NSWTOx Community Capacity Building

Adult Literacy Research Program asks: What is Literacy?

2010-04-15T22:40:00.003+10:00

Adult Literacy Research Program presents research interrogating both human capital and social capital litreracy models. This comprehensive body of research examines literacy and numeracy topics.

It found that "Based on the research, there appear to be three main
conceptions
of literacy with currency in Australia today, with implications
for policy-making and teaching/learning:
a cognitive, individual-based model associated with a psychometric
tradition, quantifiable levels of ability, and a deficit approach to
'illiteracy', which is assumed to be both an outcome of individual inadequacy,
and a causal factor in unemployment
an economics-driven model generally associated with workforce
training, multiskilling, productivity, 'functional' literacy and notions of
human capital
a sociocultural model which is most commonly associated with
contextualised and multiple literacy practices, a valuing of the 'other',
and a strong critical element.

In general, literacy today is perceived to be social by nature rather than merely an individual's set of skills, and there is consensus among literacy researchers that the meaning of literacy depends on the context in which it is being used" (Lonsdale & McCurry, p14).

Thinking about starting a social purpose enterprise

2009-06-29T22:22:00.009+10:00

Thinking about social enterprise project, this Canadian website offers a range of start information that might be useful in germinating your ideas.

Starting up a Playgroup

2009-05-10T18:35:00.002+10:00

This resource has been developed as a stand alone community capacity building tool to assist in the training required to set up and run a playgroup. The resource was a joint initiative of the Department of Education and Training, Families NSW as part of the Pacific Communities Project.
Karen Dixon further developed the materials as part of a Learnscope NSW project and taught the course for St George TAFE Outreach and packaged the materials available on this wiki. The resource is to be used by community organisations with a qualified facilitator in the context of an appropriate qualifcation. The material was originally delivered within an Outreach qualification.

Mentoring and Leadership Program for African Women

2009-03-18T08:31:00.000+11:00

This resource provides practical information for individuals and organisations who are keen to develop projects with small and emerging African refugee communities. This kit is targeted at CCD workers, CSSS workers, health and education workers, artists and arts workers, generalist community workers and community members who are working with or intend to work with small and emerging African communities in Australia.

Our Community - a resource

2009-01-10T16:56:00.003+11:00

Our Community is rich in resources, tools and information to support community strengthening and community capacity building projects.

Our Community is a world-leading social enterprise providing advice and tools for Australia's 700,000 community groups and schools, and practical linkages between the community sector and the general public, business and government.

Babes with Babes - a Hunter Community Capacity Building Project

2007-11-14T14:56:00.000+11:00

This program facilitates positive learning for young teenage mums in a safe and welcoming environment that is community based. The girls' learning is supported by a crèche and transport is provided. Learning includes up-skilling in cooking, nutrition, child development and personal resilience building. These are married with traditional studies in CGVE (Year10), H.S.C, Real Estate Certificate, Child Care Studies, Business Administration and other courses as offered through OTEN.

This is a flexible program that allows young women to continue their studies. Students enrol in a variety of modules (see above), depending on their career goals and learning needs. Crèche facilities are provided and welfare support is facilitated by a range of key community partners. This very innovative program has been put up by the Women’s Electoral Lobby as a program that would be valuable to have funded throughout the state.

For more information see the slide show

Wilkins Green - Growing a Community

2007-11-14T13:57:00.001+11:00

Wilkins Green is nestled between two busy main roads. When we began the project, already existing natives welcomed us in the form of various species of gums, remnant grasses such as Kangaroo grass and Microlina, Fig trees, and various acacias. A high bank of Casurina trees protected the area and provided a filter to noise and pollution.

It began in 2004 when a Community Gardening Course run by TAFE Outreach grew out of the belonging project, a Marrickville Council initiative involving local community leaders and community members with a vision for the future of Marrickville.

Participants represented a diverse range of people from community as well as cultural, educational and environmental organizations.

The project has a exceeded expections in the outcomes it has acheived for the community, community partners and many individuals whose lifes have been touched by there connection to the project.

See our PowerPoint presentation about the project that was made for the recent Landcare Awards in Tamworth where the project was nominated for an award.

North Coast and Riverina Community Capacity Building

2007-10-16T13:43:00.000+10:00

This North Coast and Riverina Community Capacity Building report by UTS is from workshops held in the Riverina and Nambucca Valley on Community Capacity Building.

The workshops were delivered by Derek Waddell and Rick Flowers from UTS so it contains good 'outreachy' principals. It covers information that would be very useful for rural community building activities. Click here to download the report.

Petersham Outreach

2007-03-27T08:57:00.000+10:00

Petersham Outreach has been a leader in "community capaicity building" or "growing communites". Art on Water was a very successful program run throughout 2006. It was a fine arts course for young girls at risk of becoming disengaged learners. It involved painting their own designs on heritage timber boats and the unused figurehead of the James Craig (tall timber ship) culminating in exhibition at Boomali Aboriginal Gallery. The program provided pathways info into fine arts and arts curating/admin and opportunities for Work Experience.
Wilkin's Green is a major project running currently. It is an example of community partnerships in action.
The picture above is a reminder of how long Petersham Outreach have been flying high.

2007-02-21T10:57:00.000+11:00

Volunteering can play a critical role in community capacity building or strengthening. The GoVolunteer website has been set up to assist in matching voluteers to suitable work.

GoVolunteer is an initiative of Volunteering Australia and is Australia's first national volunteer recruitment website. It is a not-for-profit site that provides FREE Internet advertising for not-for-profit community organisations looking for volunteers.
GoVolunteer provides volunteers with all they need to find out about volunteer opportunities, and helps them make the best match possible between their personal requirements and choice of volunteer work.

Do You Want To Improve Your Work Skills?

2007-01-30T14:14:00.000+11:00

Financial assistance is available to eligible Australians who want to improve their work skills.

Under the Australian Skills Vouchers Programme, eligible Australians may now apply for a voucher which helps cover the cost of specific types of training. This training is available through approved training providers across Australia.

Work Skills Vouchers worth up to $3000 are now available to interested Australians aged 25 and over who do not have Year 12 or a certificate level II qualification. Click here to find out more info on who can apply.

A brochure featuring information on the Work Skills Voucher is available at this website.

Business Skills Vouchers worth up to $500 are now available to apprentices or newly qualified tradespersons in traditional trades (see "Trades Persons") as a contribution towards the costs of undertaking accredited business skills training. Click here to find out more info on who is eligible

A brochure featuring information on the Business Skills Voucher is also available at this website

Outreach and community renewal

2006-12-14T21:46:00.000+11:00

Lindy Cassidy's 2003 article reporting the role of Outreach in the community:

For 27 years the Outreach Program has continued to meet the needs of emerging groups of students and communities and to implement changes in organisational direction and the needs of its communities.

SaverPlus - A Matched Savings Program In Conjucntion With ANZ and Others

2006-05-09T16:01:00.000+10:00

SaverPlus is a matched savings program delivered in partnership with the ANZ bank, The Brotherhood of St Laurence, The Smith Family and Berry St , that can assist families to save for educational related expenses. It has been awarded a Prime Minister’s Award for community business partnership and is offered across three states.

The objectives of Saver Plus are:
• To support working lower income families to save towards educational goals.
• Encourage a savings habit.
• Enhance money management skills.
It does this through financial coaching, money management training and matched savings.

TO BE ELIGIBLE TO JOIN SAVERPLUS PARTICIPANTS OR
THIER PARTNER NEED TO:

• Be an adult over 18 years
• Have a current Health Care or Pension Card
• Have income from regular employment and can produce two
current payslips
• Be able to demonstrate a capacity to save after you regular
expenses have been paid
• Have a child in school in 2007 or 2008
OR
• You yourself are attending or returning to vocational education
where you will receive an accredited vocational education certificate.

If you are interested please contact your local ANZ bank.

Case Studies
Community Partners involved in the Saver Plus Program are:
* Brotherhood of St Laurence
* Berry Street Victoria
* The Benevolent Society
* The Smith Family

Outreach Teacher Workshops Short Descriptions

2006-01-20T09:04:00.000+11:00

Certificate in Outreach and Popular Education

1) Negotiated Learning: Derek Waddell

What really sets Outreach apart from other sections of TAFE is that we make the students the bosses, we actually negotiate what they want to learn and how and when and where, and whenever we do this effectively, the courses really work and great things happen.

This workshop will examine what negotiated learning really means, why it is so crucial to the success of our courses, and how to implement it in a range of different contexts and situations, from a totally open program for Older People to negotiating within the parameters of accredited TAFE courses.

2) Collective Learning: Rick Flowers

Is there a difference between strengthening individuals and strengthening communities? Individuals may attend courses and gain more confidence, form more social networks, strengthen their resolve for continual self-improvement.
Some people argue that the impact of these changes will ‘trickle down’ to strengthen and change others… and that, so the logic goes, strengthens communities.
But does education for more individuals in the community necessarily strengthen a community? Perhaps there is another dimension to community strengthening where there is more focus placed on collective rather than individual capacity to bring about change. Capacities that may contribute to collective effort might include:

more capacity to speak out, engage in debate,
foster debate, plan new initiatives,
recruit others, raise awareness,
organise groups, lobby,
pose questions about the quality of life and help people find answers to those questions,
facilitate collective decision making, protest,
recognise structural disadvantage.

To what extent is the learning of these capacities embedded in education, particularly access and equity programs? These are capacities that are at the heart of a vibrant, grassroots democracy.

Ahh, you say... this sounds good but how do you do it? I will lead a number of exercises and talk about theories of popular education which will help you plan and facilitate collective learning.

3) Keeping Access and Equity Alive in Vocational Education: Barbara Bee.

It’s difficult for Outreachers not to lose heart sometimes in face of the prevailing emphasis on only vocational outcomes in many VET programs.
The broader educational concerns can be underplayed or lost entirely.
This workshop will highlight how one Outreach Course aimed to do both, as well as making links with principles of popular education and community strengthening.
The workshop will take you step by step through the planning of the program, as well as documenting first responses by students to the topic of ageing.
It will illustrate how vocational skills’ training can be practised and demonstrated, but equally important, will be the consideration of inculcating in students a critical, reflective attitude to working with older people.

4) Teaching in & With Your Community: Camilla Couch, Anne Bicer and Liz Mackie

TAFE and its Outreach program have a particular role to play in promoting greater equity in education and life opportunities. The educational theory and practice underpinning Outreach has remained constant since Outreach was initiated and this workshop will reflect on the philosophy behind the Program and discuss such questions as:

Why is the Outreach process so successful?
What are the variables involved in the success and sustainability of Outreach programs?
What is the role of the Outreach teacher/coordinator?
How does Outreach position itself in TAFE and in the community?

5) Teaching Social Justice: Mike Newman

Social justice involves freedom and freedom involves being able to make choices. In this workshop we will look at how we can help ourselves and others recognise that we do have choices, at how we can learn to make good choices, and at how we can resist others who want to make choices for us. We will look at the idea of freedom and at how we can help ourselves and others have a say in both its definition and practice. We will look at various forms of community and political action open to us, and try to grapple with the challenge of acting justly, that is, in ways which express our own freedom but do not restrict the freedom of others. The workshop will be constructed around discussion and a number of exercises.

Nambbucca Heads Blogs to Strengthen Communities

2005-12-02T12:01:00.000+11:00

This is an excellent example of using blogs for community strengthening. Kerry Grace has set this series of blogs that the community can immediately identify with, congratulations Kerry, you are a champion!!!!!

Community

2005-12-01T20:09:00.000+11:00

In my research I came across this fabulous site:

What is community and why should educators be concerned with it? We explore the development of theory around community, and the significance of boundaries, social networks and social norms - and why attention to social capital and communion may be important.

Looking for Funding

2005-12-01T18:07:00.000+11:00

Are you working with community organisations to maximise opportunities for people with specific needs through education, training and employment in the areas of Community Languages, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Communities, Youth and Intervention Support and looking for funding.

Checkout the DET Community Grants Funding.

Collaboration Tool Online

2005-11-09T16:04:00.000+11:00

Writely.com

The Web Word Processor
"What can I use it for?
· Meeting notes, team calendars, technical
specs
· Sign-up sheets, proposals and much more..."
One allows you to
create a document and then collaborate on it with others over the net. The other
does the same thing for a spreadsheet.

numsum.com

FREE bite-sized, sharable social spreadsheets
You can use Num Sum for...
Home Budgeting
Tracking Search Keywords
Online Stock Portfolio
Fantasy Sports
Anything You Want!

Community Computer Recycling

2005-09-18T21:37:00.000+10:00

For communities interested in setting up computer recyling this might be useful.
"Community Computer Recycling" is operated by Grant High School in South Australia to provide free computers (including software and basic training) to community organisations and people in need in our community. Students in the computer technician class gain practical skills through this program.

Cert Outreach Pop Ed

2005-09-13T18:36:00.000+10:00

Certificate in Outreach & Popular Èducation: here is the latest updated information of these Term 4, 2005 Workshops (13 Sept. 05)

Community Capacity Building Workshops

2005-09-13T17:40:00.000+10:00

We have just run 2 two-day workshops at Scott’s Head & Albury, and Kerrie Bowtell is writing up what happened and what was decided. Once her report is available, we will upload it on this site (probably in October 2005)

Teacher Workshops in Semester 2

2005-06-29T09:38:00.000+10:00

The Teaching Skills required to make our courses part of local Community Strengthening projects .

We have organised a series of 5 one-day workshops for any interested Outreach teachers or coordinators at the following times & on the following topics:

* Friday 9 August: Negotiated Learning - Derek Waddell

* 2 September Collective Learning - Rick Flowers

* 21 October How can we keep Access & Equity alive in VET & TAFE?
- Camilla Couch, Anne Bicer & Liz Mackie

* 4 November Working effectively in and with local communities

* 18 November Teaching Defiance - Mike Newman

A few points about the workshops:

* anyone can apply for one workshop only or all 5
* people attenind all 5 can also complete assignemnets to obtain accreditation from UTS (details pending)
* there will probably be at least 2 facilitators atveach workshop, usually a combination of the academic (UTS) & the practical (Outreach)
* workshops will run all day, probably from 9.30 - 4.30
* these workshops will be held in Sydney, either at UTS or out west
* we plan to have about 20 participants at each workshop.

Enquiries and comments welcome. Derek Waddell, 29/6/05

Derek's resources

2005-02-17T23:21:00.000+11:00

A paper about Sustainable Community Leadership, based on my UTS action research in the Macarthur and Marrickville areas of Sydney (2002-3)

Jody Kretmann Workshop

2005-02-17T23:12:00.000+11:00

Jody Kretmann Workshop [Monica Clapp], A number of people were interested in information from a workshop I attended with Jody Kretmann "Building the local economy: mobilising the community assets you already have" Here are my notes about what to me was an inspiring workshop.

The Wyong TAFE Outreach

2005-02-17T23:04:00.000+11:00

The Wyong TAFE Outreach Aboriginal Community Development Program
A retrospective look at an Aboriginal Community Development program I was involved in on the Central Coast in the mid-1980s.
Derek

A simple plan for all community projects

2005-02-02T16:01:00.000+11:00

1) Map/remap your community

2 )Involve
- key stake-holders
- your role decreases steadily?
- partners & allies
- reps of all major subgroups
- develop opportunities to work together

3) Plan strategically:

- big Dreams
- long-term
- sustainable
- use outside help

4) Act:
- the essence of the plan
- follow through your commitments
- encourage/support/cajole/nurture & challenge emerging leaders
- refer back to Dreams & Principles
- build on strengths
- agree on underlying principles

5) Reflect/analyze/evaluate:
- real & rooted in the community?
- participatory not consultative?
- support mechanisms?
- time for fun/relaxation/camaraderie?

6) Publicise & recruit
- recognition of efforts
- celebration of achievements
- injection of new energy & ideas

Derek's resources

2005-02-02T15:27:00.000+11:00

a paper about Sustainable Community Leadership, based on my UTS action research in the Macarthur and Marrickville areas of Sydney (2002-3)
a retrospective look at an Aboriginal Community Development program I was involved in on the Central Coast in the mid-1980s.

Resources for Community Building

2005-01-18T15:49:00.000+11:00

This blog will serve as a place to access and exchange ideas that will assist in strengthening communities.