Note: class info below.
Good morning! I just want to share a little appreciation for the FreeSkool SC collective folks. Here was my experience:
1) I was gently encouraged to offer a class (repeatedly). This kept it in my mind.
2) Folks were open to discussion on developing the class.
3) Someone said they would help pull it together (but I didn’t follow through and that’s on me)
4) Someone reminded me to promote the class and then shared my class on social media.
5) Someone sent me pre class information that it was gaining some interest. This motivated me to spend some extra time preparing.
6) Several FreeSkool teachers attended (amongst the 15+adults and a few kiddos) the workshop. This had an unexpected impact on me. I felt an increased internal responsibility to ensure I represented FreeSkool and the Hub responsibly, rather than just being there as an individual. I became more aware that I was leveraging the trust, network, and support of FreeSkool in this moment.
7) The confidence of FreeSkool teachers in the space helped model participation for those less familiar.
8) On my journey home, I reflected on how fortunate I am that this collective made a platform so strong that a person can simply plug in and make a thing happen. I felt like icing on the big multilayered cake that this collective has built.
9) In our mutual aid work, I often notice that we do not value the skills and abilities we bring to the effort, largely because we are giving it away. I just want to acknowledge the care and planning and skill and experience that went into making the experience so seamless for me. Ya’ll got skillz!
Thank you for creating such a lovely opportunity for all of us to express community care and support in this way. 🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️
Class referred to above – Building a Practice of Community Care & Support – Saturday July 19th / 12 – 2 p.m. with Dave Brown (dave831brown@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Curious about mutual aid but not sure where to start? Join us for an interactive beginner-friendly workshop where we’ll explore what mutual aid means, how it differs from charity, why it matters, and how to put it into practice in our own lives and communities. We’ll dive into core principles, map our support networks, reflect on alienation and burnout challenges, and share real tools and resources to begin doing mutual aid, not just talking about it. This isn’t a lecture, it’s a guided space for thinking together, building connections, and starting the work of care, collaboration, and collective support. Let’s bring our questions, experiences, and intent to show up for each other.
Materials: No prep necessary. A link to a short zine will be made available. Pint copies will be shared at the class. Extra copies will be contributed to the zine rack at SubRosa. https://libcom.org/tags/josie-sparrow
Accessibility: We will meet outdoors in the courtyard. Masks are available, but not required.
Free Skool Santa Cruz provides an opportunity to learn from each other and share what we know, to foster communities based on mutual support and autonomy (do-it-yourself-together!). More information at https://freeskoolsantacruz.org/
Please email questions to: freeskoolsantacruz@gmail.com
Share or follow on social media! https://instagram.com/freeskoolsantacruz and https://m.facebook.com/freeskoolsantacruz/
***Members of the SubRosa collective are involved in this revived and not entirely new, not all too different version of Free Skool Santa Cruz – a project in mutual aid learning and sharing. And SubRosa/the Hub is a site of a significant amount of classes (although not all!). More info about SubRosa at http://www.subrosaproject.org/ and the Hub at http://www.santacruzhub.org/
Free Skool Santa Cruz 