Community Learning Centre Initiative

Coalition of Community Schools May 2nd, 2008 Paule Langevin Project Manager

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Definition

Community Learning Centres are partnerships that provide a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day, to help meet the needs of learners, their families, and the wider community.

Their aim is to support the holistic development of citizens and revitalization of English communities.

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Goal

To support and monitor the development of a diversified group of Community Learning Centres which would become hubs for education and community development in the English-speaking community and serve as models for future practice.

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Language demographics of Quebec

      The official language of Quebec is French . Quebec is the only Canadian province whose population is mainly francophone language.

and they make up 79% (5,877,660) of the population according to the 2006 Census.However, 95 % of the people speak French as either their first, second or even third English is not an official language at the provincial level. According to the 2006 Canadian census, however, 575,560 (7.7% of population) in Quebec declare English as their mother tongue , 744,430 (10.0%) use mostly English as their home language , Therefore 918,955 (12.9% according to the 2001 Census) comprise the Official Language Minority, having English as their First Official language spoken .

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Language demographics of Quebec

  The English-speaking community or Anglophones are entitled to services in English in the areas of justice, health, and education; services in English are offered in municipalities in which more than half the residents have English as their mother tongue.

Allophones , whose mother tongue is neither French nor English, make up 11.9% (886,280) of the population .

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Language demographics of Quebec

 There is a considerable number of people that consider themselves to be bilingual (having a knowledge of French and English). In Quebec, about 40.6% (3,017,860) of the population are bilingual, and for the Island of Montreal, this proportion grows to 60% (1,020,760) of the island population.

 Compared to the rest of Canada, 17,9% are considered bilingual 6

The

Charter of the French Language

 The

Charter of the French Language

known as

Bill 101

and

Loi 101

(also ) is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority of the population, as the only official language of Quebec and framing fundamental language rights of all Quebecers. It is the central legislative piece in Quebec's language policy . 7

The

Charter of the French Language

  One of the Charter's objectives is to increase the knowledge of French among the immigrant population so that it integrates to the mainstream society of Quebec. To do so, a disposition stipulates that children attending public schools must do so in French until the post-secondary level. An exception allows for children to attend the English-language public schools if either one of the parents received his/her education in English in Canada. With this exception to the rule, the constitutional rights of the English-speaking minority of Quebec are protected. 8

English Language Minority

 Represent 34% of the total population of the province of Quebec(4 million)  Out of 34%, at least 75 % are living in the greater Montreal area and represent 45% of the total population (1.9 million)  The remaining 25% are scattered through the province  Gaspé Region 12% for a total population of 90 000  Lower North shore 90% but for a total population of 5 000 9

CLC Objectives

 To deliver educational and support services in a seamless and integrated fashion  To have various agencies pool resources and share the responsibility of service delivery  To nurture symbiotic relationships between schools/centres and their communities  To rejuvenate the role and importance of the school and its services to communities 10

Common Features of CLCs

 Extended Hours: A CLC is open to students, families, and the community before, during and after school, seven days a week, all year long.

 Based on a partnership between the school and one or more community agencies.

 Managed by an on-site coordinator.

 Often the last institution in their community 12

Common Features of CLCs

 The school is oriented towards the community through service learning and community service.

 Services include help for children and families with employment, child rearing, recreation, housing, immigration, medical, dental and mental health issues.

 Life long learning 13

Common Features of CLCs

 Families, youth, principals, teachers, and neighbourhood residents help design and implement activities.

 Activities focus on school development as well as community development.

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Scope of Services

          educational & complementary services integrated child-care and/or pre-school assessment and referral services complementary health & social services parenting and family education and support multi and intergenerational learning activities community development & support preparation for career & employability corporate training and development networking and IT support & leasing

Note: these categories are listed as examples only

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Conditions…

 CLC funding is school/centre-based  Funding covers development costs only  Funding is not for service delivery  Funding is matched in cash or in kind  Adaptable to socio-economic conditions  SB supports extended opening hours  SB decentralizes MELS measures  Health services, homework program, sports activities, nutrition 19

Year 1 - Development

       Selection of CLC; First instalment of grant = $40 000  $36 000 for school coordinator  $ 4 000 for substitution fee for teacher(s) and representation fees Video Collaboration Network installation = $30 000  Renting is a revenue for the CLC sustainability plan Needs Assessment and data analysis Year One report of activities Action plan, Signed entente with community partners 20

Year 2 – Implementation

 Balance of grant = $100 000   contingent on signed entente(s), needs assessment data analysis and report 

Collaborative community

Action Plan  Protocol for

service

partnerships  Offer and promotion of services  Preliminary evaluation and assessment 21

Year 3 – Consolidation

 Optional reorientation  Completion of theory of change  Strategic plan for sustainability  Long-term agreements  CLC Partnership Network  Project evaluation and reports 22

The guiding principles of the CLC Framework for Action:

 to be

comprehensive

and

practical

;  to

dovetail

with existing educational policies and programs;  to recognize the fundamental importance of

reciprocity

; and  to be

advisory

,

not prescriptive

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Five Major Action Steps:

 1.Explore

 2.Initiate

 3.Plan

 4.Implement

 5.Evaluate (After 5 is completed you might return to Step 3 if you discover that changes are needed in the action plan) 24

English Minority language Initiative Province of Quebec

Provincial Implementation Committee

•Advisory Table •PRT

Heritage Canada

$ Federal P R A C T I C E

Ministry of Education

Provincial West-Ed Evaluation

22 CLC

•Rural •Semi-Urban •Urban

Partneships

•Community •Health •University

Networks

•Principals •Coordinators •School Board Reps •Teachers •CBL/VCN

Resource Committee

•Adult Learners •Litteracy •Red Cross •Youth Employemant •Community development Theory of Change 25 P O L I C Y

Our Vision

 A CLC as a

hub of community services

“places the CLC at the centre of a network of services, such after-school care, health and social services, family support, and community development. The aim is to diminish or even eliminate barriers between the school and the community.”

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