Vancouver Community Learning Network *
Vancouver Community Learning Network *
The Community Learning Network (CLN) project at VCN is exploring ways in which VCN can use technology to support sustainable development efforts in the community. It is a broadly focused project attempting to explore ways in which we may empower people to become more active users of technology where they are generating their own content using interactive tools. In addition, we also hope to explore and identify means by which users excluded from the internet may be part of the project. Through this process it is hoped that communities can be strengthened by: facilitating the ability of community members to communicate, keeping people informed of skills and events in their neighbourhoods and generating a sense of online community history.
VCN offers a number of tools to aid in these processes. Firstly, we offer an email list serve tool called Sympa which keeps an archive of email communications and also has a shared web space for important documents. (In order to sign up for the list serve you must be a VCN member and sign our user agreement.) Secondly, very shortly VCN will be hosting a powerful web development tool called WebGUI. This tool has many interactive components already built into it. These components will make it easy for people with a basic understanding of web browsing to create their own web spaces with interactive features. In addition, VCN is open to discussing other possible on-line tools and community facilitation practices which will aid in community development processes so please feel free to contact us!
This project began in March 2001 as the result of a partnership between Human Resources Development Canada Office of Learning Technologies (through their Community Learning Networks program), Vancouver Community Network and many Vancouver not-for-profit agencies.
The pilot initiative will explore the effectiveness of using online interactive tools and public Internet access to support an 'assets based community development' process. Community participants will be residents of several mixed-income, high density, adjacent neighbourhoods in Vancouver. The project will help residents in their efforts to map community-based assets, improve the local economy, and develop plans for resolving critical issues in the community.