May 2 - 20, 2005
Development organizations around the world recognize the power of information to raise awareness and mobilize action for social change. They also recognize the need to develop their own capacity to access, organize and use information effectively. The rapidly growing focus on technology is causing many NGOs to look at how they manage their development information. They need methods that are both locally appropriate and globally connected.
To meet this challenge, many NGOs have established—or plan to establish—information resource centres. Well-managed resource centres are a valuable component of learning organizations, and can help reduce unproductive duplication of effort both within and among NGOs. They can also serve as centres of community learning and participation in civil society initiatives.
The Certificate in Resource Centres for Learning and Change will provide participants with the opportunity to gain or improve skills in managing information, as well as to analyse the dynamics of indigenous knowledge, appropriate media, information sharing and networking. During the program, participants will develop an action plan for their resource centre's contribution to the community-based development, and the information and education strategies of their organization.
CONTENT
The specific content of the program will be developed with input from the candidates. The overall framework is likely to include:
Planning a resource centre
Collecting and organizing information
Promotion and evaluation
OBJECTIVES
As a result of this program, participants
will be able to:
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This program is intended for those who
have little or no training in information
management.
Applicants should:
METHODOLOGY
In keeping with the Coady International Institute's participatory approach, this innovative program will be learner-centered. Participants will collectively prioritize the content to ensure relevance for their organizations. The workshop format will emphasize the active exchange of ideas among participants within a collaborative learning environment. Drawing on this sharing of experience and on short lectures, participants will partake in group exercises and discussion, combined with field visits and practical skill-building sessions. Each participant will also develop an action plan for her or his organization's resource centre. Throughout the program, participants will have access to, and instruction in, St. Francis Xavier University's excellent information technology facilities.
TEACHING TEAM
The Coady's teaching staff is comprised of
professional development practitioners
and educators collectively possessing over
120 years of overseas and Canadian field
experience. Staff members specialize in
such areas as: adult education, community-based
development, participatory approaches,
development communications, gender analysis
and strategic planning. The Certificate
in Resource Centres for Learning and Change
will be facilitated by library and information
professionals who have experience with
NGOs in Canada, the Caribbean, Asia and
Africa.
RESOURCES
The Coady Institute is able to offer its participants access to:
WHERE IS THE PROGRAM OFFERED?
The Coady's Certificate in Resource Centres
for Learning and Change is offered at the
Institute's facilities on the historic
campus of St. Francis Xavier University.
The campus is nestled in the heart of Eastern
Canada's scenic coastal town of Antigonish,
Nova Scotia. With a population of almost
6000, Antigonish boasts a diverse heritage,
rich in Scottish, Aboriginal, French and
African-Canadian ancestry.
FEES
All program costs are quoted in Canadian dollars and subject to revision. Partial bursaries for tuition are available through the Institute and are awarded on the basis of need. Candidates are fully responsible for covering the cost of their own travel and living expenses.
| Tuition: $ 2,000 | Room & Board: $ 1,000 | Total: $ 3,000 |
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Note: Applicants should be actively working in, or planning to establish, an information resource centre.
APPLY
For further information please contact:
Admissions Officer
Coady International Institute
St. Francis Xavier University
PO Box 5000
Antigonish, NS
Nova Scotia
Canada
B2G 2W5
| Phone: | (902) 867-3953 | |
| Fax: | (902) 867-3907 | |
| E-mail: | coadyreg@stfx.ca | |
| www.stfx.ca/institutes/coady/ | ||
Application Form (MS Word)
COADY INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
Education, Innovation and Action
The Coady International Institute of St. Francis Xavier University has been promoting community self-reliance since it opened its doors over 40 years ago to educate community leaders from around the world. Established in 1959, the Coady Institute is world-renowned as a centre of excellence in community-based development.
The Institute was named in honour of Rev. Dr. Moses Coady, a prominent founder of the Antigonish Movement - a people's movement for economic and social justice which began in Nova Scotia during the 1920s.
Over the past four decades, the global reach of the Institute has grown immensely. More than 4,000 development organization leaders from over 130 countries have taken part in the Institute's campus-based programs.
The Coady is able to remain at the forefront of innovation within the field of community-based development by adapting and evolving to meet the changing needs of development practitioners. The Institute is a learning organization - dedicated to identifying, developing and disseminating knowledge on effective development practice. As a leader in the study and practice of community-based development, we provide relevant programs that help others make a positive difference in their own communities.