Transcript Community Development Service Learning: Connecting Individual and Community Learning to a Greater Social Movement Waves of Change Building People Centred Economies May 22nd, 2008

Community Development Service Learning:
Connecting Individual and Community Learning to a
Greater Social Movement
Waves of Change
Building People Centred Economies
May 22nd, 2008
This workshop will:
• Invite you into the dialogue on connecting
individual and community learning to social change.
• Introduce the Community Development Service
Learning Initiative
• Share the story of CDSL in one Northern British
Columbia community
•What type of social change are you working
towards in your community?
•What are your assumptions about how
learning contributes to social change?
Principles of CED
• Grassroots
• Community-led
(conceived &
directed locally)
• Holistic approach
• Long-term
Learning for Social Outcomes
What kind of learning fosters citizenship?
• Learn about ourselves
(passions, skills, assets,
etc.)
• Learn about each other
through relationships
• Learn about the systems
in the community.
The Community Development
Service Learning Initiative
Learning and CED:
• This project builds on existing work happening in
CED to:
– Engage youth;
– Develop leadership and build capacity for youth
involvement in CED initiatives ;
– Mobilize new knowledge that informs policy &
practice;
– Build partnerships between practitioners,
communities and educational institutions .
What is the CDSL Initiative?
A national initiative to strengthen service
learning opportunities in CED organizations for
students, build youth engagement in CED,
and facilitate effective experiential learning
partnerships between community
organizations, educational institutions and
youth.
Service Learning?
“Community Service-Learning (CSL) is an
educational approach that integrates service in the
community with intentional learning activities.
Within effective CSL efforts, members of both
educational institutions and community
organizations work together toward outcomes that
are mutually beneficial”
Canadian Association for Community
Service Learning
Community Development
Service Learning?
• A form of experiential education
• People in their neighbourhood or community decide
what the learning outcomes and the service need to be.
• The learning involves fostering understanding,
knowledge and skills outside of the curricula of formal
institutions.
• Practitioners consciously create learning opportunities for
people to engage with each other to bring about change
that enhances local life
Example of CDSL in the Upper Skeena
1. ENGAGEMENT: Individuals
and groups who are
normally disengaged…
Example of CDSL in the Upper Skeena
2. APPLY SKILLS: Individuals
apply knowledge and skills
for collective learning and
community action
Living & Learning in Community
Liaison: connect people, learning &
service
Human capital: the skills &
capacities of each member of society
Social capital: collective action
to increase community social
and economic assets
Using learning for transformative change:
 Conversation
 Informed Action
 Reflection
Objectives of the CDSL Initiative
Objective #1: Build capacity of
CED organizations to benefit
from community development
service learning & contribute to
the development of curriculum
and programs in formal/nonformal learning organizations
that meet community needs.
Objectives of the CDSL Initiative
Objective #2: Build opportunities
for students to engage in
effective community
development service learning,
and network with youth
leadership and the CED
movement to contribute to
social and economic change in
Canada.
Objectives of the CDSL Initiative
Objective #3: Build
opportunities for formal/nonformal learning organizations
to partner with CED
organizations to expand
community development
service learning opportunities
that contribute to community
needs and assets.
Objectives of the CDSL Initiative
Objective #4: Enhance the
effectiveness of community
development service learning
in building community assets
and contributing to youth
engagement in CED, inclusive
of rural, urban, northern,
Aboriginal and disadvantaged
communities.
• How does the university contribute to the development
of active and engaged citizens?
• How does the Individual learning that happens in an
institution connect back to the learning that will benefit
community?
Next steps for CDSL Initiative
• Tools and Resources
•
•
•
•
Discussion Paper
How-To Guide
Critical Reflections Paper
Digital Stories
• Peer Learning with Community Partners
to test Tools.
• Kerri Klein [[email protected]]
• Anne Docherty [[email protected]]
• http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca