CONTENTS

Vision

Model

Outcomes

Strategic Approach

Learning Community Project Vision

Residents in the Upper Skeena have significant economic, political, social and educational challenges to face as we move into the 21st century. However, we have also invested a great deal of time and effort developing ways to tackle these challenges. We are ready to take action.

The community economic development approach advocated by the people of the Upper Skeena places the residents at the centre of the process. Economic development will go hand-in-hand with the development of active and informed citizens. By investing in people and building human capacity we will be able to create the changes we envision for the future. By talking about our future plans, reconciling differences between groups, cultures and communities, and taking collaborative action we will create healthy, sustainable communities in the Upper Skeena.

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Learning Community Project Model

The model that we will use to support this approach to development is by creating a learning community in the Upper Skeena. A learning community is one in which people build partnerships to promote learning in every aspect of their community that leads to greater individual, community and economic development.

The structure and processes that drive a learning community are :

Partnerships
This involves learning how to build connections between all sectors of the community. Within the Upper Skeena this includes learning how to build connections between communities and between Gitxsan and non-Gitxsan people.

Participation
This involves learning how to involve the public in the policy process. It means involving residents of the Upper Skeena in learning and contributing towards changes in their community.

Performance
This means how the Upper Skeena measures progress against their own targets, against the progress others are making, learning how to learn, and learning to think of new ways of learning.

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Learning Community Project Outcomes

Working from these principles and within these structures and processes, the four major outcomes of the Upper Skeena Learning Community Partnerships are to:

• Build partnerships between educational, private, public, voluntary and civic sectors of the community to support formal, non-formal and informal learning.
• Create opportunities to engage in community learning and contribute to the development of healthy, sustainable community.
• Recognize and support non-formal and informal learning opportunities in work, family and community life.
• Use learning technologies to promote collaborative lifelong learning and community economic development.

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Learning Community Project Strategic Approach

The key strategy involved in the creation of the learning community model is to use learning as a way to mobilize and engage people as citizens, workers and community members in crating a healthy, sustainable community. Specifically within the project we are looking at the ways learning can be used to mobilize and engage youth, to foster collaborative practices within and between community groups and to use technology to foster lifelong learning.

Promoting Experiential Education

Our storefront informal education centre supports young people to gain the skills, knowledge and attitudes to be active citizens. It values learning as a tool for life. The students needs and interests drive the learning process. As relationships develop young people are challenged to determine their interests and link these interests with community projects.

Working in partnership with local educational institutions and community organizations it provides the following experienctial education services:

• Ropes Courses
• Personal Advising
• Outdoor Education
• Service Learning

Recognizing Experiential Learning

We value the experiential learning that community members have gained from family, work and community life.

We work with schools, colleges and universities to help people gain credits for the learning they do outside the classroom.

We work with individuals to document and validate the learning gained from experience.

Supporting Community-Based Learning

We support community-based learning by helping businesses, voluntary and public service agencies create orientation and in-service training programs.

We support community-based projects that promote the learning of parents, young people, adults and elders.

Contributing to Community Economic Development

We support efforts towards social and economic action by distributing information about socio-economic opportunities in the Upper Skeena

We help make connections between individuals and groups in the Upper Skeena to build networks that foster joint action and collaboration.

Expanding Uses of Information Technology

Through our interactive web site upperskeena.ca we are using technology to promote the exchange of information and ideas for community economic and social development.

• The Upper Skeena Community Calendar of Events provides a description of events and activities occurring throughout the Upper Skeena.
• The Community Resource Bank highlights the resources and services of the Upper Skeena.
• Through threaded discussions, on-line conferences and other forms of interactive communication we are using technology to build community networks.

The Upper Skeena Learning Community Partnerships Project has been made possible by funding from the Office of Learning Technologies Community Learning Networks Initiative