Lifelong LearningCommunity

InvolvementEfficient Use of

ResourcesSelf-DeterminationSelf-Help

NCEA Principles of Community Education

Leadership Development

Institutional Responsiveness

Integrated Delivery of Services

Decentralization

Community Education

advocates and supports the

creation of innovative

programs and collaboration

between all members of

communities for the purposes

of advancing community

learning and sustainability.

The strength of

community education is

also its weakness.

Community education’s

strength is that it deals

with many different and

varied components of

education within the

community. It’s weakness

is that this makes it very

hard to describe what we

do.

Tony Townsend

The aim of 'Community Education' is to equip communities with the skills they need to undertake the activities they wish to undertake; it is essentially about educating communities or groups, not just individuals.

England

Defining Community Education

Adult and Community Education (ACE) is a response to the lifelong learning needs of the community. Key features are:

it is learner-centered. it is for everyone. it covers a wide variety of learning. it responds to the community.

Australia

Defining Community Education

A process whereby learning is used for both individual and community betterment. It is characterized by:

Involvement of people of all ages. The use of community learning, resources

and research to bring about community change.

The recognition that people can learn through, with and for each other to create a better world.

CanadaCanada

Defining Community Education

The field of Community Education is about providing the knowledge and

skills for people to not only be self-sufficient and independent, but to

create and utilize the interdependencies that must also exist in civil

society. It is about creating a participatory learning culture that

incorporates principles and practices of respect, mutual aid,

inclusiveness, lifelong learning, skill building, self appreciation,

entrepreneurship, and leadership development – the puzzle pieces that

make up community life and learning.

Who are Community Educators?

We are the learning strands of communities.

We are the youth workers and the youth leaders.

We are the preschool and out-of-school time instructors and supporters who work with children and their care-givers.

\We are the adult education counselors, teachers and volunteers

in continuing education programs,

in workforce development programs,

in workplaces,

in colleges,

in prisons,

in museums,

in immigrant serving agencies

in family resource centers,

in senior centers,

and in other community-based agencies.

We are those who inform the public about the risks to the environment and its beauties, and what we need to do to sustain healthy lifestyles.

We are muralists and local media producers that educate and engage people about local issues.

We are change agents adept at working with community members to identify needs and resources, and then to meet those needs through educational services.

We facilitate cooperation and collaboration among those involved in the participation and delivery of multiple resources.

We provide training in leadership and curriculum development that tie formal to informal learning.

We offer help in strategic planning, communication development, public relations, and program evaluation, among other transformational activities.

We are so many people addressing the multiple

needs of individuals, families, organizations, and

communities - providing an array of

academic, recreation, health, social

services, using the common thread of learning, to

prepare people of all ages for active and healthy

community life.

Recommendations

Build the linkages

between the myriad

incarnations of

Community Education

and ensure that the

mission is about

sustaining

communities through

education and learning.

Build partnerships with all

institutions, (education,

government, businesses,

service organizations,

neighborhoods, families,

philanthropy and civic

associations), locally,

regionally, nationally, and

internationally, and guide

where we are welcome the

process of creating

collaboration.

Reach out to and engage groups not currently being

supported by formal education institutions or who

would benefit from training. Learn from other

informal and indigenous learning systems so that

we are informed about the traditions and knowledge

that shape people’s lives and values.

Tap into the knowledge and expertise of community

educators throughout the world. Set up structures to

share this knowledge with one another so that we

benefit collectively what we each individually have

experienced.

Constantly review,

evaluate and adapt to

the political, economic,

societal, technological,

environmental, and

demographic shifts

occurring in our

communities,

nationally and

internationally.

Community Education is a vibrant and ever changing field,

unique and interdependent, adapting to the needs of

communities by responding with programs and/or processes specific

to the local area.