When Catherine of Siena Virtual College joins hands with another educational institution in collaboratively offering online courses, we call this our 'Common Project'.

One example of such a 'Common Project' is the course we offer entitled Women Writing for (a) Change (see description below). We anticipate being involved in many more such common enterprises in the future.

1. WWf(a)C Goes Online with Catherine College

Since 1991 Women Writing for (a) Change (WWf[a]C) has supported the lives of women and girls for whom writing is, or might become, an important spiritual, creative and therapeutic practice. Women and girls, ages 8-93 have attended semester classes, weekend and week-long writing retreats, and Saturday theme classes in which they experience the inspiration and safety created by expert teacher-facilitators and a vibrant, hospitable environment for evoking what is theirs to tell.

Could the vision of WWf(a)C be translated to create this unique container for women’s words on the internet? Six months ago, no one knew. Yet, as Mary Pierce Brosmer, founder of WWf(a)C said, “Some have tried, but as yet no sustained effort has succeeded.” So Karen Waters and Phebe Beiser, trained and certified faculty of WWf(a)C, volunteered and linked up with Deb and Aaron Rose-Milavec of the experimental Catherine of Siena Virtual College in order to find out.

The process of adaptation was daunting. How does one combine candles, talking stones, and Buddhist singing bowls when no one sees anyone else . . . when, as Karen says, “we have only our words”? Yet, solutions slowly emerged. In the freshly painted rooms of Catherine College, we experimented, we analyzed, we refined. Then we recruited six women to test drive our writing circle online. Even with only four sessions, here is a sampler of what participants wrote in their Soul Messages ( on line version of “Soul Cards”):

Our class was so great--we have come so far, trusting one another with our words and trusting the process. I loved it! It was very meaningful; in fact, I will remember this month of sessions for decades to come.

I am reflecting and feeling empowered that there is a place for me and for my contributions in this world. . . . And to the other women in this class -- you are valuable and you matter, too. I treasure the sharing that you have done and look forward to upcoming sessions.

I loved this session. I loved being accountable and not being able to run away and hide -- knowing that I needed to put my best foot forward and write and post and share.

What’s truly revolutionary about our courses, however, is not just the content—it’s the way in which collaborative learning takes place within them. Right from the very start, women arrive in our virtual classrooms discover that they are never alone. Using simple rituals, each woman introduces herself and then immediately interacts with the others who have already introduced themselves. Right from the very beginning, therefore, the participants begin bonding with each other. Even though participants never meet each other face to face, they do, nonetheless, strongly engage each other in collaborative learning. One participant expressed this nicely: “ Although it is true that we can't see each others' smiles or tears, we can ‘see’ our words. The words woven with the processes make it all work.”

What to Expect from Online Writing Classes

1. Skill building and depth of expression
   Creative activities in specific genres (e.g. poetry, fiction, autobiography) encourage participants to build on existing skills and cultivate depth of expression in their writing.
2. Respectful and helpful feedback
   Teachers and peers provide feedback which is responsive to each writer's stage of development.
3. Dedicated teachers
   The staff consists of dedicated teachers skilled and experienced in creative writing and facilitation.
4. Encouragement and support
   Participants receive encouragement and support toward an ongoing writing practice.
5. A diverse and vibrant community
   Classes provide opportunities to participate in a diverse and vibrant community of women writers. Our writing circles embrace different nationalities and different cultures.

Since 1991 Women Writing for (a) Change has supported the lives of women and girls for whom writing is, or might become, an important spiritual, creative and therapeutic practice. Women and girls, ages 8-93 have attended semester classes, weekend and week-long writing retreats, and Saturday theme classes in which they experience the inspiration and safety created by expert teacher-facilitators, and a vibrant, hospitable container for evoking what is theirs to tell.

For six years, 1999-2005 Women Writing for (a) Change on the Radio published the words of women writers to a four-state audience with a radio show on NPR affiliate WVXU, 91.7 FM, as well as live web streaming of the program on the internet. The mission of the radio show was "to bring women to words, and the words of women to the world," and to manifest an alternative to divisive talk radio.

The Women Writing for (a) Change Foundation promotes the accessibility of Women Writing for (a) Change programs to a wider and more diverse audience through its outreach programs and by scholarships for women and girls to attend WWf(a)C classes.

The Leadership Academy of Cincinnati, Ohio (USA), licenses women to open Women Writing for (a) Change schools in other cities and states, and trains women to use WWf(a)C methods and practices in business, nonprofit, and educational settings. Writing for Change Consulting Group helps businesses and nonprofits craft more conscious and sustainable organizations through the use of writing, community-building and other practices of Women Writing for (a) Change model.

The Vision of all of these entities is the cultivation and integration of conscious feminine values , leadership and energy into an unbalanced, overly-masculinized world.

The uniqueness of Women Writing for (a) Change, is that attention is paid on a regular basis to what has come to be known as "Caring for the Container." Each class, every task group (e.g. radio production team, faculty, foundation board of trustees) pays regular and reverent attention to the quality of relationships, and of truth-telling, within that group. Because the work itself is about breaking the silences required of women for survival in culture as we have known it, we always write and speak about the gifts AND the challenges--about what is and what is not alive among us. Writing practice is a part of every gathering; the values of the school are evident across the board. Growth has been organic, coming from within the lives of the founder, faculty members, and the thousands of women who have written in WWf(a)C classes. We have created a sustainable model of learning, business, and community-building.

In late 2007, WWf(a)C entered into collaboration with Catherine of Siena Virtual College. Within the new rooms of cyberspace, the adventure and the quality of experience that stands behind our organization has been given an international and intercultural advantage.