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The Local Community College. A learning opportunity for rural communities. Finding Drenthe. Finding Drenthe. Amsterdam. Finding Drenthe. Harlingen. Amsterdam. Finding Drenthe. Harlingen. Drenthe. Amsterdam. Finding Midden-Drenthe. Midden-Drenthe.
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The Local Community College A learning opportunity for rural communities
Finding Drenthe Amsterdam
Finding Drenthe Harlingen Amsterdam
Finding Drenthe Harlingen Drenthe Amsterdam
Midden-Drenthe • 340 km² / 131 square miles – population 33.000 • 21 villages of <3.000 inhabitants • 4 villages between 3.000 and 10.000 inhabitants • Rural county (by Dutch standards)
The Dutch educational system • Compulsory education: age 4 –16 No diploma? Also from 16 – 18 • Then: • Vocational education • University • Adult education (government policy) • 18 years and older • Second chance to obtain certificate or learn skills or profession
Local Community College (LCC) Midden-Drenthe • Started with two villages as a pilot-project in 2005 • The project participants: • each participating village supplies a group of volunteers (e.g. LCC Hooghalen) • City Council Midden-Drenthe • Regional education centre “Drenthe College” • Local social organisation “Welzijn Midden-Drenthe”
Local community college now • 2011: participation of 17 villages • 13 small (villages < 3.000 inhabitants) • 4 larger ones (villages 3.000 – 10.000 inhabitants) • Future plans: • Budget cuts (due to the credit crunch) • Local Community College ‘plus’: LCC+
Our aim with the LCC is: • To facilitate courses/workshops/lectures in the local community centres • Courses to enable people to participate in the present society (subsidised) • Courses which meet the demands/requests/ideas of the local community
LCC: how do we get there? • Form a local group of enthusiastic volunteers • Professional organisations facilitate and support the local LCC-group of volunteers • Investigate the educational demands / questions through the network of the volunteers • Make use of skills of people in the village
LCC: how do we get there? • Make proper arrangements with the local community centre and other local facilities • Find your ‘partners’ in local organisations (e.g. women’s institute or neighbouring villages) • All 17 LCCs and the supporting professional organisations meet twice a year
LCC: how do we get there? • Students pay a small amount per course • Subsidised courses • Non-subsided courses
LCC: how do we get there? • Subsidised courses • Budget available through the city council for the use of qualified teachers • Budget 2010: € 160.000 Average price per course € 3.000 ca. 50 courses in 2010 (17 LCCs) • e.g.: How to chair a meeting
LCC: how do we get there? • Non-subsided courses • local talent courses, each village 3 to 5 courses a year average • e.g.: Wine tasting
Conditions for success • Volunteers are in tune with the local situation • The volunteers are in charge and proud of their LCC • Support from the community development advisors • Drenthe College (regional educational centre) supplies teachers when needed and helps to indicate the learning questions • For the subsidised courses quick decision making to facilitate the course
Results in the villages • The LCC is very accessible • Target groups are easily met and dealt with • People enjoy learning together • Considerable increase in social cohesion
Threats • More and more citizens have to fend for themselves due togovernment policy • More volunteers are needed in the future • Greater responsibilities for the LCC as finances are concerned • In larger villages finding volunteers is a problem
Challenges for the near future • To deal with a lower budget • Be creative • Improve the concept of demand orientated approach
Challenges for the near future • To develop LCC+ • Provide for all age groups (0 to 100) • Budget for each LCC for all educational demands • Expanding the concept of the LCC towards the whole of the province of Drenthe and more
Thank you for your attention! Questions?