ALCN Helps to Grow Learning Communities
The Australian Learning Communities Network Inc (ALCN) is a national network of leading-edge practitioners building sustainable communities using learning as the key element.
The ALCN Ripples Newsletter for March 2025 provides a summary of lifelong learning festivals and projects. Commencing with Brimbank’s Writers and Readers Festival (13-22 March); the next ALCN Learning Forum on 28 March; a Special Interest Group meeting on Learning Festivals on 22 May; an online meeting about Rural and Regional Learning Initiatives featuring the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria on 9 May and much more.
Feedback and contributions for the next edition of the newsletter is welcome.
The March 2025 newsletter is here with past issues available here.
The ALCN Annual Report summarizes the work of our place-based learning communities and learning cities over the period from May 2023 until May 2024, including our professional development series of learning forums and Webinars.
Enjoy reading and as always feedback is welcome – email alcn@bigpond.com.
Download the ALCN Annual Report here: ALCN Annual Report 2024 ALCN_Annual Report_2024
As part of our AGM in May 2024, members participated in a professional development session entitled From self-discovery to community impact: Unveiling the drivers of personal fulfillment. This session was led by Martin Probst, Chief Education Officer at PROfound leadership and his presentation is available here. From self discovery to community impact
Associate Professor Jose Roberto Guevara (Robbie), RMIT University presented on behalf Diane Tabbagh, Wyndham City Council and myself on the topic of Evolving frameworks to analyze the vital actions of Australian placed-based learning cities and learning communities. A copy of our presentation can be downloaded from here. PASCAL ALCN Taipei Evolving frameworks July 2024 -FINAL
A panel of speakers from Cork and Limerick (Republic of Ireland), Wyndham (Australia), and Durban (South Africa) – members of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities and the PASCAL International Observatory’s Learning Cities Networks – shared over 28 years collective experiences of hosting Learning Festivals.
Moderated by Adult Learning Australia, and with an opening address from PASCAL International Observatory, this webinar aimed to facilitate learning and the exchange of experiences among learning cities.
We received very positive feedback, for example,
A major outcome is that the Wyndham Team will expand its Special Interest Group on Learning Festivals to include more Australian and International Learning City partners! Email Sharyn Wheatcroft – Sharyn.Wheatcroft@wyndham.vic.gov.au if you are interested in participating.
Watch the recording by going to the Wyndham Learning City Resources page and opening up the Australian Learning Cities Network tag.
Our Learning Forums (formerly Friday Forums) provide a community of practice for our leading learning community practitioners to discuss and share resources about topics of interest.
Details of our next ALCN Learning Forum:
TOPIC: Capturing the Learner’s Voice
SPEAKER. Sharyn Wheatcroft, Wyndham Learning City
DATE: Friday 28 March
TIME: 3:00pm (VIC, NSW, TAS, ACT); 2.30 pm (SA); 12 noon (WA); 2 pm (QLD); 1.30 pm (NT)
DURATION: 1 hour
To register interest please email Sharyn Wheatcroft at Sharyn.Wheatcroft@wyndham.vic.gov.au or Leone Wheeler – alcn@bigpond.com.
Tony McGillvery, Manager, Study Centre Circular Head, provided a background on Circular Head, North West Tasmania which is a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.
You can find out about the demographics of the region; the economy; the formal and informal learning infrastructure, and the importance of having a Regional University Study Hub (Study Hub Circular Head) by downloading a background paper here:
Tony’s presentation is available here:
Photo: Dr Leone Wheeler with Dr Rika Yorozu, Program Specialist for Education, UNESCO Regional Office, Bangkok.
I was honoured to be invited to present at this conference on Successful Strategies of the Networking Activities of Australian Learning Cities and Learning Communities by the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok) in collaboration with the Program Management Unit on Area Based Development (PUM A) of Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, together with the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) of Thailand; the Ministry of Education; Bangkok Learning City; TK Park and the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD).
The aim of the conference is to provide invaluable opportunities for cities in the region to learn from the experiences of their regional counterparts by providing examples of how these cities accelerated their own progress in fostering lifelong learning and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Education 2030 Agenda – particularly SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
A full report is available here ASEAN_3 Report to ALCN Executive.
ALCN Learning Forum on Community/Learning Needs Analysis held on 10 October 2024:
Introduction & Context:
The session was chaired by Joanne Lockwood, Coordinator at Ballarat Library and Learning, who introduced the forum by highlighting the importance of community engagement before developing a formal Learning Framework. The session was informal, with an emphasis on sharing experiences related to community and learning needs analysis. Joanne was particularly interested in learning from others as she begins her own community engagement efforts for Ballarat.
Further discussion on the topic and a list of resources can be found here ALCN Learning Forum on Community Learning Needs Analysis – Summary – 10 October 2024
The forum showcased the practical Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) work of the UNESCO Learning City of Melton, Victoria, alongside initiatives from Port Adelaide Enfield (PAE) and the Living Lightly Locally project in South Australia, which partnered with the Burnside and Mount Barker Councils.
Resources:
A learning community is one that address its own learning needs through partnership. It uses the strengths of individual, social and institutional relationships across sectors to bring about cultural shifts in the perceptions of the value of learning. Learning communities explicitly use learning to enhance social, economic, cultural and environmental conditions on a sustainable, inclusive basis.
