Alright, let's wrap this series up on walking the talk in your dojo...
Over the course of the last few weeks, we've discussed three strategies that allow you to "give back" to your local community.
- Character education programs
- Scholarship programs
- Service-based community education
Character education programs = your mat chats. There's no right or wrong way to teach these. However, it helps to have a methodology in place so you're consistent in what you teach. (And if you need help setting up such a program, check out
this book.)
Scholarship programs are simply a way to allow those who are facing financial hardship to attend your classes. If you plan to have a scholarship program in your school, be sure to set up some basic ground rules to ensure people won't take advantage of your generosity.
Service-based community education programs are nothing more than free classes you teach in your local community. These free presentations are a way to serve your local community, and they're a great PR tool as well. Just make sure you understand your topic well, and that you are comfortable with public speaking before you start booking local speaking engagements.
Well, that wraps up this series. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope the information I've provided over the last several weeks is of benefit to your dojo and your local community.
For the remainder of this week and next week (a holiday week here in the U.S.), I'll be writing on some random topics. After that, I'll likely choose another topic and start a new email series. Stay tuned!
