Some of you may have gotten tired of hearing me yammer about Alexander Technique or F.M. Alexander's discoveries about the use of the self (zones -1 through -7...) but there is something of value to share that just struck me.
In my profession we've been attempting for 100 years to share about the benefits of these discoveries and having lots of challenges. Recently someone came up with a much more deliberate plan--it's a 10-year plan, rather than just a "next month I'll sit at a booth" plan.
I'm going to try to copy it here, it's public information even if it's mainly intended for people in the profession, or copy at least the bare skeleton.
In a word, the idea is you start with an "advocate-translator"--someone in the field you want to bring your thing (in your case
permaculture) into--someone who can translate into the language of the field;
then you get their help to conduct studies that will demonstrate the relevance of and effectiveness of your thing (
permaculture) to their _perceived_ needs relative to the "competition";
then present studies to the gatekeepers/decision-makers to get it institutionalized.
Now, some of that may be not exactly how you want to end up (institutionalizing
permaculture might be antithetical to its essence??) but take the parts that fit and leave the rest. What if we had
PDC's in all post-secondary schools in the country? what if it was a part of military training? what if it was a part of civic education? what if libraries required it before you can borrow
books on other topics? (for some brainstorm examples).
quoting from Monika Gross's article:
1) Identify the industries that will connect us to the target population
2) Locate AT teachers already working in a connecting industry with the target population
3) Locate an Advocate/Translator
4) Identify the industry's perceived needs
5) Research the industry's current solutions for their perceived needs (i.e. our "competition")
6) Create an industry-focused "AT Cultural Capital" credibility package
7) Locate forward-thinking industry experts
8 ) Identify the industry decision makers (i.e. "The Gatekeepers")
9) Locate funding sources and delivery systems
10) Locate AT Training Programme Directors interested in additional Industry and population- specific training
11) Design and implement industry-focused curricula for trainees and post-graduate trainings for AT teachers
12) Final Goal: Connect industry-qualified trainees & teachers to internships & jobs
explanations and examples:
We start by identifying a target population: "Whom do we want to help?" Example: "Children, Adolescents & Young Adults"
We then:
1) Identify the industries that will connect us to the target population
Industries with infrastructures in place and ongoing interactions with the target population
Connecting Industries: Early Education, Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Schools, Day Care, Health & Wellness Systems, Summer Camps, Performing Arts Programmes, Juvenile Justice Systems, Sports
2) Locate AT teachers already working in a connecting industry with the target population^2
AT teachers who have specific expertise with this target population or are working within one of these industries. They will often have additional qualifications that have given them industry credibility. They are a primary resource for initial guidance in navigating the process.
Connecting Industry: Primary Schools
AT Teachers: Sue Merry & Esther Miltiadous from the Educare Small School in the UK2
Educare Small School, 12 Cowleaze Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey KT2 6DZ
http://www.educaresmallschool.org.uk/ ^4
3) Locate an Advocate/Translator
A person with
experience in those industries who also has personal experience or understanding of AT but who isn't an AT teacher. They essentially "translate" between AT language and point of view and the language and point of view of the specific field or industry. They offer guidance throughout the process.
Advocate/Translator: Elementary school principal who has benefitted from AT lessons3
4) Identify the industry's perceived needs
We often focus on needs that may not be actual concerns of a target population. We need to focus instead on the perceived needs that do concern the industry decision makers. We identify them with help from the Advocate/Translator and other industry professionals. If things go well and we get access to the target population, I hope to educate them later about needs they may not yet be aware of.
Perceived Needs:
• Support children diagnosed with ADHD
• Improve test performance
• New
games for recess and PE
• Reduction of aggressive behaviors
5) Research the industry's current solutions for their perceived needs (i.e. our "competition")^3
What other professionals are they using? What programmes are already in place? How much do they cost? How much time do they allow for them? How effective have they been? How are they dissatisfied with their current solutions?
Perceived Need: Support children diagnosed with ADHD Current Solutions:
• Assistant teachers
• Special Education teachers
• Occupational therapists
• Pharmaceuticals
• Exercise/Movement programs
• Mindfulness practices
• Therapeutic arts programs
This is a US example. Outside the US, terms and structures will be different, but the basic process will be the same. ^5
6) Create an industry-focused "AT Cultural Capital" credibility package
To ensure a successful presentation, we will need to have a clear understanding of the industry's culture and language. What are their hierarchies? How do they interact? What are their basic beliefs? How is success measured? What will make AT credible to them? What makes AT the solution for their perceived needs? What do we offer that the "competition" does not? Is there data to support our solution?
In general, the three solutions that AT offers are: 1) improved performance; 2) pain and injury management, recovery and prevention; and 3) performance anxiety or stress management. The long-term benefits are enhanced self-perception, self-regulation, and critical problem-solving skills. I call these benefits collectively 'First Person Expertise'.4
Industry-focused "AT Cultural Capital" credibility package for Primary Schools can include:
• Approval process for an AT teacher in that school system
• Implementation process for the chosen intervention
• Expected costs
• Potential funding sources for the intervention
• Demographics of the children
• Our specific AT-based solutions - presented in primary school
professional language, not in AT professional language
7) Locate forward-thinking industry experts
Open-minded people in the field, interested in innovation and curious about AT's potential. Good individuals to test the "AT Cultural Capital" credibility package and to help identify the best people for Step 8.
Industry Expert: The Executive Director of a
local city schools foundation
8 ) Identify the industry decision makers (i.e. "The Gatekeepers") ^4
Decision makers who can approve a pilot
project or create a job. We need to prove to them that AT is the best solution for their perceived needs - and we will probably not get a second chance.
Decision Makers: Local or State Board of Education to approve AT teachers in ongoing positions in local government-run schools
'First Person Expertise' is a term I use for the practical ability AT principles teach to consciously and continuously perceive, interpret and navigate myself in my environment from moment-to-moment.^6
9) Locate funding sources and delivery systems5
An economic system and organisational structure to support each pilot project, internship or job.
"For profit" structures include our current private-pay self-employment model, but can include limited partnerships or incorporated entities with other teachers, such as "AT clinics" that look like businesses the general public is already used to, or franchise-type models such as Shaw Method.5
"
Non profit" structures are underused. Partnering with non profits or starting our own can bring AT principles to new populations and countries and can support the training of a more diverse teaching profession. An interesting model: US speech-language pathologists who are frustrated at the limited time they can spend with aphasia patients because of health insurance limitations, and knowing their clients can't afford private pay, have formed non
profit 'aphasia centers' offering inexpensive group classes and using local university speech pathology students as interns. After a few years, they received
enough funding to realise their goal to offer subsidised one-to-one sessions for their clients.6 Worker co-ops are also potential models. There are also interesting hybrid models linking for profit and non profit entities.
'Pro bono' creates a professional context for us to offer services not 'for free' or as 'volunteers' but pro bono: "for the public good". Becca Ferguson has been teaching pro bono in a prison in Chicago7 and Andrea Bruno in a Veterans Affairs hospital in New Jersey in its complementary medicine programme.8 Their efforts become models for professional programmes to work with these populations.
I imagine that the majority of AT teachers are interested in making a living rather than a 'killing', and we can do so by blending for profit, non profit and pro bono models.
'Delivery Systems' connect AT teachers to target populations. For 'Children', a day care center that brings in an AT trainee as an intern would be a delivery system. For 'Occupational Therapists', AT-based continuing education curricula designed for OTs and approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association would be a delivery system. Presentations and AT sponsorship booths at professional conferences are delivery systems to many target populations. Anikó Ball presented at the 2015 36th
The Shaw Method, The Factory, 407 Hornsey Road, London N19 4DX UK
http://www.shawmethod.com/
6
7
A conversation with speech-language pathologist and aphasia specialist Molly Secrest of Westboro MA, 5 July 2015
From panel presentation 13 August 2015 at 10th International Alexander Technique Congress in
Limerick Ireland: Ferguson, Becca; Cranz, Galen; Freeman, Caitlin. “Diffability vs. Disability: Reframing
Personal Definitions of Self”
8
From presentation 20 October 2015 at Alexander Technique International Annual Conference in Philadelphia PA USA: Bruno, Andrea. “Working with Veterans at a VA Hospital”
7
Australian Dental Congress in Brisbane, which had over 4500 attendees.9 Candace Cox presented at the 2013 World Parkinson's Congress in Montreal, which had close to 3500 delegates from 64 countries.10
10) Locate AT Training Programme Directors interested in additional Industry and population- specific training
Working on solutions with training programme directors becomes a vital part of our professional development. How will we position industry and population-specific training? As additional elective hours in their training course? As a fourth year of graduate training? As post-graduate courses? As onsite trainings?
11) Design and implement industry-focused curricula for trainees and post-graduate trainings for AT teachers
Curricula created from information previously gathered, with input by experts in their respective fields and training programme directors. We can also connect trainees and teachers to existing industry-specific certification courses.
12) Final Goal: Connect industry-qualified trainees & teachers to internships & jobs
Currently the only internship-style option for most graduating trainees is as assistants in AT teacher training courses. At this final step, there will now be many interesting internships, as well as jobs for more experienced teachers. Working in day care centers could be internships for trainees. Assistant teachers in primary schools could be entry- level jobs for recent graduates. However, handling the design and implementation of AT principles for an entire public school system would require teachers with considerably more senior experience and training.
The final outcome must be job security. We do not want to waste all this hard work because a friendly principal, CEO or sheriff moves on to another school, corporation or district and those who remain don't recognise the value of an AT professional. We want our AT professionals to be ongoing, integrated, vital parts of an industry's culture.11
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