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.
Ripples August Newsletter 2023
The ALCN Ripples Newsletter for August 2023 features information on Adult Learners Week, Wyndam and Melton Learning Festivals several events including Friday Forums on 22 September on extending the learning city approach to other areas of local government and 27 October on renewing a learning community strategy, as well as a joint ALA/ALCN Webinar on Stories from UNESCO Learning Cities – Building Inclusive and Sustainable Learning Partnerships.
Enjoy reading.
The August newsletter is here with past issues available here.
ALCN Annual Report 2022_2023
This Annual Report summarises the work of the Australian Learning Communities Network (ALCN Inc.) and our place-based learning communities and cities. Also attached is a quick snapshot presentation by Associate Professor Jose Roberto (Robbie) Guevara, President of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE), who reflected on how the work of the network members aligned with the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities and the Marrakech Framework for Action in Adult Education and Learning (ALE).
Download the ALCN Annual Report here: ALCN_Annual report_2023
Download the Visual Snapshots of ALCN members here: GUEVARA Snapshots May 2023 ALCN AGM
Friday Forums
Our Friday Forums provide a community of practice for our leading learning community practitioners to discuss and share resources about topics of interest.
Please note our final two Friday Forums for the year. Email Sharyn Wheatcoft, Wyndham City Council (Sharyn.Wheatcroft@wyndham.vic.gov.au) if you are interested in attending these events.
1) Friday 27 October – 9.30 am – 10.30 am (AEDT) Friday Forum. Reflecting on Community Engagement Experiences led by Danielle Marie, Learning and Partnerships Coordinator, Brimbank City Council. Danielle and other practitioners will reflect on what they have learned from the consultation process to inform the next learning community strategy. For more information read below.
2) Friday 8 December 3-4 pm (AEDT). Friday Forum. New ALCN member Joanne Lockwood, Coordinator, Ballarat Library and Learning, will introduce us to the learning community of the City of Ballarat.
Report on Friday Forum – Lifelong Learning for Life and Work
The following presentations were made:
- Advantages of extending the Learning City Approach into other areas of Local Government and beyond – George Osborne, Manager Economic Development, Hume City Council.
- Learning and/or earning: Tensions between learning for the economic sphere (jobs) and learning for well-being/democracy. Maren Klein, Research Fellow, EU Centre of Excellence, RMIT University.
A summary of the Forum and a copy of the presentation are available.
- Summary note by Silvia Velez – Friday Forum 220923 – Summary notes
- Presentation – Friday Forum 22 September 2023 – ALCN and HUMERMIT
Paper on Learning Cities and Libraries
ALCN supported Lara Pugh and Diane Tabbagh (on behalf of co-author Jac Gomez-Torres) to present online this excellent paper about Libraries and Learning Cities. Exploring varying roles of engagement across the globe at the 16th PASCAL International Observatory Conference. 2022, Tampere University: Tampere, Finland.
‘Libraries and Learning Cities’ explores the varying and vital roles that libraries play in learning regions, cities, communities and towns; it also showcases the ways public libraires met the learning needs and interests of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and are now futureproofing them for future crises through lifelong learning.
Acknowledgements:
Authors: Lara Pugh and Jac Gomez-Torrez.
The case study contributors: Danielle Marie, Bernie Hawke, Marjukka Peltonen and Diane Tabbagh
To find out more please contact Lara Pugh or Jac Gomez-Torrez via Linkedin
FEATURE STORY
Enable Social Enterprises – Renew Tech for Good Initiative
Hume Learning Community
Written by Julie Mckay, Founder and Director, Enable Australia
Since 2015, Enable have supported hundreds of people from disadvantaged backgrounds to connect with community, environment, and improve their prospects of employment through innovative work and learning programs.
Enable operate commercially in the Computer decommissioning and recycling, warehousing, fulfilment and storage and Online Retailing sectors with 100% of the profits from trade re-invested to operate and support a total of nine (9) work and learning stations to support participants with skill-building, confidence, and career decision-making.
Feature Paper
Why do you want this job? Transferring learning, transforming learning and lifelong learning
By Dr Donna Goldie, Townsville City Council
Abstract
As part of a recruitment process for a position, candidates are often asked their reasoning for applying. While the question may seem straight forward, it is one in which during a recent interview, I felt challenged to provide a succinct response. In this article I discuss the possible reasons as to why I could not provide a clear answer. In particularI explore three elements of my work, study and research experiences: transferring learning, transforming learning and lifelong learning. While my response remains less than concise, these ideas entwine together to form the basis for why I ‘want this job’.
Report of the UNESCO International Commission on Futures of Education Paper
Reimagining our Futures Together:
A New Social Contract for Education
Some perspectives and questions for discussion
by Peter Kearns, AM
UNESCO and lifelong learning
This report follows a line of important UNESCO reports on education and lifelong learning. The best known are the Faure report Learning to be (1972) and the Delors report Learning: the treasure within (1996). The Delors report is best known for the four pillars of education – learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to live with others, and learning to be. These broadened the objectives of education in important ways.
Reimagining our Futures Together
The latest, important UNESCO report on education and learning was released in November 2021 after an extensive enquiry over a year and a half by the UNESCO International Commission on the Futures of Education. It followed the earlier global reports with the objective to rethink the role of education at key moments of social transformation (2).
What is a Learning Community?
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.
Image: Ballarat Work and Learning Centre receiving certificates for a cooking class.