Study Circles

The Study Circles Resource Center is dedicated to finding ways for all kinds of people to engage in dialogue and problem solving on critical social and political issues. SCRC helps communities by giving them the tools to organize productive dialogue, recruit diverse participants, find solutions, and work for action and change.

Since 1989, SCRC has worked with many kinds of communities, on many different issues, to develop a process for bringing people together for creative community change. More than 300 communities across the country have organized study circle programs. From neighborhoods to large cities, broad coalitions of community groups are bringing together hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of people from all walks of life to deal with important issues like racism and race relations, education reform, the achievement gap, diversity, youth concerns, and more.

SCRC staff members provide advice on: developing a strong, diverse organizing coalition; setting program goals and finding ways to assess progress; writing or customizing discussion guides; building the community’s capacity to train facilitators; connecting dialogue to action and change. Staff members or SCRC associates make occasional community visits; they also conduct regional study circle workshops. In many instances, SCRC can provide up to 500 free study circle guides for large-scale programs.

Contact information:
Phyllis Emigh
Study Circles Resource Center
Pomfret, CT.
Phone: 860-928-2616.
E-mail: scrc@studycircles.org

Visit Study Circle's Web site (www.studycircles.org).

Other resources:

To learn more about study circles focusing on Education** and Youth*** issues, please visit the SCRC Web site. On the Web site you can view discussion guides and learn how to organize your own study circle program, and you can read about study circles in communities around the country.