EXPANDING SITES

The Community Learning Partnership is working with an increasing number of local partners. Most sites are creating entirely new Community Change Studies Programs. Others are expanding existing curricula so they give students and practitioners greater access to education which will help them play leading roles in community organizing, neighborhood development and related change efforts.

The Partnership chooses its new sites carefully, following a five stage process and then providing continuing help. Through experience it has refined the criteria it applies in judging the readiness of particular cities or rural areas to launch Community Change Education Programs which are adapted to local needs, leadership and institutions.

Selecting Sites for Community Change Studies Programs – Six prerequisites for Strong Local Partnerships and Successful Programs

1. Community partner(s): Strong local organizing groups, an organizing backup center, and/or other strong, broadly respected and trusted community partner which is very interested in exploring CCE and committed to developing people of color and people from low-income and working class neighborhoods as organizers and change agents

2. Institutional partner(s): One or more degree-granting institutions which are committed and flexible and where there is a lead person who “gets it” and has influence inside the institution

3. Local leadership: An individual or team that is prepared to assume leadership for creating the partnership and has the appropriate values, vision, skills and relationships

4. Potential for those parties to collaborate with each other and CLP, and for CLP to add value

5. Resources: Prospects for financial feasibility and long-range sustainability – public and/or private funds to cover some of the development and operating costs for program, income and scholarship aid for students; CLP may play major role in attracting those resources

6. Other important opportunities: Unique opportunities for learning, testing promising approaches, and expanding the network, useful alliances, funding and/or policy support for Community Change Education

The Characteristics of the Local Parties

1. Community Partner(s) — Criteria for choosing

A strong organization which has broad reach, credibility and the capacity to create a collaborative effort, or, preferably, a potential consortium of groups with the following characteristics:

• Commitment to organizing, experienced organizers on staff, and history of strong organizing campaigns
• Roots and credibility within low-income communities and communities of color and a race/class/gender analysis in its organizing and training
• Sufficient concern about the shortage of good organizers, especially organizers of color and those with low income and working class backgrounds, to give priority to developing new training/educational programs for community change agents
• A vision of education and training which goes beyond CO “mechanics” to critical thinking, strategy, knowledge of a variety of approaches and campaigns, knowledge development, etc.
• Openness to exploring a collaboration with institutions of higher education to create such programs
• Someone on staff who has the skills and could devote time to collaborating in developing such a program

Preferably, they would also have strong training and/or placement capacity with strong senior staff as mentors for student practicum or apprenticeships.

2. Institutional partner(s) — Criteria for choosing the higher education institution(s)

One or more educational institutions which are seriously interested in exploring a collaborative effort to create a higher educational program in Community Change Studies, and which offers:

• Affordability (a public institution or, conceivably, one with a similar tuition level or special access to scholarship and other funds to cover tuition and living expenses for CCS students)
• Potential financial capacity to be a feasible site for this expansion
• An internal leader or leadership team for this effort which is committed, is influential within the institution, and has time to take it on (or could do so with financial help)
• The following characteristics regarding such an educational program:
  • Accessibility to students of color and students with low-income or working class backgrounds
  • Relative flexibility in considering new programs and adopting new programs within reasonable period of time
  • Willingness to work with local organizing groups and to consider developing a partnership of parity with these nonprofits
  • Willingness to offer the critical elements of “practitioner education” in Community Change
  • Provide opportunities for nonacademic practitioners to teach and co-teach
  • Courses for academic, not vocational, credit
  • Field experience as well as formal education and reflective practice
  • A multidisciplinary curriculum
  • Remedial education
  • Counseling, crisis intervention and other support
• The potential for becoming part of an educational pathway, eventually including High School or other programs as a feeder system, initial college or community college experience, and articulation to higher levels.

4. Potential for those parties to collaborate with each other and CLP, and for CLP to add value

5. Resources: Prospects for financial feasibility and long-range sustainability – public and/or private funds to cover some of the development and operating costs for program, income and scholarship aid for students; CLP may play major role in attracting those resources

6. Other important opportunities: Opportunities for learning, testing promising approaches, and expanding the network, useful alliances, funding and/or policy support for CCE