Rosine School
September & October 2021
During Fall 2021, Rosine 2.0 Collective members gathered for Rosine School. The curriculum focused on developing harm reduction literacy and building an understanding of the systemic issues within Philadelphia, both through historical and contemporary contexts, that intersect with the project. The group also took time to deeply connect with the Townsend Papers in preparation to co-develop their initial investigation project proposals.
Weekend One
Saturday, September 11th & Sunday, September 12th, 2021
Day One Curriculum
Community Agreements & Safety
Facilitated by BetweenSpace. We started the day by discussing safety and determining community agreements for Rosine School as well as talking through how the group can give and receive feedback to the project management team.
Harm Reduction Roundtable Discussion: Exploring Intersections
Hosted by Molly Pearson with speakers Clayton Ruley, Penelope Saunders and Monica Jones. During this roundtable we explored harm reduction at the intersections of Sex Work, Drug Use, Public Health, Housing, Decriminalization, and QTBIPOC communities.
Harm Reduction Training
Facilitated by Project Safe and Philly Red Umbrella Alliance. This training provided an overview of the landscape of Project SAFE's harm reduction and sex work advocacy in Philadelphia as well as covered harm reduction core principles and histories.
Workgroup Introduction & Session
This was the first session where the three workgroups gathered together to process and share their own relationship to harm reduction.
Day Two Curriculum
Philadelphia-Centered Analysis
Moderated by Dr. Nina A. Johnson with speakers Dr. Sharrelle Barber, Nijmie Dzurinko and Seneca Joyner. This session featured four brief presentations from each speaker followed by breakout groups for collective members to discuss with speaker pairs the systems, policies, and movements that shape neighborhoods, Philadelphia, the city, and beyond. What structures and policies need to be named to locate the harm? What are the ways communities are coming together?
Diving Into Mira's Papers
Led by presenters Jordan Landes, Carolyn Levy, and Celia Caust-Ellenbogen. This session addressed the question, “What was the context in which the Rosine Association arose?” The speakers reviewed the history of Quakerism, sex work in 19th century Philadelphia, and Rosine founder Mira Sharpless Townsend, as well as how to access the archives that reveal those histories.
Workgroup Session: Sunday Tea
Workgroups came together at the end of the weekend to deepen their analysis and determine next steps before coming together again for Weekend Two.
Weekend Two
Saturday, October 23rd & Sunday, October 24th, 2021
Weekend Two was the first time that the Collective met in person. Collective members gathered at Lutheran Settlement House and set up a brainstorming and ideation space for the weekend, which focused on giving the workgroups space to design and take ownership of their work. Each workgroup went on site visits in Philadelphia and used their time to get to know each other’s practices and dig into their initial investigation project proposals.
Weekend Curriculum
Workgroup Time: Site Visits
Site visit locations were determined by each workgroup. Both Workgroup #1 and Workgroup #3 spent their time in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Casebook Readings
The Collective broke into small groups to read and discuss select casebook entries, and then we came back together as a large group to share our learnings with each other.
Workgroup Time: Initial Investigation
Time for each workgroup to reflect on their site visits and experience of being together in Philadelphia. Synthesis & Ideation for initial investigation proposal development began.
Workgroup Share & Feedback / Open Studio
Peer-to-peer exchange with the goal of sharing what was coalescing in each workgroup. This was an opportunity to look at each other’s work, ask questions and provide feedback.