Kootenays — The University of British Columbia’s Division of Continuing Professional Development and Knowledge Translation (UBC CPD-KT) in collaboration with B.C.’s Ktunaxa Nation (Akisq’nuk, Aq’am, Tobacco Plains, and Lower Kootenay) launched the first two of four planned Community Learning Centres (CLC) in Aq’am and Lower Kootenay this week.
The UBC CPD-KT and Ktunaxa Nation partnership is the first time in Canada that a CLC will be rigorously evaluated at all stages of design and implementation. UBC CPD-KT is also the first Canadian research organization to receive funding to pilot, implement and evaluate the CLC concept from the Canadian Institute of Health Research.
"We’re proud of the partnerships that have developed between the university, the communities and Ktunaxa Nation through this project," said Dr. Sandra Jarvis-Selinger, the project’s principal investigator. "Our common goal is to support the development of sustainable, community-driven learning centres which build community capacity to support healthy communities."
CLCs are a community facility with computers for community members to access web-based health information relevant to community defined priorities. CLCs are created by community members to engage their youth, adults, Elders, and health care professionals to emphasize health prevention and promotion, respectful engagement and inclusion of traditional medicine, language and knowledge.
"The Community Learning Centre we launched today will help to improve the community as a whole," said Lower Kootenay Chief, Chris Luke. "It will promote health and wellness, and increase employment and interpersonal training opportunities for our citizens. We would like to thank UBC and all those involved in developing a project that will provide a lasting legacy for the community".
The CLCs launched today are unique in that they are community driven. Community members themselves have been hired as evaluation and technical leads and therefore drive the design and maintenance of community-based programs.
"This experience has already had a positive influence on our Community Leads," said Joe Pierre Jr., Band Councillor for Aq’am. "Shaylene Osborne, and Lisa Jimmie have done a fantastic job of gathering relevant information for the communities, and Nigel Warden has used his amazing technical skills to make it all work. I look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the future".
CLCs have the potential to create a sustainable resource for rural and remote health education by providing culturally relevant health information online and engaging community members to build the content leading to improved community health outcomes.
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