Bray Women visible/invisible, a community education program

This is the second semester I have worked with a group of women in Ballywaltrim, Bray, Co. Wicklow funded by Wicklow VEC Community Education.
As part of the six week set of learning I wanted the group to take ownership of their own learning and facilitated them to set the parameters of what they wanted to learn. There were two reasons I used that approach. I wanted to build self reliance and I wanted these women to take responsibility for their own learning.
Session 1 and 2 were spent building trust, exploring ideas and discussing where the groups interests really lay. Local politics - historic Bray - retail space in the town - were the topics chosen in which to consider women in Bray visible/invisible.

A big thank you to local Town Councillor Tracy O'Brien for coming to speak to the group, everyone commented on how open and helpful she was. Then to top that she organised a field trip for the group to visit Bray Town Hall where the Chamber sits and to Bray/Wicklow County Council offices where we got to see first hand their incubation space for start up businesses.

The group on a field trip to Bray Town Council Chambers at the Town Hall.

Another big shout out to Stephanie Curran who manages the Bray Chamber of Commerce, she also came and gave generous time to the group explaining what the chamber does, answering questions & asking for direct feedback on ideas and plans.
Rosemary one of the women in the group was very interested in the historic women of Bray and did a great job piquing our interest with the research she did.

During the wrap up on the last day T. mentioned that
"Bray really opened up to us"
and acknowledged that before they were
"only up in our houses, now I have a voice because I understand more about how things work and what is going on".
So I consider that education cycle of six weeks a success.
The original course I did with them was Self in the Big Picture, and introduction to social science. The course itself is based on the Banúlacht Social Analysis Spiral - I can find no reference to it online and note that Banúlacht has closed since March 2012.
The women have learned how to relate to the spiral and know that they themselves have moved out along its path.