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In the United Kingdom Learning City Network has contributed to an innovative development. It uses learning to promote social cohesion and economic development. It develops partnerships to stimulate and respond to the demand for learning.Learning cities and communities are also helping to support the governments priorities for modernising local government, tackling social exclusion, regenerating urban areas and achieving best value. The rapid expansion of the Learning City Network shows that the approach is working and that it offers real potential.
In the UK about 20 communities in Britain have been inspired by the possibilities inherent in the idea of the Learning City and have not only called themselves Learning Cities/Learning Towns, but have made development of Lifelong Learning a key part of the strategy for the development of their community. The size and nature of the places involved varies widely from Liverpool, Sheffield and Hull to Swansea, Norwich and Retford. Although the particular patterns in each place are different, each being appropriate to the particular needs of their own locality, learning Communities have a number of common agendas:
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Strategies for improving access to learning.
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An education and training strategy related to the local economy.
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Links between learning and community participation.
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Co-ordination of adult - learning institutions
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Links between education sectors.
The Learning City Toolkit is a guide that contains practical information on how to develop the Learning City 'approach' . It is structured around three strands of development, which were identified in the research work, namely :
· Partnership
· Participation
· Performance
Following the guidance under each of these strands will enable practitioners to build on their present position - whatever that may be. Each strand is discussed under three levels of learning - from getting organised through to reflecting on what has been achieved and measuring the gains. The guide contains essential information for all the stages from pre-start through to consolidation and growth:
· it provides useful background on getting started and who to involve
· it highlights workable strategies and ideas - and notes possible pitfalls
· it enables learning from examples of effective practices
· examines ways of assessing progress and value
· it enables achievements to be compared and benchmarked.
The_Learning_city_toolkit.pdf
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