Title:

Positive Change Corps Founder

Organization:

Positive Change Corps

Contact Information:

Send an Email

City:

Hingham

Country:

United States

Community Role:

Practitioner, Researcher

Tags:

Positive Change, consulting, education, schools, volunteer

Education and Professional Experience:

Leadership

Each member is a leader.There are over 30 members at this time.

Every Positive Change Corps project has a lead consultant who is the primary relationship manager with the client school/school system. The lead consultant develops and nurtures the relationship, creates plans, and manages the funding and support requirements. It is the lead consultant who invites into the relationship and determines the roles and responsibilities of members.
In support roles, members agree to follow the direction of the lead consultant. In its initial stages, coordination and administration of Positive Change Corps, Marjorie Schiller and Shelia McCann provide leadership in communication, membership, and activities.

About the Founders

Marjorie Schiller, PhD, is an organizational consultant, teacher, speaker and writer. She is a fifteen-year practioner of Appreciative Inquiry, has written several articles and book chapters about Appreciative Inquiry , and has presented numerous seminars and workshops. Her latest book is "Appreciative Leaders: In the Eye of the Beholder". She is an associate of the Taos institute and a founding partner of Appreciative Inquiry Consulting.

Shelia McCann, M.Ed, M.S., is a senior level manager in a non-profit organization that provides shelter, support services, and community education in domestic violence. She was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration for the Treasury Department, under the Clinton Administration. Throughout her career, Shelia has promoted opportunities for fulfillment and excellence for all people.

Suzanne Marotta, EdD, is a school superintendent, trainer and speaker. She has been in the field of education for the past 35 years as a teacher for 19 years, a principal of two high schools, a preK-8 school and an elementary school. She has spent over a decade as a central office administrator.

Glyn Willoughby MSc., BSc.(Hons.), P.G.C.E. has been Principal of Heathside School (an urban 11-18 specialist Technology College with 1350 students) since 1989. Glyn has been teaching in schools for 28 years and his special interest is in developing sustainable school improvement through collaborative planning and review using positive, valuing strategies. Glyn resides in Surrey on the outskirts of Greater London with his wife and two daughters and is continuing post-graduate studies at Surrey University.

Areas of Interest:

Positive Change Corp is a global association of Appreciative Inquiry trained facilitators and their partner schools who are motivated by their generosity for children and community. They care about learning and an irresistible invitation to work constructively with the educational community in using strength-based methodology for the cultural transformation of schools. The PCC provides opportunities to participate at a high level of service and to become consistently aware of the possibilities and boundaries of the role of agent for change.

Relationships and Partnerships

Positive intention and a commitment to process and outcomes are the bases for establishing and nurturing relationships and partnerships among PCC members, between PCC members and schools, and among the constituencies of schools.

Members are expected to be personally constructive, collaborative and appreciative. As consultants to schools, PCC members treat the consultant-client relationship with the same respect they would exhibit for paying clients.

Commitment

Commitment is contribution and occurs on many levels. Commitments are not open-ended and will change as people and systems do. PCC members provide opportunity to enhance and extend the learning of others. Levels of contribution include application of specific skills across multiple project; accountability short term for specific tasks; and commitment to a single school or school system transformation.

Membership

Members of Positive Change Corps have completed a basic introductory workshop or seminar in a Appreciative Inquiry and/or other strength based methodologies Everyone has membership responsibilities to contribute. Positive Change Corps participate in schools transformation because we want to -- a volunteerism stemming from having an abundance mentality. We advocate for the application of strengths-based methodology to schools transformation and we participate in projects and other activities to acknowledge success, identify learning opportunities, and to train others. At any time, members may choose to play various roles in multiple projects.

Members agree to the following:
* to abide by the decisions made in the generation of Positive Change Corps activity
* to facilitate the flow of information and communication in such a way as to promote consistency in message
* to support exchange and sharing of information.

Membership Invitations
Invitation is open to anyone who has taken at least one Appreciative Inquiry workshop, seminar, or other introductory program and who has a commitment to the education of our children. The primary contact is Shelia McCann, mccann@beddowsmccann.com.

Any member of a school community who would like to work with the Positive Change Corps contacts Marjorie Schiller, margeschiller@yahoo.com.

School memberships begin with exploratory discussions and may be extended as projects and resource commitments develop.

Financial

Positive Change Corps is predicated on generosity. While it is the goal of each project to be self-funding, the level of commitment in people and resources of a client system are more critical to the continuous learning process than monetary resources. As a volunteer, a member does not require financial compensation to participate in a Positive Change Corps activity. In accepting an invitation to support a project, a member also pays any unfunded associated expenses for travel, lodging and meals.