Dist. 76 group ready for to take ideas to next level

They have met for long hours and discussed a variety of issues. Now, the hope is to turn that information into action in Diamond Lake Elementary District 76 and the entire Mundelein area.

The second part of what is known as the study circle initiative is set for Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at West Oak Middle School, 500 Acorn Lane, Mundelein. The public is invited, with the lure of making a difference in the district and the community.

"Now, we're going to form action teams and start working on ideas that came out of the (previous) discussions," said Cheryl Longfellow, a school board member who introduced the idea to the district.

Representatives from the Study Circles Resource Center will be on hand to mobilize participants into teams to deal with three broad issues: school, community and communications.

"We're at the midpoint. We've got great ideas. Now, how do we start getting them done?" Longfellow said.

Study Circles had its genesis in May 2006, when more than 100 parents, students and faculty met to give input on rumors of gang and drug activity at district schools.

Those rumors were dispelled but the concept of hashing out issues and solutions was expanded to include the communities the schools serve, including Mundelein, Vernon Hills and Long Grove. The broad topic was how diversity affects those communities and the schools.

Ideas from the first study circle group, attended by about 90 people last May, included establishing a community-wide resource center or creating and distributing a coordinated list of available social services.

Now that an awareness of the group has been established, determining how the goals can be accomplished is next.

"Change is going to come as a result of the second phase," Longfellow said.

Keeping participants motivated is part of the challenge, she added.

"It's like it's all talk unless you do something," she said.