Study Circles 2022: Cooperatives and Public Space info session

Our Study Circles program is growing! This year, PACA will host 4 groups to explore community ownership and cooperative enterprise through study over the course of six months. Drawing on African American and Philadelphia cooperative history as well as PACA’s 20 Book Clubs → 20 Cooperative Businesses program, this year’s study circles will continue to focus on utilizing cooperative enterprise to steward the public spaces we currently share and foster what can be.

You can view our Facts and Questions here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IrxktQa9xZAqVCYRgsz_lZfXaN8c3XG2mWvfi0uN31c/edit

You can register for our information sessions here:

Nov 1, 2022 06:00 PM in Eastern Time : https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEud–qqTMoGNddFNXbp-k1a7L9uebYtOUf

Nov 7, 2022 12:00 PM in Eastern Time: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEufuupqjguHty1b5eT8C47DXSUomtw8rmg

For the first time, PACA will also be hosting a Build track alongside the Study cohort. This track will be available to 2 groups from our 2021-2022 Study Circles program who are interested in continuing to develop their idea with the support of PACA staff through a collaboratively designed Technical Assistance (TA) contract.

More info about this year’s programming coming soon! To stay in the loop, contact studycircles@philadelphia.coop to be added to our mailing list.

More about the Program

PACA believes study is a key component to cooperative business and enterprise development. Pre-development through group study and research lays the groundwork for developing successful cooperative businesses and enterprises, particularly for those communities for whom access to institutional knowledge and resources around business development has been made inaccessible.

Each of the 4 study circles will meet twice a month for six months to explore needs and visions for public space stewardship in their communities. Through study, reflection, and discussion, they will explore how cooperative enterprises could address these needs and visions, and how and why people form cooperatives. They will choose resources like books, articles, oral history, videos, field trips, comics, and podcasts to support their learning.

Having a business idea is NOT a requirement for participation. If, after this period of study, groups want to move forward with a business idea, they may access training, technical assistance, and other support through PACA and our partners.

As mentioned above, this year’s study circles are centered on utilizing cooperative enterprise to steward public space. You may be interested if you are connected to a park, urban farm/garden, library, or recreation center, or if you have ideas or hopes for shared physical space in your neighborhood. Community-based organizations and groups of individuals with a shared interest are both welcome to apply, as long as your group has at least five (ideally 6-12) people who are committed to engaging in the study process.

We prioritize applications from people who have been exploited by our current economy and excluded from economic prosperity. For example, we prioritize applications from people who are formerly incarcerated, coming from poverty, people of color, refugees, and immigrants.

Moreover, PACA is committed to practicing language justice by questioning English domination in our society and supporting cooperative businesses run by people who speak languages other than English as well as people of various literacy levels.

We look forward to studying with you!