Community Education: The Port au Port Model
The work to initiate a CE program has provided an opening for the committee to establish a planning and priorities function, and to articulate the strengths, resources, skills and needs of the area. It has also provided time to identify and analyze the programs and projects currently and previously in operation. The results have enlightened committee members about the impacts of a variety of initiatives which will be required to change high levels of under-education, dependence upon home security systems and the subsequent cycle of poverty.
The orientation of the project has been to refine initiatives which had been put together by the Port au Port Development Association, the Appalachia School Board, the Department o Social Services, and the local Canada Employment Centre. The intent has been to carefully construct a solid base through an integrated community support system. The philosophy is to provide planned, funded services on a five-year pilot basis. The project committee has strived to eliminate obstacles which can be created through short-term planning or project components represents an effort to build on programs in place, to develop supporting policy and commitment from funding and service agencies and to responsibly utilize resources and personnel currently in place.
Port au Port: The Current Situation
Currently, community educating has begun. The community education centre operates from the local convent of the Presentation Sisters. A Pathfinders centre operates from newly decorated quarters at Bishop O'Reilly Community School. Pathfinders is a self-paced computer management system for academic and life-skills training which provides an alternative high school program for at-risk teenagers. The adult population is expressing interest in participating in this opportunity for academic upgrading. Western Community College, CEC, and the Appalachia School Board are jointly providing this service.
These agencies are also coordinating to provide a job readiness training program which will offer an integrated life skills, academic, job preparation, work experience and career assessment service.
Additionally, a committee of all guidance personnel has been struck to help plan the guidance and assessment portion for the centre.
A Difficulty To Challenge
One of the biggest barriers to access of training, further education and work for parents is the lack of affordable and quality daycare. Another related issue is the need for pre-school programs identified by the public health nurses as needing a "headstart" before entering kindergarten.
Currently, the Appalachia School Board and the Department of Social Services have three pre-school programs to help meet these needs. However, department regulations limit application of this service to all clients in need. Interagency discussion is exploring solution to meeting problems of program provision, access and continued funding. Parenting courses and the utilization of the Cooperation Education program, which enables school students to participate in learning first hand about appropriate models of child care, are also part of this component.
Long Range Community Futures and the Bay St. George Status of Women are working on a proposal to provide training and entrepreneurial skills to a group of women to start self-initiated quality daycare programs.
Community Support Network
The community support network is being built through an advisory committee consisting of all educational, service and funding agencies. This committee has a place for all community stakeholders and encourages input and shared planning and decision-making. The committee provided an opportunity for all to investigate the role that they could play and enabled them to ensure that the goals met with their views and could be accomplished with mandates. This committee has now begun to operate with a series of working groups which function as facilitators of various innovations.
The public awareness group is in the midst of planning public meetings to engage individuals in community-wide planning for community education projects. A business awareness group is being considered.
Cross-Canada Linkage
Finally, a supportive and enthusiastic linkage with the Community Education Centre in the city of York has been established. The centre will act as a reception area for Newfoundlanders who need to move to Toronto to locate work. The centre will provide a link to appropriate housing, job opportunities, further academic and skill development, and entrepreneurial activity. There is a mechanism in place through CEIC to facilitate the transfer of individuals to this area.
Future Community Educating Needed
High levels of under-education, a high proportion of teen mothers, and the lack of economic development in the area are the result of numerous interlocked social factors. Coordinated and well-constructed attempts are needed. It is felt by the community members that educational goals, in concert with economic development initiatives, must provide the initial movement leading to growth. It is clear that education in its traditional guise will not provide the change element requisite for long-term economic development for this community.
The decision has been reached to integrate a community school pilot into the current system and to provide an approach to education which coordinates the development of the school population with the development of adults in the community.
This process is being designed to enable adults to participate in the decision-making processes of school policy which link with long-term development of the area. The intent is to provide access to educational decision-making, incorporate learning needs of adults and provide centres of training and education upgrading. This will in turn break down barriers to education, provide exemplary models of decision-making for community planning and development from the grassroots future plans for the Port au Port.
[Barbara Case reporting]
Community School Institute - A Newfoundland Exposure
On March 12 & 13, 1992, a CE institute was held at Bishop O'Reilly Community High School on the Port au Port Peninsula. This is a small, rural outport along the west coast of the island. The two day institute was the result of 18 months of work by Barbara Case and Peter Doyle (Asst. Super. of curriculum for the Appalachia School Board).
The concept of the community school was first introduced to Bishop O'Reilly staff in October 1991 by Barbara Case. She gave an overview of the basics and potential of the concept. Staff reaction was positive and a committee was formed to provide the two-day institute
MAIN PAGE