s work.

♦ After the central organizer has already completed at least tworounds and is beginning to work on a third, ask what other peoplecould do to help, and find others to accomplish those tasks.

♦ If the central organizer is paid staff, create a flexible work scheduleto give the organizer a break.

♦ If the central organizer has successfully coordinated several roundsof study circles, increase her or his salary, or raise funds for asignificant bonus.


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Community profiles

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Community Conversations on Race

Local community activists organizedCommunity Conversations on Race (CCR)as a one-year project to address racialintolerance in Colorado Springs. Beginningin 1998, two rounds of study circlesattracted a total of 675 participants, nearly50 percent of whom were people of color.The steering committee reflected strikingdiversity, including representatives fromthe Black Coalition of Concerned Citizens,Pikes Peak Community College, the BlackChamber, and The Gazette (the dailynewspaper). Organizers also garneredsupport from more than 80 participatingorganizations that focus on diversity orserve one or more minority communities.These community partners providedendorsements, meeting space, funds, andother resources. While CCR disbandedafter one year, two other local communityorganizations continued to provide peoplewith opportunities for dialogue andfollow-up work on the issues raisedduring the study circles.

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville Study Circles

In 1998, government, business, andorganizational leaders in Fayettevilleinitiated a study circle effort to enablepeople to talk openly about race in a newway. The city manager brought about adialogue between the African-Americanpresident of the National Association forthe Advancement of Colored People andthe European-American president of theChamber of Commerce, which led to theestablishment of Fayetteville United —a racially diverse group of communityleaders committed to finding ways toimprove race relations in the community.Fayetteville United joined with the HumanRights Commission to organize a roundof study circles on race, with over 300people taking part. As one demonstrationof their commitment to follow up onparticipants’ specific recommendations,organizers have now conducted studycircles on race with young people.

Syracuse, New York

Community Wide Dialogue on Ending

Racism, Improving Race Relations,

and Beginning Racial Healing

Study circles began in Syracuse in 1996 asa program of the InterReligious Council(IRC). The first round addressed thisquestion: ‘What kind of community do wewant for our children and how do we makeit happen?’ Because participants in thisround consistently identified the negativeimpact of racism on children’s futures, theIRC decided to create and sponsor workthat deals directly with several aspects ofrace. The study circle program is overseenby the Advisory Committee of the IRCwhose members are recruited purposefullyto ensure diversity and different types ofleadership. Both the staff and the AdvisoryCommittee have racially mixed, jointleadership. By 2000, some 750 people inSyracuse had participated in study circlesaimed at ending racism, improving racerelations, and beginning racial healing;study circles have been offered steadilythroughout the year since 1998.

Lima, Ohio

Lima Study Circles

As the pioneer of the community-widestudy circle model, Lima began itsprogram in 1992 under the leadershipof the Mayor’s Office, Ohio StateUniversity/Lima, and local churches inresponse to local disturbances resultingfrom the Rodney King verdict. Thestrategic pairing of congregations (blackand white) enabled organizers to createracially balanced groups. In the earlyyears of the program, more than 1,000people from 47 faith communitiesparticipated in multiple rounds ofstudy circles on the topic of race. Theprogram expanded to include peoplein local businesses, neighborhoodassociations, and schools, bringing thetotal number of participants to over4,000 by mid-1999. Since 1995, peoplein Lima have also participated in studycircles on the topics of violence andyouth issues.


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II.Recruiting, Training, and Supporting a Diverse Group of Facilitators


1. Recruit intentionally for wide diversity in the facilitator pool.Form diverse co-facilitator teams.

2. Provide excellent, ample facilitator training, with additionalspecialized training for groups who will address race or facilitateaction planning and decision making.

3. Provide facilitators with support and opportunities tocontinue learning.

Programs that incorporated some ofthese best practices are profiled at theend of this section: Springfield, Illinois,and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis andSt. Paul, Minnesota.


II

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Develop Supportive Activities for Facilitators

Examples from Best Practices Learning Sites

To increase the likelihood that facilitators would do their work well, organizers insome communities developed supportive activities beyond training (before, during,and after study circles). They:

♦ Created a support team of professional trainers whom facilitators could callto discuss problems experienced in their study circles.

♦ Created a free-net computer communication system for facilitators to useamong themselves.

♦ Developed a biweekly group for facilitators to share stories about their studycircles and how the work personally affected them.


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Case Study:

Training Facilitators forDialogue about Race

Bob Blackwell talks aboutSpringfield, Illinois

Bob Blackwell, an African-American man, is president of Ujima Management

Consultants in Springfield, Illinois. He serves as leader of a diverse team of

study circle facilitator trainers.

I guess in terms of training facilita-tors, the first thing that I thought aboutwas making sure we got people who hadexperience, both in terms of workingin race-based groups, and also somegeneral group experience.

The other part had to do with familiarity.I would think just about the chemistryof the training team.

As we talked about trying to get to thebasic facilitation skills, what seemedvery obvious is that there needed to besome sort of rehearsal. The issue ofrace in our society is complex, it’s fullof conflict, it’s stressful for individuals.

You know, it’s full of a lot of emotions.And we needed to prepare the facilitators.Emotionally charged people werecoming to the sessions with a lot ofquestions, a lot of baggage. Yourresponsibility as a facilitator was toallow that emotion to get on the tableas a viewpoint, without anybodyattacking it — and some of it was worthattacking — and work it to some sort ofmeaningful conclusion.

Another thing I think is key to studycircles is a personal philosophy — ifyou believe that putting people togetherwho are very different than one anothercan result in something constructive,then at some point you just have to let itfly. We tried to communicate that theseskills, these techniques are helpful. Butyou may not be able to employ any orall of these. You have to let the groupdynamics happen, and have faith that inworking with the group, they’ll reachmeaningful outcomes.

Part of our role is [saying to facilitators],you can do this. You don’t have to do italone. Use your group. You’re responsiblefor guiding the process, not theoutcome. The group is responsiblefor that.

“”


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Enhance Circle Discussions,Outreach, and Training

IITrain Facilitators to Deal withEmotional Race Discussions

♦ Work emotionally charged viewpoints to a meaningful conclusion.

♦ Air differing viewpoints.

♦ Let group dynamics happen.

♦ Guide the process, not the outcome.

Examples from Best Practices Learning Sites

In some communities, experienced facilitators have become involved in studycircles in ways that go beyond facilitating sessions. That benefits programs inmany ways:

♦ To make their discussion guides more pertinent to their communities,Twin Cities, Minnesota, facilitators helped rewrite the discussion guideand revamp facilitator training.

♦ At the Hartford Stage Company in Hartford, Connecticut, study circlefacilitators guided 30-minute audience conversations following 36performances of Dutchman, a provocative play about racial divisions.This effort increased public awareness of the Community Conversationson Race in Hartford.

♦ In Decatur, Georgia, study circle organizers involved facilitators inselecting materials and training other facilitators. Facilitators andsite coordinators also used feedback from end-of-session evaluationsto suggest study circle session improvements to organizers.

♦ Between each study circle session in Alread, Arkansas, facilitatorscombined and organized each group’s results and mailed packetsto every participant as a starting point for the upcoming session.


Challenges Facilitators ofColor May Face

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Involving Youth asFacilitators

Organizers who work with youngpeople as facilitators report thatfacilitating comes naturally to many ofthem. They enjoy facilitating and manylearn the skills quickly. The experience isgood for youth, both immediately and inthe future. Communities benefit as well:

♦ The Roundtable Center in Mainesponsored a three-year programthat trained 566 young people toserve as facilitators for studycircles in which 4,555 young peopleparticipated. The youth chose theirown topics and conducted studycircles with typically hard-to-accessgroups, such as youth in a detentioncenter and recent immigrants.

♦ Training and serving as facilitatorsengages young people morepowerfully in considering issuesand developing civic skills thanwould simple participation.

♦ Some programs pair young peopleand adults to facilitate study circles.

Facilitators of color in severalcommunities reported a series ofspecial challenges that may arise whenfacilitating study circles on race:

♦ Challenge: In many study circles on race, European Americans may betalking about race for the first time. They lack understanding and can bedefensive. They may say and do things that are highly provoking to afacilitator of color.

Antidote: Some facilitators of color reported participating in facilitatorpeer groups or becoming participants in other study circles so they couldexpress their own views outside the study circle they facilitated.

♦ Challenge: Sometimes a facilitator of color may be one of the onlypeople of color present during a study circle. The facilitator can feeltorn, recognizing that for a worthwhile conversation, the group needsadditional perspectives from people of color, yet participating wouldbreach the facilitator’s neutral role.

Antidote: Some facilitators say this dilemma has no real solution. Oneapproach is to think in terms of balance rather than strict neutrality. Askthe group’s permission to change roles briefly (as long as this happensinfrequently, and always in the presence of a co-facilitator who continuesin a neutral role).


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Community profiles

Springfield, Illinois

Springfield Community-Wide Study

Circles Program on Race Relations

Sensing race-based tension surroundingnational events and local issues, in 1997 themayor and other leaders in Springfieldbegan developing a study circle program.The goal was to facilitate interaction,and give citizens an opportunity to helpdevelop a plan to address the city’sneeds in the area of race relations.From 1998 to 2000, almost500 people participated. Committed toproviding quality facilitation, organizersengaged a diverse team of four facilitatortrainers who specialize in facilitatinggroups working on the issue of race, andwho are known in the community fortheir activism on issues of racial equity.

Responsibility for organizing the studycircles program has shifted from theprimary sponsorship of city governmentto a Race Relations Task Force — a groupformed at the suggestion of study circleparticipants to review action ideascoming out of the study circles. In Aprilof 2001, Springfield launched anotherround to help residents address race-related issues.

Twin Cities:

Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota

Community Circle Collaborative

In 1998, the Education and HousingEquity Project joined forces with theAmherst Wilder Foundation in St. Paulto promote the idea and experienceof metropolitan citizenship. Thecollaboration is based on the twopartners’ mutual commitment toboosting citizen engagement inaddressing the tough, interwovenproblems of segregation and racialinjustice as they impact on schools,housing, student achievement, andcommunities. Working with othercommunity partners, the CommunityCircle Collaborative sponsored 80study circles on the focal issues overthree years, with approximately 1,200people participating.

The program was strengthened by theinvolvement of professional facilitatorswho served as civic partners in theeffort, designing and delivering afacilitator training program, andrecruiting facilitators from theirown memberships. Members ofprofessional facilitator networksalso helped rewrite the discussionguide to promote more thoughtful,reflective conversation.

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III. Recruiting Participants Who Reflect the Community’s Diversity


1. Capitalize on all kinds of friendships and affiliations:

♦ Group members recruit fellow members.

♦ Leaders speak about the value of study circles to constituents.

♦ Coalition members recruit colleagues, friends, and family.

2. Cultivate partnerships with news media.

3. Plan and carry out high-profile, large events.

4. Practice careful administration.

Programs that incorporated some ofthese best practices are profiled at theend of this section: Alread, Arkansas;Aurora, Illinois; the state of Maine,and New Castle County, Delaware.


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III

Recruitment Goal: Reaching beyond the “choir”

♦ People in many study circle programs worry that they reach only those whoare already interested. With persistence, multiple approaches to recruitment,and dedication to reaching usually excluded groups, programs can recruitbeyond the “choir.”

♦ First, appreciate the special qualities of the “choir.” People who help withcommunity issues are invaluable. Acknowledge them. Involve them in recruitmentand promotion efforts. Avoid making them feel that they are “not enough.”

♦ Identify groups of people or types of people who rarely participate in communitydecision making. Identify leaders and communication opportunities amongthese groups. Get to know their leaders, develop an understanding of theirinterests, and build working relationships with them. Invite them to participatein the coalition, as well as in pilot rounds or sample study circles so they canhave direct experience.

♦ Ask each member of the coalition to vouch for study circles one-on-one withpeople from their communities of affiliation (i.e., neighborhoods, people ofa similar racial or ethnic group, or people who share a commitment to aparticular issue or advocacy arena).

♦ Rely on one-on-one recruitment to involve leaders of usually overlooked groupsand to move further into the ranks and recruit others from these groups.

♦ After the round of study circles is over, communicate directly and often withthe people from the usually overlooked groups who participated. Make surethey know about change initiatives and results produced by their round.

Faith Communities: A key resource in study circle recruitment

♦ Congregations are filled with people interested in the community issuesaddressed by study circles.

♦ Both the receptiveness of congregations and most faith organizations’structures make them good partners in study circle coalitions.

♦ Many congregations have valuable study circle resources — particularlyspace, study circle participant recruitment, and potential youth and adultleadership (i.e., facilitators, coalition members).

♦ Faith communities in Syracuse, New York, and Lima, Ohio, study circleprograms have played a major role in organizing and sustaining studycircles on race and related issues.

♦ Because of the racial homogeneity of most faith communities, congregationalpairing — for example, linking predominantly European-American withpredominantly African-American congregations — can boost diversity.Lima, Ohio, pioneered this model; programs in Aurora, Illinois, andFayetteville, North Carolina, used this approach on a smaller scale.

Capitalizing on Affiliations


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Case Study:

Recruiting Participants in aCommunity of 400 People

Ron Harder talks aboutAlread, Arkansas

Ron Harder is a European-American man who led the study circle effort

in Alread, Arkansas. Ron is a craftsman who was chair of the school board

when the first round of study circles took place in Alread in 1998. These

are excerpts from a journal he kept during that round.

My original concept was to recruitleaders from the community whowould in turn recruit more volunteersfrom their areas of influence. In Alreadthere is a great deal of overlap in thoseareas, as well as a limited number oforganizations (mostly very small) to tapinto. I went door to door trying to recruitpeople to come to our organizationalmeeting. I was totally sold on the ideaof study circles.

It became fairly obvious early onthat people were willing to come toour organizational meeting, but werenot willing to recruit others. At thistime I was using the ballpark figureof 50 people in my recruiting speech.Many were skeptical.

I handed out a list of names I hadgathered in the Alread district (I wentthrough the Clinton phone book andthen mentally drove the streets to comeup with the list) and asked everyone tocontact anyone they thought might beinterested in participating. I stressedthat we did not want anyone to feelexcluded and that if the same personwas asked by enough different peoplethey might have to give in and say,“Yes.” I also put forth the theory thatthere might be a critical mass where itwould be more important to be part ofstudy circles than not to participate.By the time 17 of us left Alread to goto Little Rock for our facilitator training,there were 65 people signed up for thecircles. The addition of the faculty and thestudents put our participant count atabout 95, a fourth of the town’s population.

“


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Mike Chapin, a European-American man, is themanaging editor of The Beacon News in Aurora,Illinois. He has been a major partner andsupporter of Aurora Community Study Circles.

III

Mike Chapin and Jeannine Guttmantalk about Aurora, Illinois, andPortland, Maine

Mike Chapin: Personally I thought itwas a very significant experience, andwhat I’ve done is require all my editorsand photographers and reporters to gothrough it. I made a decision: Forgetabout a raise unless you go throughstudy circles. It’s an expectation. Youhave all year to get there. Every singleone of them did.

We went from being embarrassinglyignorant at times to at least beingsensitive. I’m not saying we hit the markall the time now, but we are largely awhite newsroom and not integratedenough with all the cultures in thecommunity to be accurate and fair allthe time. And I’ve found that since I putmy staff through study circles, my ownperception is that we are doing a betterjob. And I think the perception in thecommunity is that we are doing a betterjob telling people about the variouscultures and ethnicities and that sortof thing, and not being blinded to it byour own culture. It’s the eliminationof the knee-jerk reaction to somebodyelse’s life.

Media Leaders andTheir Partnerships with Study Circles

”

Too few people believe that anyonein a position of authority is genuinelyinterested in listening to their thoughts.One reason that the circles wereso successful in Alread is that theparticipants learned that not only werethe leaders interested in their opinions,but also that meaningful discussionwas possible between even the mostunlikely mix of individuals. Problemsand/or issues that once seemed to benon-negotiable were revisited and all ofa sudden the world went from, “It can’tbe done,” to, “Anything is possible.


”“

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Jeannine Guttman, a European-Americanwoman, is editor and vice president of thePortland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.The newspaper has sponsored a number ofReader Roundtables in Maine and has providedmany other forms of support for civic dialogue.

Jeannine Guttman: Most papers arevery purposeful in their mission. Theyare cognizant of their role in democracy.They are showing people ways to getinvolved. This creates the “front porch.”I think over time study circles andreader councils can help the credibilityof the media. We are widening the netof what constitutes news.

There’s this incredible sense offairness and strength of character inthe American public. People know howcomplex issues are — they are tough,and there are all these moving parts. Bythe same token, there is distrust of theeasy answers. Papers bear witness tothe dialogue process. Otherwise it onlyhappens in living rooms. The magicnewspapers bring is reporting on them.We give voice to those conversations.

There’s this incredible sense of fairness and strength

of character in the American public. People know

how complex issues are — they are tough…


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III

High-profile, Large Kickoff Events

Examples from Best Practices Learning Sites:

♦ Kickoff events create visibility,credibility, attention, and focusfor study circle programs. Goodkickoff events attract broadparticipation, inform people aboutstudy circles, and help persuadepeople that study circles are aworthwhile investment of timeand effort.

♦ New Castle County, Delaware,organizers linked their big kickoffevents to significant nationalobservances (i.e., Martin LutherKing, Jr.’s birthday, the YWCAWeek without Violence, and theNational Day of Commitment toEnd Hatred). In different years,the New Castle County eventspresented Maya Angelou, CornelWest, an interfaith clergy panel,and the Rev. Bernice King.

♦ Syracuse, New York, organizerscreated an innovative kickoff seriesto recruit participants and partners.A kickoff breakfast coupled withneighborhood-based meetingsintroduced study circles andrecruited participants to sign upfor them. In addition to breakfast,which was held in a central location,organizers decided to hold neighbor-hood kickoffs on four differentevenings during the same week togive those who could not attend thebreakfast a chance to hear about theCommunity Wide Dialogues.Organizers conducted one-hoursample dialogue circles for morethan 225 people at these meetings.

At these events, organizers usuallyconducted a mock study circle togive the audience a flavor of whatto expect.

♦ Aurora, Illinois, organizers kickedoff a round of study circles duringWeek Without Violence each year.During the same week in the fallof 1999, the YWCA Week WithoutViolence, the Red Ribbon WeekTask Force, and a Character Countsprogram all collaborated to drawattention to their programs.

♦ Twin Cities, Minnesota, organizersheld kickoff events and informationmeetings for sponsors at majorpublic institutions. The eventshighlighted notable, publicly visiblecommunity leaders, including peoplewho had experienced study circles.

♦ Organizers in Decatur, Georgia,uniquely used their kickoff eventnot only to attract participantsbut also to form diverse studycircle groups. Organizersarranged the kickoff so thatpeople sat with the study circlegroup to which they had initiallybeen assigned. Then organizersasked all the participants tostand up, look around the roomto see if there was a group thatdid not have their perspectiverepresented, and if so, jointhat group.


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Keys to Maintaining Commitmentand Participation

Ways to Keep Participation in Study Circles from Dwindling

♦ Confident, well-trained facilitators make a difference.

In Syracuse, New York, where volunteer facilitators participate in12 to 15 hours of training, some study circles had perfect attendance.

♦ Focusing on action from the beginning can help.

People in Decatur, Georgia, knew that their study circles would give thema way to participate in the city’s important strategic planning process.

♦ Personal attention makes a difference.

In Aurora, Illinois, some facilitators and organizers called participantswho missed a session to express concern and invite them to return.

Appealing to Diverse Groups andReducing Participation Barriers

Organizers made decisions and tookactions that increased participantrecruitment from throughout thecommunity. Examples from BestPractices Learning Sites:

♦ Choose a topic that will attractcommunity interest.

Community advisors in Woodridge,Illinois, decided that of all potentialtopics, diversity would appeal to thegreatest number of citizens.

♦ Use languages other than English.

Organizers in Aurora, Illinois;Hartford, Connecticut; andInglewood, California, conductedsome study circles in Spanish;organizers in the Twin Cities,Minnesota, used an interpreterfor study circle members fromthe Hmong community.

♦ Select a location that works.

After experiencing difficulties withfirst-round locations in Fort Myers,Florida, organizers designatedmore sites in neutral locations(i.e., schools, libraries) to attract andkeep the second-round participants.

♦ Provide incentives for participants.

Child care, transportation, food,and extra credit for studentshelped boost participation in somecommunities.

♦ Maintain good databases.

In Fayetteville, North Carolina;New Castle County, Delaware;and Colorado Springs, Colorado,organizers compiled and maintainedlists that included race, gender,age, and other community diversityfactors. These lists helped programsto set and reach targets for specificpopulations.


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III

Community profiles

Alread, Arkansas

Calling the Roll: Study Circles for

Better Schools

The study circle program in rural Alreadbegan in 1998 in response to the state-wide Calling the Roll project, whichpromoted the use of local study circlesto address education issues. The corecommittee that organized the effort wascarefully selected to reflect Alread’sdiversity — people from differentchurches and geographic parts of thecommunity, newcomers and “back-to-the-landers.” Members capitalized onbonds of friendship, kinship, and sharedfaith to bring in participants from everysegment of the community. Nearly 100people — one-quarter of Alread’spopulation — participated in the firstround of study circles on education. In1999, Alread organizers developed theirown guide on character education for asecond round of study circles.

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora Community Study Circles

In 1995, organizers at the Aurora YWCAinitiated a study circle effort to supportthe YWCA mission of eliminating racism.In 1997, Aurora Community Study Circlesseparated from the YWCA and becamean independent 501(c)(3) organizationwith two part-time staff members.Central to the success of this programhas been the commitment and steadyinvolvement of a diverse advisory boardand community partners who providesupport, enhance recruiting capacity,and lend credibility to the effort. Morethan 2,500 people have participated inAurora’s quarterly study circles on race.Two projects now operate under theAurora Community Study Circlesumbrella: Circles of Understanding(for adult participants), and Many YoungVoices, an ongoing teen dialogue programdesigned to foster understanding ofracial and ethnic issues; MYV participantshave created their own web site as partof the project.

New Castle County, Delaware

Study Circles on Racism and

Race Relations

The YWCA of New Castle Countyinitiated a study circle program in 1996to address the part of its mission aimedat eliminating racism. Organizers alsosaw this as a proactive way to ease long-standing racial tensions in the community.The YWCA has engaged nearly 100community partners in the effort. Anumber of organizations, including theNews Journal, have worked to attractand sponsor high-profile speakersfeatured at well-publicized kickoffevents. Organizers have also partneredwith local private and public schools,and conducted workplace circles. A totalof 3,750 people had taken part in studycircles on race, as of May 2001. Theprogram has generated a number ofaction efforts, including the “ReachingYouth Task Force,” which has conducteda round of study circles on race at alocal middle school. More than 300students participated in this program.

Maine

In Maine, dozens of rounds of studycircles have taken place since 1991 ona variety of topics, including abortion,education reform, environmentalpriorities, and substance abuse. An earlyalliance between the Maine Council ofChurches and the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram promoted thecitizen conversations to a broad audience.Over time, the productive allianceexpanded to include other mediapartners, including public and commercialtelevision and radio stations. Researchersestimate that over 10,000 people havetaken part in study circles in Maine.Maine also pioneered a program to trainyouth to facilitate study circles with theirpeers. Funded by a grant from the LillyEndowment, more than 4,000 youth havetaken part in study circles. The MaineCouncil of Churches and the independentorganization it created, The RoundtableCenter, have promoted study circlesacross the state as a way to foster a newkind of conversation on public issues.


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IV. Contributing to Change, Particularly in the Area of Race


1. Practices that helped programs contribute to personal change as a resultof study circles:

♦ Make each individual circle as diverse as possible.

♦ Make the facilitation as skilled as possible.

♦ Make explicit the program’s goal to bring about changes in individuals.

2. Practices that helped programs contribute to positive changes inorganizations:

♦ Achieve genuine, working diversity in the coalition.

♦ Give every organizational partner a clear job to do.

3. Practices that helped programs contribute to changes in institutionsand communities:

♦ Pick the topic carefully and promote the circles in a way that suggestsan expectation of community and institutional change.

♦ Include in the coalition people who can help accelerate communityand institutional change.

Programs that incorporated some ofthese best practices are profiled at theend of this section: Fort Myers, Florida;North Little Rock, Arkansas; and thestate of Oklahoma.


IV

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Ways Study CirclesContributed toIndividual Changes

Ways Study Circles Contributed toChanges in Institutions and Communities

People reported that study circles onrace changed them personally. Somechanges were subtle, and others —particularly the changes in EuropeanAmericans — were dramatic. Mostof the personal changes fell withinfour categories:

♦ Better informed about differences,people became aware of theircommunities in new ways.

♦ People gained courage to take moredirect stands for racial equity andagainst racist statements and actions.

♦ People formed stronger attachmentsto their own community and becamemore willing to invest in it.

♦ People formed new relationshipsacross racial and other divides.

The most extensive reported changeswere those affecting communities andinstitutions. People identified four typesof change in several larger arenas:

♦ Changes in community images and symbols

Communities created inclusive new celebrations and changed existingcelebrations to make them more inclusive of people from all racial andethnic backgrounds.

♦ Changes that affected groups within the community

Programs secured improvements in retail shopping for African-American people; relationships developed between governing bodies and specificgroups of citizens who typically do not participate in public life and publicdecision making.

♦ Changes that had a ripple effect

Changes that began with a small group of people over time became morepervasive and reached others: Systematic planning processes and othercommunity-building efforts became more open and inclusive.

♦ Changes in institutions and systems

Some changes had a wide radius and affected large numbers in a community,including those who had not participated in study circles: People attributedimportant changes to study circles, including impacts on elections, moreequitable, inclusive newspaper coverage and changes in state laws.


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Case Study:

Study Circles as aVehicle for Change

Maria Velazquez-Constas talks aboutFayetteville, North Carolina

Maria Velazquez-Constas, a Latina woman, is the founder of the Latino

Center and the former chair of the Human Relations Commission in

Fayetteville. She was a key study circle organizer.

In any program that you start and youhave different people involved, there’sa lot of conflict. I was named the chairof the Human Relations Commissionat the time when the whole group wastalking about study circles . . . the projectfell on my lap. The beginning was verydifficult, because the community wasready for change, but at the same time,there was resistance. Two organizationswanted to do a lot, and when you havetwo organizations or two people thatwant to do a lot, they step on eachother’s toes. But we worked thosethings out very well.

I think that because of the topic wehad a lot of newcomers coming, like theLatino group, the Korean group, someJapanese and Indians in the workinggroup. Everybody wanted to have a sayinto the race problem in Fayetteville.What sparked it was the death of twoblack people, but the other groups inthe community wanted to say, “It’s notjust black and white, you know,” andthey participated.

“


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IV

From the study circles recommen-dations, several activities that involveboth the county and the city have madethis community better. When I startedat the Commission, we had a committeecalled the County-Wide Human RelationsCommission. There was not muchinterest. When the recommendationscame out of study circles, the politiciansbegan to listen. They were saying, “Waita minute, the community wants this. It’snot just a group of the Human RelationsCommission, or a committee of theHuman Relations Commission, thatwants this. It is the community that isrecommending it.” Study circles werethe vehicle for change.”

Wait a minute, the community wants this. It’s not just a

group of the Human Relations Commission, or a committee

of the Human Relations Commission, that wants this.

It is the community that is recommending it.”

“


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Improved race relations through increased awareness

♦ Individuals reported increasing their knowledge of people differentfrom themselves. In Fayetteville, North Carolina; Lima, Ohio; Hartford,Connecticut; Twin Cities, Minnesota, and other places, people reportedthat they themselves or fellow citizens had changed their views orincreased their understanding of people who were different in termsof race, culture, religion or ethnic background.

Improving race relations by taking action

♦ Organizations and institutions opened formerly closed doors. In Decatur,Georgia, the community’s strategic planning process for the first timeintentionally included people of color in each major task force.

Working to end racism by increasing awareness

♦ In Hartford, Connecticut, and Syracuse, New York, people reported talkingabout white privilege in their study circles and becoming aware of it in anew way.

Working to end racism by taking action

♦ In Springfield, Illinois, the city government agreed to change its hiringpractices in the police and fire departments. Participants in the firstround of study circles there had identified unfair practices in these twodepartments as a priority issue for the city to address.

Organizing For Changes Related to Race

Examples fromBest Practices Learning Sites

Study circles can contribute to severalforms of work on race. Programs thataddressed race contributed to varioustypes of change. Whether the aim is toincrease awareness or take action, toimprove race relations or end racism,the work fares better when coalitionsdecide on their program’s particularfocus and make that focus plain inthe program title, promotion, andfacilitator training.


Community profiles

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Fort Meyers, Florida

Lee County Pulling Together

Study circles in Fort Myers came aboutin 1997 in response to a national studythat identified Fort Myers as the mostresidentially segregated city in theSouth. Concerned citizens and commu-nity leaders created an independent,501( c )(3) organization — Lee CountyPulling Together (LCPT) — to organizea study circle program that would bringpeople of different racial backgroundstogether to work on race relations.Nearly 600 people participated in tworounds of study circles on race. At theaction forum following the first round,participants formed eight permanentaction councils, each co-chaired by awhite person and a person of color.The study circles generated resourcesand renewed interest in building ashopping center in an under-served,predominantly black community in FortMyers. In 2001, LCPT began using studycircles to address the issue of police-community relations.

North Little Rock, Arkansas

Calling the Roll:

Study Circles for Better Schools

As participants in the 1998 statewideresearch effort, Calling the Roll, NorthLittle Rock organizers produced oneround of study circles on the topic ofeducation. These circles engaged 114parents, students, teachers, schoolboard members, and other citizens indiscussions aimed at gathering publicinput on issues of education. Mostparticipants attended the action forumalong with the superintendent, schoolboard members, and central administratorsin the school system. The school boardand central administration respondedpositively to participants’ recommendationsand began making some immediate

changes, including televising boardmeetings and summarizing the meetingsin a one-page report for the public.The board also used recommendationsto identify its priorities and a structurefor addressing them. School boardmembers and the school districtadministration made the decision-making process for the district moreaccessible to members of the community.

IV

Oklahoma

Balancing Justice/Calling the Roll:

Study Circles for Better Schools

As one of two statewide efforts includedin the study, Oklahoma hosted tworounds of study circles in 1996-1998.State staff members of the OklahomaLeague of Women Voters and localLeague volunteers organized the effort,focusing first on the criminal justicesystem and later on education. For theround on Balancing Justice, 1,000 peoplefrom 13 communities participated.Participants included legislators, judges,sheriffs, and many citizens concernedabout the corrections system in thestate. The magnitude of the programcreated a climate for change, and theLegislature passed a measurecompletely revamping the criminaljustice system. The second roundof study circles on education, Callingthe Role, drew 500 participants in10 communities.


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V. Linking Dialogue With Action

Programs that incorporated some ofthese best practices are profiled at theend of this section: Decatur, Georgia;Hartford, Connecticut; Inglewood,California, and Woodridge, Illinois.


1. Develop sound tools for initiating action.

♦ Write action guides.

♦ Hold action forums that promote linkages with existing organizationsand change efforts.

♦ Encourage participants to make recommendations to governmentand other decision-making bodies.

♦ Organize and conduct events that promote action.

♦ Develop benchmarks for measuring the impact of actions.

2. Develop good approaches to sustain long-term action.

♦ Form permanent action task forces or work groups.

♦ Hire staff to support action efforts.

3. Tell participants what the program’s expectations are regarding action.

4. Develop coalition frameworks and organizational structures that supportboth dialogue and action.


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VAbout Action Forums

Different Expectations for thePace and Scale of ChangeWhen Addressing Race

Action forums help participants starttaking action in the community. MostBest Practices learning sites held at leastone action forum. Organizers sharedexperiences about action forums, andresearchers added insights based oninput from multiple communities.

♦ Action forum planning takes a lotof effort and energy.

♦ Many programs invite the entirecommunity to the action forum.

♦ Most action forums featurereports or recommendations fromindividual study circles, or from afew if the round is very large. Manyalso feature a dynamic keynotespeaker. Some set aside time tocreate new action task forces oraction councils.

♦ Action forums seem to work bestin small to mid-size communities.

♦ Programs creating action forumsafter each successive round ofstudy circles have needed to modifytheir approach to account for otherfactors (i.e., ongoing action councilsformed during earlier forums).

♦ Some action forums haveconcentrated on linking study circleparticipants with existing actionefforts, not launching new ones.

♦ Savvy programs set the date, planand promote the action forumfrom the beginning of a round ofstudy circles.

♦ Skilled organizers tell participantswhat kind of support will beavailable for actions taken afterthe forum.

In communities where study circleshave addressed race, the researchersfound that the expected pace and scaleof change varied greatly. They alsofound conflicting views on the abilityof study circles to move beyond thepersonal or interpersonal to addressinstitutional racism. Coalitions mustlearn about differing viewpoints andwork to understand their bases. Hereare some strategies organizers mightuse to address differing expectationsfor action and change:

♦ Think strategically about yourprogram’s appropriate focus forchange — personal, organizational,or institutional — and from thestart, clarify this focus for participants.

♦ Incorporate the focus of changeinto your program’s name. Forexample, if you focus on interpersonalchange, consider using the term“race relations” in the title.If you focus on systemic change,

consider using the term “institu-tional racism” in the title. If youfocus on multiple levels of change,use multiple terms in the title.

♦ Engage citizens in inquiry, deliberationand dialogue in open, inclusiveforums about possibilities for actionand change.

♦ Inform participants of any actionstaken as a result of study circles,especially if changes occur on aninstitutional level.

♦ Build a shared understanding ofinstitutional change and how tomake good judgments about whento have patience as beneficialchange unfolds slowly and when topress harder against institutionalresistance.

♦ Support participants in actioncouncils working on institutionalchanges.


Case Study:

Study Circles and Change

Bill Pollard talks aboutSyracuse, New York

Bill Pollard, an African-American man, is on the advisory committee and

former co-chair of the advisory board in Syracuse. He is a professor of

social work and an administrator at Syracuse University.

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I became involved because I wasasked by the right person. The executivedirector of the InterReligious Councilmade a case in a way that I could notrefuse. She asked me and basicallycaused me to decide that I had to put upor shut up on my concern about racism.In other words, I could not talk aboutracism as an inherent evil in thiscommunity and not be involved insome way of addressing it.

I was not as enamored with the ideaof action immediately because I thoughtthat in this community, it was as importantto have the dialogue as it was to dosomething, and that at many levels, thedialogue is more important than actionin other places. For me, some vestigesof racism can never be resolved by somekinds of action. For example, racismplayed out as a result of our inability torespect another human being becausehe or she looks different; there’snothing the community can do to takeaction against that. That has to comefrom within.

If you choose to ignore me as aperson of color when you walk downthe street by refusing to give me eyecontact, by ignoring my smile of helloand good morning and looking in theother direction — if you choose todo that, I don’t know what action thecommunity can take to change yourheart and mind. But if I have theopportunity to listen to you and haveyou listen to me, I may learn in theprocess that you’ve got this irrationalfear. Perhaps I might be less willing toget upset when that happens to me.

Racial and ethnic disparities ultimatelyare based upon our ignorance of oneanother. In study circles, people canprobe, in a structured way, and seekunderstanding of one another acrossthe various racial and ethnic andgender groups.

“

”


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V

Tools for Sustaining Action

Best Practices from ExperiencedPrograms:

Programs that committed to long-term support of action efforts relied onat least one of three strategies. Thesestrategies were not tied to any particularorganizational structure; however,sustained action requires sustainedresources. All these examples come fromprograms that have some paid staff.

♦ Permanent action generators: In Syracuse, New York, organizers structuredand empowered the program’s permanent decision-making body (theCommunity Wide Dialogue Advisory Committee) to form ad hoc action taskforces whenever they are needed. Advisory committee members arechosen, in part, for their ability to help accomplish action on identifiedissues. Action task forces formed so far: one that addresses retail racismin a large mall, and one that works on racism in mortgage lending.

♦ Permanent action groups: In Fort Myers, Florida, eight action councilsbegan after the first round of study circles in 1997: Education; StrengtheningLee County Pulling Together (LCPT); Economic Development; Media;Special Events; Government; Research; and Community Awareness.A member of the LCPT Steering Committee serves as a liaison toeach council.

♦ Permanent action staff: In Hartford, Connecticut, organizers added a full-time staff person in 1999 whose job is to provide guidance, encouragement,training and support for the fledgling action efforts there.


Community profiles

Decatur, Georgia

Decatur Roundtables

The study circle program in Decaturbegan in 1998 as a way to addressmounting concerns around neighbor-hood issues and school district matters.Working with SCRC, Decatur organizersdeveloped a discussion guide on thetopic of neighborhoods, and growth anddevelopment. Strategic efforts —including a door-to-door campaign torecruit African-Americans and assurethem they would have a voice inneighborhood issues — were successful.Of the 450 people who took part in theRoundtables 20 percent came from theblack community. Some participantsreported that the Roundtables gavethem their very first experience ofdiscussing race relations with a groupof people from diverse racial and ethnicbackgrounds.

The action teams and follow-up workthat grew out of the Roundtablesare alive and ongoing, as part of thecity’s strategic planning process.In September 2001, Roundtableparticipants addressed educationconcerns, including issues aroundspace allocation and redistricting.

Greater Hartford, Connecticut

MetroHartford Community

Conversations on Race

A 1997 report of the MetroHartfordMillennium Project indicated that racialand ethnic divisions were directly linkedto economic conditions, and that failureto address these divisions would resultin failure to achieve a community visionmaking Hartford one of the top tenplaces to live and work in the UnitedStates. In response, leaders from theOffice of the Secretary of the State, theNational Conference for Communityand Justice, the Aetna Foundation,DemocracyWorks, and the MillenniumProject joined forces to develop aregional study circle program. Nearly2,000 people participated in four roundsof study circles, from 1998 until 2001,most in work settings. Noting thedifficulties that action groups faced inplanning and carrying out their work,

DemocracyWorks created a full-timestaff position to support action effortsemerging from the study circles. Actiongroups have worked to expand the studycircles to new geographic areas andnew populations. Other action initiativesinclude: developing a written tool tohelp nonprofit organizations form morediverse boards; increasing voterregistration, and promoting neighbor-hood and youth study circles.

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Inglewood, California

Improving Education

In Inglewood, a community where91 percent of the residents are peopleof color, approximately 600 parents,educators, and other concernedcitizens participated in one round ofstudy circles on education (1997-1998).The superintendent mandated participationby all 20 schools in the district. As partof its own strategic plan, each schoolimplemented its own study circleprogram, designing the program to suitthe community it served. Organizerspromoted the program and conductedthe circles in Spanish and English.Relationships among parents ofdifferent racial and ethnic backgroundsimproved immediately, as did relation-ships between parents and the schools.The study circles yielded long-termbenefits, as well.

Parents and community members whotook part gained a better understandingof education issues and worked tohelp pass Measure K, which made$131 million available for improvementsto school facilities.

Woodridge, Illinois

Where Cultural Diversity is Our

Strength

Late in 1997, the Ecumenical Councilin Woodridge and the DuPage Mayorsand Managers Conference expressedconcern about how the Village ofWoodridge was dealing with increasingdiversity in the community. In response,local government organized a coalition— with representatives from the schools,fire districts, parks, Ecumenical Council,public library, and churches — andprovided the support to produce around of study circles on diversity inthe Fall of 1998. One hundred andtwenty people took part. The schools

played a major role, doing the bulk ofthe recruiting and providing most of thefacilitators for the circles. Organizersencouraged participants to identify actionsteps that needed to be carried out bylocal government, civic organizations,and businesses, and the Villageadministration took responsibility forgetting that information to the appropriatebodies so that they could work on therecommendations.

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V


Vivian Elliott is an African-Americanwoman who grew up in Michigan. She isan independent consultant with ElliottService Systems, Inc., in Denver,Colorado. Vivian now works extensivelyin bringing equitable policies, practicesand perspectives into teaching, learning,curriculum and assessment in schooldistricts throughout the United States.Contact Vivian at [email protected].

Kristin Houlé, a European-Americanwoman, worked as a research analystfor Roberts & Kay, Inc., in Lexington,Kentucky. Kristin grew up in variouscommunities throughout the UnitedStates and Canada. She is a graduateof the University of Kentucky. Kristinnow serves as the program associatefor Amnesty International USA’sProgram to Abolish the Death Penalty,based in Washington, D.C. ContactKristin at [email protected].

Appendix A

About the Research TeamSteve Kay, A European-American

man, is partner at Roberts & Kay, Inc., afirm dedicated to advancing democraticpractices in work places and communities.Steve grew up in a Jewish family inLawrence, Massachusetts. He worksextensively as a researcher and facilitatoron complex community change,typically involving many different viewsand interests. Contact Steve [email protected].

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Biren “Ratnesh” Nagda is a SouthAsian man, of Indian descent, who grewup in Kenya, East Africa. He is currentlyan associate professor of social work atthe University of Washington, Seattle,and the director of the IntergroupDialogue, Education and Action Trainingand Resource Institute. He developed theintergroup dialogue model with colleaguesat the University of Michigan while doing adoctorate in social work and psychology.His teaching and research interests focuson cultural diversity and social justice,intergroup dialogue, and multicultural-and empowerment-oriented social workpractice with individuals, groups, andorganizations. He has published widely onmulticultural and social justice education,multicultural organization development,and intergroup dialogues in educationaland community settings. He receivedthe 2001 University of WashingtonDistinguished Teaching Award, and theUniversity of Washington School of SocialWork 2003 BASW Students’ ChoiceTeaching Award. Contact Ratnesh [email protected].

Rona Roberts is a European-American woman who grew up in ruralKentucky. She is partner at Roberts& Kay, Inc., and served as the projectmanager for the “Best Practices”study. Rona is in her twenty-fourthyear of work as a researcher, writer,and adviser for organizational andcommunity change. Contact Rona [email protected]. Roberts& Kay, Inc., also has a web site:www.robertsandkay.com.

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Notes


This guide is a manual for study

circle organizers and facilitators.

A project of the Topsfield Foundation, Inc.

Study Circles Resource Center

P.O. Box 203

Pomfret, CT 06258

Telephone: 860-928-2616

Fax: 860-928-3713

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.studycircles.org

STUDY CIRCLESR E S O U R C E C E N T E R

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