Circles of Change

The mission of a Circle of Change is to fuel the flame of the Be The Change Movement and support Be The Change Teams in achieving their goals. Circles must first take a realistic look at how many teams or groups they can effectively support. Circle members work to live the principles of the movement and to fund and support programs in their area. In return, they have the opportunity to practice the principles and tools of the Be The Change Movement as part of a larger community.

Can you imagine thousands of Circles of Change all across the country networked together, exchanging dreams and plans and supporting each other in achieving their highest goals?

How might a Circle of Change help create the community of your dreams? Here are a few ways that Circles are Being the Change:

• The Glenn County Circle of Change has over 60 members who gather in their Be the Change t-shirts three times a month to be a visible force for change in their communities. Imagine 40 people in red shirts raking the neighborhood yards, running the booths at a Halloween Carnival or swarming a local farmers market just to be helpful!
• The Snohomish County Circle of Change in Washington serves an extremely diverse community. The Circle has a strong intention to be both inclusive and considerate of individual cultures and customs. Working with the support of the Everett Housing Authority they were recognized for coordinating a partnerships with the Interfaith Association of Snohomish County and 12 other agencies including, schools, faith based groups, youth providers, United Way and city and county government to fund and host a County wide Challenge Day that has sparked many more Challenge Days in its wake.
• The Northwest Ohio Circle of Change works in conjunction with the Spring Green Educational Foundation to support the 17+ schools they fund annually. Working together, the Circle and the Foundation assist their schools in achieving long-term positive change, including hosting an annual regional conference with 15 student leaders from each school coming together to bond, learn and celebrate each other in the spirit of Challenge Day and The Be the Change Movement.
• The Alachua County Circle of Change in Gainesville, Florida has provided the opportunity for every school in their county to experience a Challenge Day. The Circle has an extensive database with over 600 local volunteers, many of whom are students from the University of Florida. To keep the change going, the Gainesville school district employs a fulltime coordinator to support each school’s individual Be the Change Team and has piloted the first Elementary School Staff Development Challenge Day which was a huge success.

Return to the Challenge Day site to find out how we have developed and implemented these concepts in our personal and professional lives.