Message to Field School Participants

Learning community is fun. Getting into the routines of a community and understanding how it "ticks" is our focus. Who talks to whom? Who is well-regarded? What are the issues people talk about? What are the cultural mechanisms in place for getting things done? Not only do you learn a lot as an individual, but as your teammates learn as well, we can put together a systematic understanding of community and build a theory for how a particular community works and changes.

As the patterns of community life become clear, the policy implications emerge as well. We will learn about the institutions whose policies affect the community and we develop strategies for implementation of policy capable of creating lasting and beneficial change.

Our job is to hold a mirror up to people in a community. The more that people become conscious of their environment, the more they can act on it to accomplish the change they want. That is empowerment and it drives the process of policy formation.

I would like to introduce Trish Malone as one of this year's field school faculty. While at Southern Oregon University anthropology department, Trish completed her senior practicum with us, participating in a field study in West Medford, Oregon. Trish is the first student in the country to receive a Master's Degree in Social Ecology as taught by James Kent and the Center for Social Ecology and Public Policy. Throughout her master's program Trish interned with us on several projects while continuing to learn the intricacies of social ecology. She is now one of our senior associates and currently the coordinator of several projects in Hawaii. Trish has an easy rapport with students and will offer much in the way of applying social ecology principles in a variety of settings, including opening doors to new careers.

You will also have a treat in this Field School to meet and interact with Jim Kent. He has been my mentor and friend now for 25 years and is the creative force behind the theory and practice of social ecology. I continue to learn from him. He has a unique and special way of understanding community that has captivated students and clients for generations. As he enters "emeritus" status in our organization, you will see how his gentle and reflective style will lead you, too, to believe that you can do anything if you first "seek to understand" through observation and the Discovery Process.

Please join us in 2011 to experience this adventure together. I promise you it will be engaging and fulfilling. The theory and practice of social ecology are life changing—you will never be the same.