Community education is defined as a process whereby learning is used for individual and community betterment. It is characterized by the involvement of people of all ages; the use of community learning, resources, and research to bring about community change; and the recognition that people can learn through, with, and for each other to create a better world.
The principles of community education include self-determination, localization, self-help, integrated service delivery, maximum use of resources, inclusiveness, institutional responsiveness, lifelong learning and leadership development.
Guided by community education principles, the mission of the Community Education (CEN) is to create a learning culture through a lifelong learning process which promotes personal enrichment and healthy, sustainable communities.
The overall objective of the CEN is to find and use methods which will bring into concert all of the learning forces and factors in the community (Southwestern Newfoundland). The ultimate goal is to engage and educate all citizens so that they will be able to learn what they must know in order to solve their problems and better serve their communities.
TECHNICAL, FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES
The CEN is a non-profit organization which depends primarily on in-kind partnership support and project funding to implement programs and facilitate processes. The partnership has been very successful in garnering support in this manner for some seven years. Needless to say, funding for the CEN is complex, not only because of the number of different funders and projects, but also because the funding can be administered by different partners. In addition, the CEN receives additional indirect financial support by way of space provided for offices, meeting space and parent and family resource centres, telephone and fax and photocopying services. Donations in kind are also received from local businesses and other community agencies. As with funding, the human resource complement of the CEN is dependent on project activity. Two core staff work with a range of other project staff which could amount to 50 people at any given time.
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES
1. Family Resource Centres in primary schools offer drop-in play activities; loan books and toys, and offer parenting programs.
2. Schools provide year-long kindergarten programs with parental involvement.
3. CEN has developed a four day training program - Parents as Teaching Partners.
4. Schools attempt to establish bonds between students and senior citizens through inter-generational sharing programs.
5. The Pathfinder Learning Centre - an alternate learning environment - serves a group of at-risk high school students and former dropouts from a number of schools.
6. CEN has utilized participatory communication tools in a series of community television forums; by co- sponsoring Communication for Survival, and in participatory evaluation. Ryakuga provided technical and human resource support for all of these activities.
PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
CEN has identified six strategic directions related to public participation and community education:
1. Prevention and early intervention.
2. Communities In Schools.
3. Community literacy.
4. Career development & enterprise.
5. Community leadership.
6. Participatory communications.
