Global Oneness Project

[This is Part A of Section 4 of the original 161 page document “1000Communities2” (see p. 10-11)

A.  Local Community Points of Entry “Community Centers”

1.  The concept of “Community Teaching and Learning Centers” (CTLCs) was created by the organization “Teachers Without Borders” (see www.teacherswithoutborders.org). 

The website of “Teachers Without Borders” includes the following description of CTLCs:

“Community Teaching and Learning Centers (CTLCs) are local, practical education centers designed to be embraced by and emerge from the community itself…. CTLCs use existing facilities and are often outfitted with libraries [(which include) dictionaries, references, educational material of general interest] … computers, face-to-face classrooms, and break-out spaces, used primarily to serve several essential functions for community sustainability.”¹  [From the “Community Teaching and Learning Centers” section of “Teachers Without Borders” (see http://www.teacherswithoutborders.org/html/ctlc.html)]

2.  In this “1000Communities²” proposal, the concept of CTLCs is expanded so that such local community points of entry function as

a)  information centers, resource centers, clearinghouses (on how residents can deliberately channel their time, energy, and money into the creation of “ways of earning a living” which are directly related to resolving high priority challenges

b)  locations for workshops on topics suggested by the “Preliminary Survey” [see Step 3 of the 15 Step Outline (Section 6)], and as determined by the CTLC Coordinator

c)  practice sites for the development of “teacher-leaders”

d)  community centers for meetings, both planned and informal

e)  locations for “Community Journals” (which are collections of formal and informal input which may be contributed to or accessed at all times)

f)  locations for “Final Version” Document submission (“voting”) as part of Steps 5, 6, 7, 9, and10 of the 15 Step Outline (see Section 6)

g)  locations for “Summary of CVI Process to Date” Notebooks, for latecomers, and as an information resource for media

h)  central locations for listings of employment opportunities

i)  as a special form of community education, which can respond quickly (by changing the emphasis of workshop content) to new urgencies as they arise

3.  Even though there may be some confusion generated by using the term “Community Teaching and Learning Centers” in this proposal, while giving it a meaning which is different from the meaning ascribed to it by the organization “Teachers Without Borders”, this writer hopes that the end result is an increase in appreciation for the critical importance of this concept.