ABL FOUNDATION
PLACE-BASED SOCIAL ACTION STRATEGIES
Institutional Base
• Bread Loaf School of English / Phillips Academy Andover Partnership
Guiding Principles to Democratic Education • Democratic theory of learning • Valuing voice • Connecting to local culture • Creating community • Embedding social justice in ABL activities
ABL Theory of Change:
CAPACITY FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOR EQUITY
DUAL LEVEL CHANGE Individual Change
• Cultural identity • Aspirations • Sense of agency • Social awareness • Democratic educational practice
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Shared social action agenda Inclusive membership base Mobilization of resources Spread of ABL ideas Potential to influence public policy
Collective Change
• Reframe narrative of Lawrence • Community infrastructure • Networked community
The pathway from place-based social action to a sustainable social movement in Lawrence Key to ABL’s work are its strong institutional base in the partnership between the Bread Loaf Teacher Network and Phillips Academy along with a set of principles that reflect a belief in democratic education. With this base, ABL carries out three interacting place-based social action strategies, as depicted in the theory of change figure. By participating in ABL activities, individual participants gain motivation, skills, and dispositions that enable them to be more successful academically and to be civic actors in their community. Taken together, the three ABL strategies also lead to collective change in the form of extensive collaboration across people and institutions and a positive future vision for the city. These dual level changes build the capacity for civic engagement to advance social justice and renew education in Lawrence and beyond.