Community-based public education offers valuable security and opportunity to prepare our children for success in the modern world. During an age of expanding globalization, it is important to strengthen local communities and economies. Students must be alert, motivated and equipped with a strong general knowledge and understanding that will prepare them for life in a rapidly changing complex world. If an area has the resources of a devoted community to help direct and enhance education, its community-based school will be the best equipped to meet the needs of students entering the new millennium. Community-based education is central to New Learning.

Building Communities, Awareness, and Life-long Learning

The process of building communities is intrinsic to New Learning. By cultivating strong relationships between its citizens and programs in the school, a community will develop vitality that will attract young families and businesses, thus contributing to general social and economic growth. The proximity and quality of schools are key factors in the decisions of people with young children to remain in or move to a community. Real estate values are strong in areas with vital schools, providing an adequate tax base to support expanded government services. Service industries and spin-off businesses proliferate in areas of growth. Modern communication technology also increases opportunities, and more families are able to succeed in the community of their choice- increasing student enrolment and assuring the on-going viability of the school.

The building of a strong community is best accomplished by a population that is organized and aware of the forces directing the modern world. As people become more aware of the issues of education and their relation to development, they see opportunities and solutions that are most appropriate their students and their communities. Awareness leads to empowerment. As people become organized they demand more control over their social and economic development. Citizens demand more information, analysis opportunities for input. Communities those have built awareness and have become organized demand power to determine the form of education that best meets the needs of students.

Particularly in rural areas, schools are community focal points and centres of organized activities and entertainment as well as learning. Students of community-based schools see themselves, their parents and older generations as participating in an integrated, evolving set of actions, perspectives and relationships. Parents are rewarded by on-going contact with the enthusiasm of youth, exposure to new ideas, and the assurance that their children enjoy a vibrant and secure learning environment. Older generations enjoy the opportunities to share their knowledge and experiences, to communicate with youth, and to be part of the continuum of learning. The result of this dynamic is valuable trans-generational accessibility, communication and understanding (that grows increasingly rare in our globalized civilization) and the emergence of a culture of life-long learning. Building communities, awareness and life-long learning is the goal of New Learning.