Mar 3, 2026
Our community grows when shared questions turn into small groups doing real work together between Salons
The Global Saturday Salons were created to explore key strands of educational transformation across contexts. We are learning from experiences in Bangalore (India), Córdoba (Argentina), Ubud (Indonesia), South Dakota (USA), and more. But what happens after we participate in an inspiring Saturday morning conversation between innovative educators, students, and community leaders? How do we grow democratic and regenerative learning ecosystems around the world?
"Our purpose is to build an ongoing international network of people committed to democratic, ethical, community-rooted, and nature-connected education", described Juan Mora y Araujo, a partner from Center for Artistry and Scholarship. "By convening and connecting global educators and learners, we strengthen the conditions for regenerative and democratic schools and community learning environments."
In Between Salons: The Working Circles
Emmanuel Ponchon, a partner from Thinking With You, designed a cycle to ensure that the Salons aren't simply a series of events, but a living ecosystem — a community that grows, feeds itself, and stays alive through practice. "When a strong question lingers — for example, How do we bring nature-based practices into classrooms where nature feels absent? or How do we work with standards instead of always pushing against them? — we form a small Working Circle of 4–6 people. They meet just twice, focus on that one question, and create something practical, like a few classroom practices or a simple playbook. At the same time, everyone tries one small shared experiment in their own context", explained Ponchon.
The Working Circles are like roots doing focused work underground. The mid-cycle call allows ideas to cross-pollinate. And the next Salon becomes the harvest, where lived experiments and real stories are shared.
HOW IT WORKS
This community grows when shared questions turn into small groups doing real work together between Salons.
What this approach is designed to do:
Keep the community alive between Salons
Turn resonance (“that question stayed with me”) into action
Produce concrete outputs that feed and enrich the next Salon
Think of this as learning by doing, together, in small, time-bounded circles.
1. Create short-cycle Working Circles (not “meetings”)
A Working Circle is a temporary, focused group formed around one powerful question that emerged during or after a salon.
What makes a Working Circle different
Small: 4–6 people
Short: 2 sessions of 60 minutes over 4–6 weeks
Focused: one clear question
Practical: one tangible output
Open: people opt in; commitment is light but intentional
No long-term obligation. No hierarchy. No perfection.
Example of Working Circles
Circle A - Nature in Urban Classrooms
Trigger: Ranson + David
Core question: How do educators introduce nature-based practices when “nature” feels absent or inaccessible?
Who joins? Urban teachers, youth workers, designers, educators in dense cities
What this circle produces:
5–7 concrete, city-proof classroom practices
Short stories from different contexts (NYC, Bangalore, etc.) (1 page max, real experience, no theory)
Circle B - Working With the System (Standards & Buy-in)
Trigger: Kathleen
Core question: How do we work with standards, principles, and systems instead of constantly pushing against them?
Who joins? Teachers, school leaders, policy-aware educators
What this circle produces
A simple “Both / And” playbook (practical, not academic)
3 clear language frames for conversations with principals and systems
Circle C - Storytelling, Folklore & Healing
Trigger: Marta
Core question: How can storytelling and folklore respond to children’s mental health needs?
Who joins:? Early childhood and elementary educators
What this circle produces
3 ready-to-use storytelling rituals
One shared narrative explaining why this matters now
Circle D - Sound, Senses & Attention
Trigger: Charlotte + Marta
Core question: How do we teach attentiveness and sensory awareness as a core educational practice?
Who joins? Educators, parents, artists
What this circle produces
2–3 sensory practices focused on sound
One simple explainer: why sound ≠ music
2. Run one shared practice experiment (low effort, high signal)
Alongside the circles, everyone is invited to try one small, shared practice in their own context.
Examples
Charles’ 12×12 patch
A 5-minute sound walk
A daily noticing ritual
Why this matters
Creates shared language across the whole community
Generates lived experience, not opinions
Easy to try; easy to share
What people contribute
1 photo, audio clip, or short paragraph
Collected in a shared folder or document
No analysis required. Just experience.
3. Host a 75-minute Mid-Cycle Community Call (not a salon)
This is not a presentation space. It’s for connection and cross-pollination.
Purpose
Let insights travel between circles
Surface what wants to grow next
Simple flow
10’ grounding and arrival
4 × 10’ lightning shares (one per circle)
20’ breakout: “What do I want to explore or build next?”
15’ harvesting: naming themes, collaborations, next steps
What this creates
New connections
Clear signals of emerging work
Momentum without pressure
4. Feed everything into the next Salon
The next salon is no longer just exploratory.
It becomes:
A showcase of lived experiments
Stories from real practice
An open invitation to join ongoing circles
This is the shift (yes!):
From “interesting conversations”
To “a living community doing real work”
Watch-outs (important)
Don’t over-design: keep circles light and humane
Don’t default to experts: mix teachers, youth (the more the better), parents
Don’t wait for the next salon: momentum dies there
Avoid isolated trees… we are all part of the same ecosystem.
"If the work only lives in Salons, the community would stay theoretical… This structure makes learning visible, shared, and ALIVE", concludes Ponchon.
Explore our active Working Circles and/or join our WhatsApp group and suggest a new one.