Origins of the“New Learning Project”

Throughout the nineties, it was the challenge of community leaders like Archie Neil Chisholm that mobilized the citizens of Margaree into taking a pro-active role regarding education issues. In 1991, the Margaree Save Our Schools committee was formed to resist government plans to close the local high school. In 1995, it was transformed into the Margaree Education Coalition (MEC). MEC maintained a high profile in education throughout Inverness County by focusing on awareness-building and advocacy. Despite continued threats of school closure, MEC succeeded in obtaining a one-year moratorium on school closures for the District. The moratorium gave the community time to launch its "Kitchen Forum"; a total of fifty-two neighbourhood meetings that galvanized the Margaree community with the common resolve to maintain Primary to Grade twelve in Margaree, even if the community had to assume responsibility for running the school. The concept of the "community-operated public school" emerged and was applied to the Margaree situation. At a regional level, the sweeping amalgamation plans of the school board were heavily criticized by many communities. In turn, a region-wide coalition was formed to support the efforts of communities wishing to resist school closure.

MEC pursued the development of its proposal for the community-operated public school, applied for charitable status, and hired a full-time coordinator. At this time, the regional school board proposed the creation of a P-12 school in the north end of the Margaree community. Many community members felt that the battle was won, and concluded that there was no need to continue with the effort to establish an alternative school.

Rather than abandoning the project, the MEC Board of Directors felt that other communities in the Maritimes could benefit from the information and experience gathered by the Margaree community through years of struggle. MEC applied for funding to document, publish and distribute throughout Maritime Canada information on education alternatives and enhancements for the public education system. The Donner Canadian Foundation agreed to support the project, and in December, 1998 New Learning: Education Opportunities, Alternatives and Enhancements for the Maritimes was launched.