In 1999 Ryakuga designed a three year experiment in community communications. The project, Sharing Our Future was sponsored by the Community Education Network and funded by the Office of Learning Technologies (with equal inkind contributions by local partners.)

(Note - This description speaks of Sharing our Future in the past tense as a Community Learning Network but it continues in Newfoundland and Labrador as a youth community media project in Burnt Islands and as a catalyst for Ryakuga Simulcasts.)

The goal of the project was to faciliate a process of community communication and cultural celebration in about a dozen rural communities. The concept is that this network of rural communities with communication capacity would be also used by professionals in community education, health and community economic development.

The tools of the project were video, community television and radio, and the internet.

Part of the project design was to experiment with virtual (internet) project management. Tools for this process are e-mail, web discussion boards, websites and software video conferencing.

Also included were twice-yearly "realtime" meetings and training events.

Learnings to date centre on the importance of detailed hiring practices and the participation of local committees with collaboration agreements.

In 2003 Ryakuga used the same tools to facilitate and coordinate Enlarging the Circle - another multi-community participatory communication project in western Newfoundland.

However, we added software video conferencing for the advisory group.

In 2005 we are re-evaluating the tools we use and researching the adoption of mainstream business project management and audience research tools.

More information can be found in the evaluation reports on the websites.

LINKS

Enlarging the Circle

Sharing Our Future

BACK