Sustaining Your NLC

A Neighbourhood Learning Centre needs ongoing effort to ensure it will continue to meet the needs of all stakeholders.

Checklist

Perhaps the best way to convey effective strategies for sustaining a NLC is to provide a checklist. Items included here are what others in the field have found helpful in the short- and long-term.

• Are you holding regular meetings with all user groups?
• Do the programs continue to meet the needs of the community? How to check [link].
• Are you doing an annual review of your vision, goals and areas to be improved?
• Does the school/district/committee have processes in place to ensure the programs and services remain relevant?
• Is the workload of staff reviewed on a regular basis?
• Does work need to be re-distributed?
• Is there cross over in knowledge and skills to ensure that if a staff person leaves the work can continue?
• Is there a process in place to attend to changes in programs to ensure that as programs conclude or start up they fit into the vision and nature of the overall objectives of the school and community?
• How does the school/district/committee seek the input of parents on an ongoing basis so that as new parents come into the school their ideas and needs are addressed and matched with the programs and services offered at the school.
• Are there mechanisms in place to ensure that partnerships are able to withstand differences of opinion and philosophy and can refocus on the vision of meeting the needs of students, families and the community?
• Are all partners at regular meetings to ensure that there is a continual, productive and healthy working relationship between groups?