Governance

SoL is a network of member-governed non-profit learning communities organized around a shared purpose and a set of common guiding principles.

The founding SoL community was initially chartered in 1997 and is governed by a member-elected Council of Trustees.

Policies and guidelines for establishing other SoL communities and activities are designed to allow innovation and creativity through self-organizing while fostering connection and collaboration across the network.

SoL's Design - Circles of Conversation, Ripples of Action

SoL, Inc. is a not-for-profit, member-governed corporation designed to encourage self-organizing and innovation. Local SoL communities are registered separately as non-profit organizations according to local requirements.

SoL is designed to be a decentralized global network organized around a common purpose and set of shared principles, and shared interests and concerns at the local, national, and multi-national level. Everyone participating in a SoL activity is assumed to be part of the SoL community; individuals and organizations can join SoL through a geographic (e.g. Brazil, France, Thailand) or interest-based (Sustainability, Knowledge and Innovation, the Youth Education-Network) community or consortium.

An enabling organization, the staff of SoL, consisting of local coordinators, and central support staff based in Cambridge, Massachsetts, provide a range of community building, capacity-building, communication, and "weaving" or coordinating services aimed at integrating the diverse members of the community.

SoL is designed to be financially self-reliant, taking in funds through membership fees, meetings, educational offerings, special projects, services, products, publications, and research contributions, as well as allocating funds to innovative research ideas in line with the overall research agenda. The intent is to link the researcher, practitioner, and consultant communities to realize full potential and develop funding support as new ideas mature.

SoL's Purpose and Principles

Constitution and By-Laws for the founding SoL Community

Current policies for forming local communities and using the SoL name.

SoL's Financial Principles

Current committees, teams and task forces supporting the founding SoL community