eCA and Community Learning Network formalize partnership to support community access
eCampusAlberta and the Community Learning Network (CLN) are working together to support community access facilitators. The two organizations formed a partnership in November 2011 that will see them work towards creating a shared repository of resources that will assist Community Access Point Coordinators and Community Adult Learning Councils in their work that supports rural learners.
Since the introduction of the Roles and Mandates Policy Framework in 2007, eCampusAlberta has been working to support the 11 member institutions that are Comprehensive Community Institutions (CCIs) with a regional stewardship mandate. Now that eCampusAlberta has integrated the Community Access Point sites and a mandate to support community access to learning in northern communities, the timing is right to align with the Community Learning Network on system solutions to increase access to learning province-wide.
“It’s a natural fit for our two organizations to work together to develop these resources and share them across the province with all organizations engaged in supporting rural learners in their home communities,” says eCampusAlberta Executive Director, Tricia Donovan.
“We look forward to working with the Community Learning Network and to sharing our outcomes with all of our members in the next couple of months,” Donovan says.
CLN’s partnership with eCampusAlberta will enable both organizations to better serve rural learners, says Community Learning Network Executive Director, Enayat Aminzadah.
“This is a very important and timely partnership. It has paved the path to strengthening community-based learning by creating stronger supports to Community Adult Learning Councils and Community Access Points so they may better meet the needs of adult learners in their communities,” Aminzadah says.
The agreement with CLN, completed in November, will see eCampusAlberta and CLN working closely to leverage resources and capacity to support those who facilitate access to the Campus Alberta learning system.
This work will be designed to align with the Final Report of the Community Adult Learning Task Team (January 2010), the vision of Vibrant Learning Communities and the ongoing work of the CCIs and regional stewardship group.
A key outcome of the partnership will be the release of a Community Access Toolkit – an online resource designed to provide information and materials to support Community Access Facilitators.
Watch for future updates and stories about this partnership and its outcomes in future editions of eZine.
About the Community Learning Network (CLN)
The Community Learning Network (CLN) is a provincial, not-for-profit organization that provides leadership, resources and connections to Alberta's 80 Community Adult Learning Councils (CALCs), their staff and boards of directors. The CLN works with Alberta Advanced Education and Technology to enable these councils to address the adult learning needs in the communities they serve.
Services the CLN provides to its membership include the annual Literacy & Learning professional development symposium, regional training opportunities and Connections, a monthly newsletter.
About Comprehensive Community Institutions
(from aet.alberta.ca)
Alberta has 11 Comprehensive Community Institutions, each with an assigned geographic service region:
Each Comprehensive Community Institution is responsible for stewardship of adult learning opportunities within their defined region of Alberta.
These institutions provide a broad range of programs that prepare learners for employment or for further study:
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