Peta McCallum
In the past year, we have witnessed unprecedented disruption.
Bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic and global protests against racial injustice all point to a pressing need for societal renewal.
How will we lead ourselves, our relationships and the systems we are a part of toward a just and sustainable future?
As we naturally pull together as communities, colleagues, friends and families to get through these disruptions we need to look at new ways to address and resolve the challenges.
To this end, U.Lab – a project based blended learning course – is all about learning how to listen, lead and take action in a rapidly changing world.
Transformation disruption
The experiential course gives people the skills to transform themselves and teams in times of disruption, with a collaborative and holistic approach.
Designed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), it combines self-paced online learning with both facilitated and independent group work so that participants can enhance their capacity for skilful leadership amidst highly disruptive conditions.
This is the fourth year SBP will be facilitating U.Lab for the Northern Rivers region to support local participants in this community learning experience.
Over the years, local U.Lab participants have sourced new change initiatives that support our Northern Rivers community and beyond. Sourcefield is one of those projects, an online network for women in business.
It is the brainchild of local social entrepreneur, Ama Kalma.
Ama identified a need for women in business in our region to gain easy access to resources – be they people, skills, finance and/or information.
She combined this need with the structures and tools taught in U.Lab to design an online network platform that connects women from around the world to help each other source solutions to their own challenges.
‘We are so fortunate in the Northern Rivers to have community groups and organisations that actively lead change.
‘Whether it be in environmental and sustainability circles, regenerative agriculture, health, or equity in leadership roles, there is a positive and effective energy around conscious business and thought’.
‘Participating in a program such as U.Lab can aid drivers of these movements to work within a framework to be clear and supportive leaders’, says Sourcefield co-founder and SBP U.Lab Hub coordinator, Natasha Murray.
Register by September 19 for the first hub, which starts on Monday September 21.
For more information and bookings (including COVID-19 relief pricing) visit sbp.org.au/ulab2020
♦ Peta McCallum is from Sourdough Business Pathways.
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