Learning Communities Catalyst

1. Title: What is/was the initiative?

Deception Bay Life Long Learning Project

2. Where is/was it?

Caboolture Shire, Queensland

3. When was it?

Stage II (presentation of learning opportunities) commenced in November 2003 with contracted finish date of 3/9/05 - as of 16/6/05 this date has been extended to 1/7/06.

4. What is/was it about?

The Project provides affordable learning opportunities to community members presented by community members with solid skills to share. Learning opportunities are provided within the Deception Bay communities in community facilities.

5. What type of initiative is/was it?

Project

6. Who is/was the 'driver' of the initiative?

Members of the Deception Bay community had a vision 5 years ago to have a learning programme operating within the community. Travelling outside the local area was not an option for most community members. Therefore, when Community Renewal placed funds into the Deception Bay community for the community to nominate projects that would benefit those living in Deception Bay, this group of community leaders nominated and applied for funding to present a two-stage project aiming to stimulate community interest and active participation in informal learning and provide a diverse range of localised learning opportunities for Deception Bay residents.

This Project is administered by a Project Co-ordinator (Marylou Goodall) and the Deception Bay State School (financial administration) together with a Steering Committee made up of stakeholders and community members.

7. Which stakeholders are/were involved?

• Qld Department of Employment and Training Stage I and II
• Qld Department of Housing (Community Renewal) Stage I and II
• Queensland University of Technology Stage I and II
• TAFE Stage I
• Education Queensland (Deception Bay Primary and High Schools) Stage I and II
• Department of Education, Science and Training Stage I
• Deception Bay Community Youth Program Stage I
• Local Small Business Stage II
• Community Members
• Local Churches - provision of facilities and advertising support
• Advertising through all local schools, shopping centres and local businesses

8. How is/was the initiative resourced?

Department of Employment and Training, Brisbane North Point Institute of TAFE, Queensland University of Technology, Education Queensland (provision of facilities, insurance & computers) Deception Bay Community Youth Program (tranport costs Stage I) Department of Education, Science and Training (Federal), Queensland Department of Housing (Community Renewal Funds). Local Small Business and local Churches provision of inkind facilities

9. What did the initiative seek to achieve?

• Provide learning opportunities to 1000 community members
• Provide learning opportunities presented by local community members
• Create a learning network that the local community identify with
• Create a strong community pride
• Provide affordable learning activities to enable community members to gain new skills, contacts and confidence leading to personal development
• Provide pathways leading to further training or job outcomes at a later stage
• To build the capacity of various sectors of the community to achieve a healthier economic and social future for the Deception Bay community

10. How is/was it carried out?

Stage I - Employment and training for eight (8) Deception Bay people for twenty weeks under a Community Jobs Plan project who produced a database of existing skills among residents who were willing to share their solid skills as tutors and a database of learning/training preferences among residents.

Stage II - Employment of a part time coordinator to implement Stage II by confirming education/recreation/training activities already available in Deception Bay while identifying, arranging and promoting a program of Learning activities and on-going evaluation.

11. What did it achieve? What could be done differently?

To date - the Deception Bay Life Long Learning Project has achieved all its goals including providing 1239 community members with learning activities. The local community and its members identify the "Yellow" paper that appears in their letterbox 4 times a year and enthusiastically enrol in learning activities. Local community members with solid skills to share come forward with courses to present. An average of 30 learning activities are presented each school term with a waiting list for the more "in demand" activities.

The Deception Bay community has been strengthened socially by the Project with participants coming from all walks of life coming together to share their interests and undertake learning in an informal setting. This should result in the community also achieving a healthier economic future.

12. What information supports this experience?

Learning Calendars are available (please phone for mailout) - also visit the United Nations Conference - Brisbane August 16th when this Project will be included as a Community Renewal presentation along with two other initiatives