Learning Communities Catalyst

1. Title: What is/was the initiative?

Bundaberg Region - A Learning Community

2. Where is/was it?

Bundaberg City and Burnett Shire Queensland

3. When was it?

A workshop was held on the 20th May 2004 to promote the Learning Community Catalyst. Mary Hannan presented information about the Catalyst and Learning Communities. From this a group was formed to establish Bundaberg and Region as a Learning Community. Ongoing meetings have continued.

4. What is/was it about?

MISSION

Bundaberg Region - A Learning Community is committed to fostering Lifelong Learning opportunities for everyone. Our communities will develop a rich mix of learning partnerships which will link the sustainable economic, social, environmental and cultural sectors. We will create learning resources that allow for a community of skilled and flexible learners who work toward the common goals of Lifelong Learning.

5. What type of initiative is/was it?

We have a small group who have been meeting on a regular basis to promote the Learning Community. To date we have completed a brochure and received funding for an Australian Flexible Learning Community Project.

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

Mal McCulloch, Australian Learning Communities Network and Bundaberg Community Development.

7. Which stakeholders are/were involved?

• Bundaberg Community Development
• Mal McCulloch, Australian Learning Communities Network
• Wide Bay TAFE
• Central Queensland University
• IMPACT Make Your Mark - Local RTO
• Department of State Development and Innovation
• U3A
• Department of Sport and Recreation
• Bundaberg Neighbourhood Centre
• Salvation Army

8. How is/was the initiative resourced?

In kind support has been provided by Bundaberg Community Development through the provision of the time of the Community Development Worker to support the network.

9. What did the initiative seek to achieve?

We are working to establish the Bundaberg Region as a learning community

Our aim is to becoming a Learning Community through:

• Improving links between existing Learning providers and the community.
• Establishing new pathways to learning.
• Promoting community understanding of and the participation in life long learning
• Involving industry, business, all three levels of Government and the community, and having them to embrace Learning as a key driver for our community.
• Building partnerships and sharing resources and providing new Learning opportunities.

10. How is/was it carried out?

To date we have struggled to get any funding to support our efforts. It is difficult to get an idea adopted without any major project ie you need to do something to become visible. We have been successful in gaining funding to run an Australian Flexible Learning Community Project. This project will focus on e learning and will target young teenage parents who have disengaged from education. This is a Bundaberg Region Learning Community project involving a partnership between a number of members. This has now given us some momentum and we are currently looking at putting in a joint submission for adult learners week.

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

It is early days yet but one of our key difficulties has been really knowing were to start. We gathered a group together developed our mission and aims and a brochure. The big question then is now what? Many of the resources we looked at suggested an audit or our current learning resources as the first step. However we have no financial resources and limited in kind support. We tired to gain sponsorship but as we were so new were not successful. We hope the funding for the E Learning project will get us started and help us to become more visible. It has certainly inspired the group to apply for more funding.

12. What information supports this experience?