Slow Down, Back Up, Rewind
ByJunia Howell | May 26, 2026
3 minute read
I opened the virtual meeting room with a mix of emotions—excitement, sadness, relief, uncertainty.
It was my sixth (and final) time leading an incredibly eclectic, dynamic, and brilliant group of participants through eruka’s new learning circle curriculum. The participants were energized and activated. They asked potent questions, graciously engaged with each other, and were finishing the session ready to enact changes in their communities.
In many ways, the session exceeded my expectations. Yet participant feedback also made it clear that changes were needed before we expanded the program.
Room For Improvement
As the weeks progressed, I could see that alterations to the learning circle curriculum were needed, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from our last session. I had hoped this session would focus on action steps. Specifically, how these participants could start co-leading learning circles in their own cities.
As our last conversation started, participants unanimously shared that the six weeks had flown by and they were eager for more. They wanted to know more, do more, be more connected. But they didn’t yet feel equipped to lead these circles on their own.
We veered from my planned discussion and dove into what was and wasn’t working. Participants loved the course content, connecting with other like-minded people, and the new ideas about how to make change happen. But they felt out of their depth.
All The Feels
The curriculum didn’t cover anything fancy. It's all stuff we interact with daily—homes, money, loans. Yet, these topics are intentionally intimidating. As a result, our discussions brought up lots of feels—feelings of inadequacy, confusion, and shame.
It became clear that if eruka’s learning circles are going to be effective, we need to slow down, rewind, and lean into not just the knowledge but also those feels. We need to start with the basics, unpack what people have previously understood about their own finances, and build a more holistic foundation on which to scaffold a new approach to housing and finance.
All the pieces were there, we just needed to fit them together. I began imagining how we could take what I had put into one six-week course and break it out into four courses, targeting each course to a slightly different knowledge base and audience. We are excited about this direction and dreaming up of how we can develop it into a multimodal experience. But getting there is going to take some time.
Take A Listen
In the meantime, I have been soliciting feedback on the heart of the original curriculum: a series of six audio lessons, each about 30 minutes long. I’ve gotten some really helpful insights, and I’d like to hear more perspectives from our faithful enews readers.
This summer, as you are washing dishes, weeding garden beds, or driving cross-country, I invite you to give our series a listen. As you listen, if you want to share any thoughts about what you enjoyed, what you found confusing or unclear, or how to get more involved, reach out. We want to hear from you and incorporate your feedback into what we hope to create for the broader public.
