In The Latest Issue:
A special Community Conversations
Event took place at the new lifelong learning Community Learning Center (CLC)
in Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré on February 4th, 2014. The Department of Canadian Heritage, through
the Canada-Quebec Agreement for Minority Language Education and Second Language
Instruction and the Quebec Ministry of Education (MELS), funds this new CLC.
CLC’s were first started in
September of 2006 and have now grown to over 37 CLC’s province-wide. Their
mission is to offer access to community partners to develop services for
isolated English-speaking communities. Based upon the recognition that it “takes
a village to raise a child” the community learning centers are designed to
introduce a range of resources, services and activities to support the holistic
development of the regions’ students, their families and the wider community.
At Saintt-Faustin-Lac-Carré there is
a new partnership in place between the Municipal Regional Council (MRC), College
Vanier and the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board to promote community
connections and lifelong learning initiatives through a new CLC at
Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré. The aim of this
partnership is to work together to offer lifelong learning opportunities in the
Laurentians region where accessibility to services is a problematic issue due
to long travel distances and dispersion of our clientele.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board plans to use this one-of-a-kind facility to offer specific E-learning courses in Vocational Training and Adult Education. Vanier College has similar plans in terms of popular, on-demand education courses. Through the use of video-conferencing capabilities many unique educational, social and cultural activities will take place in this beautiful facility. The challenge is to decide where to begin. Hence, a Community Conversations activity took place to develop some strategic orientations and priorities.
Representatives of the English educational sector, Laurentians community organizations and other community members for health and social services organizations gathered together. The desired outcome was to determine how this new CLC in the Laurentians could work as a liaison to foster collaboration between our educational institutions and the community. Participants shared ideas on what should be done to strengthen the ties that bind us together and to understand how the CLC could contribute to enhanced community vitality and student success. This session allowed participants to offer important insights as well as discuss questions and develop common orientations for mobilization to increase visibility, value, governance and sustainability.
Discussions centered on how the community is currently connected and what critical areas could be focused upon to increase connectivity and collaboration and provide the greatest impact in the Laurentians community. Breaking down the walls of isolation in the English community, providing a physical and social place for the community to meet, and increasing access to initiatives closer to Laval and Montreal were key areas explored in the conversations that took place in this exceptional event that had record-breaking attendance.
So what are the next steps for the new CLC Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré? To deliver on the goal to breathe new life into the region, to support creative endeavors and to foster community connections that are sustainable for the success of all.
Heather Halman | Author
Heather Halman, B Comm., BA, MA, C.E.L., Vimont Competency Development Centre Director (SWLSB)
FOLLOW HEATHER HALMAN ON: LinkedIn READ MORE BY HEATHER HALMAN
Tweet
Share