ACTION LEARNING EXCHANGE

The North Carolina Community Solutions Network (NCCSN) formally launched the Community Builders Action and Learning Exchange in 2003. On this page, you will find answers to many of your questions.

What is the NCCSN?
The purpose of the NCCSN is to build the capacity of citizens in economically distressed communities to solve community problems inclusively and collaboratively. To accomplish this mission, NCCSN intends to strengthen the numbers and capacity for collaborative community problem solving practitioners across NC through shared work and reflective practice.

What is the Community Builders Action and Learning Exchange?

The ALE is a core program of the NCCSN, and its goals include:

• To improve the practice of collaborative community problem solving across North Carolina (and across the disciplines and geography that divide us) through shared learning and cross training.
• To build the field of collaborative community problem-solving, through developing and promoting a commonly shared set of operating principles for good community problem-solving practice.
• To increase the number of practitioners who can be available to communities that decide they need external support in this work.
• To increase communities' access to good assistance by connecting communities with practitioners.
• To provide a peer-learning opportunity for local leaders of community-building efforts (people engaged in this work as volunteers in their own communities) to share their successes and challenges.

Who participates in the ALE?
People who define their work as collaborative community problem-solving -- that is, you are focused on place-based change (neighborhood, town, city, county, multi-county region) that brings people together across lines of race, power, geography, and sector in an effort to build new types of civic engagement and community collaboration.

Some work as staff within organizations involved in this work. Others are consultants who can be available to communities seeking outside help. Still others are volunteer community leaders participating in local efforts.

What is the Commitment?

1. Actively participate in the three daylong meetings hosted each year. We intend to create a genuine learning community based on trusting relationships and ask participants to commit to being present at all meetings. We are committed to holding meetings in different parts of the state.
   
   We recognize that this is a significant commitment of time and that people who do this work as volunteers may not be able to devote three days per year. The NCCSN will host one meeting each year targeted specifically to people in the rold of volunteer leaders.
   
   
2. An interest in learning from others and a willingness to share what you know.

What is the cost to participate?
A grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation is enabling us to launch the Exchange at no cost to participants. Depending on the direction and success of our fundraising efforts in the future, we may need to develop a (low level) fee schedule for this effort.

What are the potential benefits of participation?
Current ALE members have identified several potential benefits to their participation:

• Regular meeting - statewide and potentially regional - to develop/deepen relationships and learn with others committed to CSN community building principles ho do the challenging work of helping build communities -- reality checks, peer coaching, new tools, sounding boards, "fill the tank" and celebration time.
• On-going opportunities to share and learn in a safe and constructive environment about strategies for addressing major challenges in the community building field such as barriers of power, race, privilege, and program fragmentation.
• Ongoing access to network of people and organizations across many disciplines in NC, all of whom are engaged in community building and who could provide assistance in community building efforts requiring broader perspectives and skills.
• On-going access to web-based bulletin board and other communication tools to facilitate information sharing and interactive communications among participants.
• Regular notices of potential funding for community building ventures.
• Potential to be matched with prospective community projects for those committing to criteria for this level of ALE participation.

How did the Action and Learning Exchange get started?
The ALE was started by a willing cadre of volunteers who attended exploratory meetings held at Camp New Hope or Guilford College. This cadre of volunteers crafted the goals, principles, and workplan.

Who coordinates the Action and Learning Exchange?
A cluster of ALE members coordinates the agendas and logistics for the meetings. The current cluster leaders are Julie Thomasson Mooney and Anne MacLeod.

How do I sign up?
For more information about the Community Builders Action and Learning Exchange, or to put your name on the list and to receive an invitation to the next gathering, send an e-mail to Meredith Emmett at ALEcoordinator@communitysolutionsnetwork.org