A comprehensive guide to help you develop a community-wide study circle program from start to finish. Study Circles are at the heart of a process for public dialogue and community change. This process begins with community organizing, and is followed by facilitated, small-group dialogue that leads to a range of outcomes. Study circles don't advocate a particular solution. Instead, they welcome many points of view around a shared concern. (continue)

The Pew Partnership for Civic Change is a civic research organization that provides consulting and program support to communities, governments, foundations, and nonprofit agencies. We help clients identify and implement solutions and strategies crucial to making communities stronger. (continue)

Together for Tomorrow is a guide and information resource to help you break down isolation and separation between the generations. It presents a proven process for community building: the Intergenerational Dialogue (TM) process. Intergenerational Dialogue is a tool for joining all ages, cultures, races, genders and economic classes in problem solving and joint action. (continue)

A four-session discussion guide on many important neighborhood issues including: race and other kinds of differences; young people and families; safety and community-police relations; homes, housing and beautification; jobs and neighborhood economy; and schools. (continue)

Flipping the Script is a 156-page monograph designed for people who work in communities to identify and address issues of white privilege, oppression, racism and power as they play out in this work. It is for community builders, grant makers, technical assistance providers and others who are trying to develop more equitable and thoughtful partnerships with community residents and organizations. (continue)

A four-session discussion guide to help schools and communities improve academic achievement for all students. (continue)

Richard Harwood's blog, Redeeming Hope, shares Rich's thoughts on how to improve public life and politics. Rich Harwood founded the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation to help people imagine and act for the public good. For almost 20 years, he and his colleagues have been evolving both the ideas and the practical approaches for changing the negative conditions in society that too often divide people and keep them from making progress in their neighborhoods, communities, and the nation as a whole. (continue)

Instead of focusing on a community's needs, deficiencies and problems, Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) helps communities become stronger and more self-reliant by discovering, mapping and mobilizing all their local assets. (continue)

Martha McCoy and Pat Scully of Everyday Democracy (formerly the Study Circles Resource Center) wrote this excellent article that distinguishes deliberation from dialogue and discusses the merits of 'the marriage of deliberation and dialogue.' Although the article focuses on the Study Circles process (now called dialogue-to-action), it is a great introduction to public engagement processes and their principles. This is a very readable 19-page article that we highly recommend you read. (continue)

On the face of it, the story of Bridgeport, Connecticut, is a familiar one. After losing much of its manufacturing and industrial base following the Second World War, the city confronted the problems of many old industrial cities—high unemployment, a shrinking tax base, the growth of violent crime and drugs. So far, so familiar. But what sets Bridgeport apart from cities with similar histories is the evolving story of its uncommonly rich civic life. When it comes time to solve community problems or make and […] (continue)