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First, thanks to Harrison for the call to reach out to special interest groups to spread the word. As an educator I'm thinking about teachers' union magazines and such...<BR>
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Second, I just drafted the invitation to my first Open Space. Chris Corrigan's invitation (written by the aboriginal youth council sponsor) was so useful to me (I lifted a bunch of it) that I'm posting this draft in case it proves useful to anyone else...or for feedback. <BR>
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Cheers! -Chris Weaver<BR>
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Your Presence Is Requested At...<BR>
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STRENGTHENING OUR SCHOOL TODAY,<BR>
SUSTAINING IT FOR THE YEARS TO COME<BR>
An Open Space Meeting<BR>
By THE LEARNING COMMUNITY<BR>
Friday, September 1 - Sunday, September 3 (sample dates)<BR>
Black Mountain, North Carolina<BR>
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WHAT IS OPEN SPACE?<BR>
Open Space is a remarkable meeting process which draws on some very old principles: passion, collaboration, responsibility, inclusivity, and respect. It provides a natural pattern that encourages action rather than endless discussion. It allows the creative gifts and leadership capacity in a group to become manifest. Open Space has been used in recent years to foster self-organization in a great variety of innovative groups around the world.<BR>
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WHO IS COMING?<BR>
The TLC board has invited the core community of students (5th grade and older), families, and staff to participate, as well as many supporters from the broader community and others who believe in the importance of thriving educational alternatives in our region. Open Space process is enormously effective with groups of a dozen to several hundred people.<BR>
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A REAL CHUNK OF TIME!<BR>
The time allotted for this Open Space meeting is the perfect amount of time for the process to run its course. While it looks like "a long meeting," it's not! All participants will be engaged in what they care about, self-directed, and mobile in Open Space. We promise you an energizing experience full of creative, effective collaboration and fun.<BR>
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SCHEDULE<BR>
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FRIDAY<BR>
5:00 Potluck Dinner and Games<BR>
7:00 - 9:00 Introductions and Storytelling<BR>
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SATURDAY<BR>
9:00 Opening Circle and Agenda Creation<BR>
10:00 Focus Groups, session I<BR>
11:30 Lunch<BR>
12:30 Focus Groups, session II<BR>
2:00 Focus Groups, session III<BR>
3:30 - 4:30 Closing Circle<BR>
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SUNDAY<BR>
9:00 Distribution of Reports and Coffee<BR>
10:00 Convergence and Action Planning<BR>
12:00 Finale<BR>
1:00 We're Done!<BR>
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Childcare will be available for the entire event.<BR>
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FACILITATOR<BR>
Chris Weaver was one of three founding teachers at Pathfinder School, a community K-8 public school in Seattle, where he worked for seven years. He is now an Open Space facilitator and a part-time writing teacher at Isaac Dickson Elementary School in Asheville, North Carolina. <BR>
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