Simplified: Clint Brown uses a board game analogy to talk about how people interact with local government. Many folks are playing on a game board with pre-written rules, but they don't necessarily understand the rules, boundaries and limitations in which they're playing. Here's how his new Civic Studio classes aim to help.
Why it matters
- The Civic Studio is a project by the BAM Institute of Civic Biodesign, a higher education organization formed to encourage leaders to use whole-system thinking, i.e. looking at the broader systems that shape the world rather than exploring issues individually.
- Typically BAM offers graduate-level coursework for students to immerse themselves in, but Civic Studio is a new way to take that coursework to a more accessible format via weekly community classes and meetings.
- Brown is leading the Wednesday evening sessions at various libraries across town, and he said so far the program – which is free and open to anyone in the public to participate – has been attracting several local leaders across the public and private sector. That includes folks like Terry Liggins, founder of the Hurdle Life Coach Foundation, who's attended multiple Civic Studio events this month.
"One of the great benefits of any type of group learning is reducing isolation," Liggins said. "Right away, you're able to be less isolated in your passion."
Tell me more
Each week, Civic Studio tackles a different topic related to systems thinking, and the coursework is designed to be responsive to participant questions and input.
Brown also helps demystify how systems thinking works.
"If you think of it in terms of a game board, there’s a layer of rules and structure that if you're unaware, than it's just happening to you, and you have no power to make a difference in it because you don't see it," he said.
For example, take speeding. It's common to think of speeding cars as a police issue or an issue with street signs.
"But if you dig a little deeper, it has a lot to do with the street design, the lane widths, how far apart the lines are," Brown said. "If you’re constantly complaining to the police, you're not talking to the right people."
How do I get involved?
The Civic Studio events are shared via the BAM Institute's Facebook page. Brown said he has 24 sessions planned, and three have occurred so far.
