ABL FOUNDATION DUAL LEVELCHANGE

CAPACITY FORCIVIC ENGAGEMENT

FOR EQUITY

PLACE-BASEDSOCIALACTION

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

Individual Change• Cultural identity• Aspirations• Sense of agency• Social awareness• Democratic educational practice

Collective Change• Reframe narrative of Lawrence• Community infrastructure• Networked community

1. Shared social action agenda2. Inclusive membership base3. Mobilization of resources4. Spread of ABL ideas5. Potential to influence public policy

ABL Theory of Change: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 PhillipsAcademy along with a set of principles that reflect a belief in democratic education. With this base, ABL carries out threeinteracting 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 tobe civic actors in their community. Taken together, the three ABL strategies also lead to collective change in the form ofextensive collaboration across people and institutions and a positive future vision for the city. These dual level changesbuild the capacity for civic engagement to advance social justice and renew education in Lawrence and beyond.