Keep It Going!

There’s no doubt about it, from time to time it can be a real challenge to keep moving forward with this education project, but we keep seeing students make progress and that’s all we need to keep us doing everything we can to make it work. I’d like to draw your attention to a couple of developments.

First, Frank Wolfe continues to work on his passions of poetry, entertaining, comedy and art. His signature piece is “Love and Bagels”, which he has performed many times at Steel City Coffeehouse in Phoenixville. Well, now he’s making this piece available in a YouTube video to share with everyone. Thanks to our friend Kevin Coxe, who shot several performances and put a lot of thought and work into the editing, here’s the video for you to enjoy:

Congratulations, Frank, on completing this project!

Second, Lisa Longo recently began attending our classes. We’re currently studying Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasion, and it seems to be having quite a positive affect on Lisa. You can read about it by following this link to her latest blog entry, How Rhetoric Rocked My World. It’s a real pleasure to have you in the classes, Lisa!

So it seems that the message is this: no matter how challenging things appear to be, just keep it going. There will always be things that will come along to make it all worth it!

Sphere Communication Workshops

Last night at Steel City Coffeehouse I presented the second of two Sphere Communication Workshops. It went extremely well! We had a nice crowd: some members of the Phoenixville Green Community, some musicians, some students in the Sphere College Project, and several others who heard about it and dropped in.

Most attendees were there last night because people who attended last week encouraged them to come. And last night’s attendees were sincerely enthusiastic afterward about how much it opened their eyes with respect to problems and solutions of group communication. Ultimately, that’s how I want to publicize this: word of mouth. If the quality of a product is high enough, then people WILL tell other people.

Here’s a rundown of the workshop: I briefly discuss the motivation for the workshop, then present some principles of communication that emerge from synthesizing diverse disciplines. Then there’s a break. Last night during the break the audience was entertained by Frank Wolfe, student in the Sphere College Project. After the break I solicit a group of courageous volunteers to practice their skills by discussing an engaging topic based on the principles introduced previously. Naturally, the participants are a bit self-conscious since the rest of the group is listening intently to the discussion, but by this time it isn’t too difficult for the individuals to focus on the topic while simultaneously remaining aware of the quality of their interaction.

The night was so successful that I look forward to presenting this workshop often and soon. I’m currently working on a grant to offer it to unemployed/underemployed individuals. In the meantime, if you, dear reader, can think of any groups who would like to be more effective at finding common ground through improving their communication skills (who wouldn’t?), I’d appreciate being connected with them! I can be contacted directly with an email to info AT spherecollege DOT org. The workshop is also offered through the Center for Resolutions in Media, PA. Some information about the workshop is available by following this link.

What a Weekend!

In the last post I told you about some upcoming student successes, both of which took place over the past weekend: Virginia and Jonathan Stewart’s art openings in the Members Show at the Phoenix Village Art Center, and Frank Wolfe‘s book signing at Steel City Coffeehouse.

WELL, not only was the opening a wonderful event, but early on Virginia told me she sold one of the two works she had in the show! AND Frank did a superb job of entertaining the audience with his poetry, wit, stories and comedy. He had them in the palm of his hand, sold some books and is very eager to get up on stage again.

These are very important steps for these individuals and I’m quite proud and honored to be able to travel this portion of their journey with them. Their stories are truly an inspiration!

Student Successes

Other than the knowledge that we’re doing some very important work, what keeps us going after two years of struggling to establish a new institution of higher education in a challenging financial environment? Student successes, naturally–that’s the whole point!

Well, this is a big weekend for Sphere College students. On the heels of being awarded the Sunday Soup grant to have her artwork matted and framed, Virginia Stewart is showing some of her artwork in the Members Show at the Phoenix Village Art Center during the month of May. Virginia’s husband and Sphere College student, Jonathan Stewart, will have works on display as well. The opening is tomorrow night, Friday May 6 from 7-9pm.

AND this Saturday May 7 from 2-4pm, Frank Wolfe and friends will be entertaining during his book signing, Love and Bagels, at Steel City Coffeehouse. A superb article about the event appeared in the Montgomery News (with mention of Sphere College).

We invite you to come out to meet us and see the wonderful work our students are doing!

Meanwhile, classes continue each Thursday night from 7-9pm in St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. As is the philosophy of Sphere College, the students select the topic of study. We are currently engaged in a 10-week session on Propaganda.

Please support the work we’re doing. Providing financially accessible education for adults in the way they learn is a critical component of a healthy society. You think a small donation won’t help? NOT SO! $10 from 10,000 people would raise the funds necessary for Sphere College to build an infrastructure that can grow. There are 15,000 people in Phoenixville alone. We need your help. Please donate!

A Successful Evening!

Last night we celebrated two years of Sphere College! We sponsored the film Amélie at the Colonial Theatre and had a very nice crowd in attendance. People heard about it through an article in the Pottstown Mercury, a couple of spots I did at WPAZ 1370AM (I learned last night who won the tickets by calling in to WPAZ!), on Facebook, and by word of mouth. Before the film, Frank Wolfe, poet, artist, entertainer and student in Sphere College performed a well-received opening monologue introducing the audience to him as a person and as a student. After the show a group of attendees went across the street to Artisan’s Gallery and Cafe for a discussion of the film. What a pleasure it was to celebrate two years of Sphere College!