Cobscook Community Learning Center

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Cobscook Community Learning Center

• A model of visionary grassroots education

First you must learn to love life. Then, you can
make the world over.- Grundtvig, founder of the
Scandinavian folk schools
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Springboard Question

• How can CCLC market itself to most effectively
• convey the value of its work and
• differentiate itself from other organizations?

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The Mission

• The mission of the CCLC is to sustain an
  educational setting within which people can
  cultivate understanding and enrich life through
  experiences in the natural surroundings, with our
  cultures and traditions, and through access to
  the arts.

A growing group of educators believe that
community learning centers offer the seeds of a
new vision for education in this country. In this
endeavor CCLC stands in the forefront.
- Vicky Eiben, PhD. From her 2008 dissertation
Success and Sustainability of Visionary
Grassroots Education Initiatives in Rural Areas.
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Economic Landscape

• Washington County a rural region in transition
• Third poorest county in the US
• 57 live within LMI standards
• 18 live below the poverty level
• 14,119  Avg. per capita income
• 25,869  Avg. household income

• CCLC commitment within that context
• 70 of participants live within LMI standards
• Programs designed for all ages
• Participants come from Passamaquoddy and
  Euro-American populations
• CCLC committed to access for everyone regardless
  of their ability to pay

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What is the CCLC?

• The CCLC is a contemporary local expression of a
  community folk school. It creates and supports
  access to
• Lifelong learning
• Arts
• Environmental education
• Social and political engagement
• Community events
• Community dialogue
• Enrichment education

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History
1999 CCLC founders come together and establish
a vision 2001 First programming offered 2003
First staff hired, capital campaign for first
building begins 2005 First building completed,
Board of Directors forms, programming and
enrollment increase by over 100 2007 Second
and third buildings completed, programs and
enrollment continue to grow 2008 Staff,
programming, and campus grow tremendously
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Finances
2008 Income and Expense Profile
Total Budget 378,000
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The CCLC is a gift to our area and our county.
The atmosphere of the center, the staff, and the
grounds is a place where everyone can feel
welcome, loved, and respected. -Georgiana
Kendall, Women, Work and Community
Man, I love it here. If I could learn in a place
like this all the time, Id be an A student. Im
serious. It stinks to fail. -Nick Merchant,
16-year old CCLC student
The CCLC is the first place I have been where I
feel truly welcomed into a learning process. Our
young people need this place. I want more of
this. - David Soctomah, CCLC student
People are excited about this new fixture in our
community. This on-going educational, spiritual,
health, mind and body experience is now part of
my window to the world. - Sheila Huckins,
Community Volunteer
The CCLC provides an on-going, deeply caring,
democratic community that is committed to
developing local leadership so the people have
continuing support and evolving opportunities to
stretch themselves. -Mary Field Belenky, Author
of Womens Ways of Knowing
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A Vision of Success

• A successful marketing effort would result in
• people diversifying ways they use the center and
  participating more deeply.
• a powerful diversity of mixed media that
  effectively reflect our program and
  organizational strengths.
• all CCLC staff, board, etc, becoming fluent in
  communicating the importance and value of the
  center.
• the creation of relationships with corporations
  and other business entities who will better
  understand our work.
• CCLC supporters entering into sustained
  relationship with the center and the center
  becoming a secure, stable fixture in the
  community.

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Past Efforts

• Past initiatives include
• Many modes of direct outreach, including
  newsletters, radio, brochures, personal contacts,
  email, press releases, posters, word of mouth,
  some newspaper ads, and informational tables
• Speaking at public events
• Serving as a research site for doctoral student
• Promotion through Association of World Education

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Resources Challenges

• Strengths
• CCLC fulfills a regional need
• compelling story local grassroots initiative
• strong organizational culture and values
• full-time comm/dev office
• creative approach
• vibrant and committed staff and board
• staff is technologically proficient
• a beautiful, scenic campus
• momentum from a decade of growth

• Challenges
• vast geographic area/sparse pop.
• limited marketing budget
• balancing needs of the moment against longer-term
  thinking
• learning to use systems effectively
• using our contacts to their highest potential
• keeping marketing approaches fresh
• need for more effective management strategies
• need for more technology and even greater
  proficiency
• time, time, time
• adaptability

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Springboard Question

• How can CCLC market itself to most effectively
• convey the value of its work and
• differentiate itself from other organizations?