03/28/09 - DeKalb Learning Link committee, teams meet

 

More than 60 community members are participating with the new DeKalb County Learning Link, director Judy Sorg said in a news release Wednesday.

 

A countywide vision for Learning Link was created last fall by a 20-member Community Vision Committee. In November, more than 100 community members helped to revise the draft. Today, the vision reads: “Working together through continuous learning to improve the quality of life for all in DeKalb County.”

 

The Learning Link steering committee and three action teams met with consultant Jay Connor on March 7 and 8.

 

Action teams working to achieve the community vision are organized around learning in three areas: early childhood, kindergarten through 12th grade and adult lifelong learning.

 

With the community vision at the center, action teams have focused on identifying target outcomes and developing clear measures for those outcomes.

 

While action teams worked to find the right words to express their target outcome, steering committee members focused on accountability. Connor described how being accountable to all involved and to the community demands a clear goal and rigorous measures that will be accepted as evidence of progress toward achieving the goal.

 

Connor returned to DeKalb County to lead the second round of meetings, reinforcing the values of being neutral to specific programs and activities and involving the community in the process to affect lasting change. Connor told participants, “We will never create change in this room. We need to continually engage more of the community.”

 

“Now that each team has a desired state in draft form, the next step is for teams to re-evaluate their draft statements,” Sorg said. “Each team must reaffirm that their particular statement captures the desired standard of excellence, and be certain that their statement is aligned with the larger community vision based on continuous learning.” Connor described the image of an arrow hitting the target or ‘bulls eye’ as alignment.

 

“Teams must also review their draft statements in light of the goals of the other teams, ensuring that all are linked and will actually reach the target. Once each team has settled on its desired state, Learning Link action teams will identify strategies to create an action plan to ensure that DeKalb County realizes its vision,” Sorg added.

 

The process goals for the community foundation’s Learning Link are related to findings of the 2006 Community Needs Assessment, sponsored by the DeKalb County Community Foundation, DeKalb Memorial Hospital, The Dekko Foundation, Drug Free DeKalb County and United Way of DeKalb County.

 

The 2006 assessment identified several needs that underlie all priority areas in DeKalb County. A community forum determined that addressing the most compelling needs in the county would require:

 

• better and more efficient use of existing resources;

 

• greater collaboration among stakeholders;

 

• better communications; and

 

• more funding or alternative funding, all objectives of the new Learning Link initiative.

 

The public will be invited to provide input on a draft action plan at a countywide meeting July 14.

 

“We look forward to continued engagement of the community as we work together to make this a reality,” said Wendy Oberlin, executive director of the Community Foundation.

 

To get involved or for more information, call Sorg at the DeKalb County Community Foundation, 925-0311 or e-mail her at Jsorg@dekalbfoundation.org.