NCEA's 44th Annual Conference 2009 44th Annual NCEA Conference November 19-22, 2009 Phoenix, Arizona

Careers at NCEA Updated Employment Opportunities!

National Community Education Association
www.NCEA.com
Strategic Plan
2010-2013


CLICK HERE FOR THE PLAN 
(IN DRAFt FORM - THE BOARD IS CURRENTLY REVIEWING TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION)

About the National Community Education Association

The National Community Education Association (NCEA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership association founded in Flint, Michigan, in 1966, as the National Community School Education Association. In 1978, the association’s name was changed to the National Community Education Association, and its national office was moved to the Washington, D.C., area. NCEA is governed by a 14-member Board of Directors; twelve are elected by the membership and two are appointed by the board.

NCEA provides leadership to those who build learning communities in response to individual and community needs.

This is accomplished by providing members with national and regional training conferences and workshops; specialized periodicals, publications, and products; opportunities for peer support and networking; and information and referral services. In addition, the association acts as an advocate for community education through work with related organizations and promotion at the national, state, and local levels.

NCEA members include community educators or coordinators at the local school district level. Others are school superintendents, state department of education administrators, education professors at colleges and universities, community college administrators, members of state and local school boards and advisory councils, and state legislators.

What is Community Education?

Community Education is the educational philosophy that underlies community schools and advocates the creation of opportunities for community members—individuals, schools, businesses, and public and private organizations—to become partners in addressing community needs. Community Education is most easily recognized in the community school, a facility that is open beyond the traditional school day for the purpose of providing academic, recreation, health, social services, and work-preparation programs for people of all ages.

Organizational Renewal Grant 

The NCEA was at a pivotal moment in its history when self reflection and the development of a comprehensive action plan could jumpstart the organization into being a true voice and leader for community education. It was increasingly apparent that education in this country is in trouble; that the traditional models of teaching and learning in schools require partners and new resources. It is apparent that more and more communities are endangered given the disparities they are experiencing with those with multiple resources. It is a combination of factors that suggests that community education can, and should be an active partner to improve conditions of learning and living.

NCEA was ready to take a leadership role in mobilizing current and potential community educators to truly look at how education can strengthen our communities. NCEA is invested in this vision to redefine our focus to build leaders of Community Education. With this in mind, a yearlong process was announced during the 41^st Annual NCEA conference in November 2006, to host a series of dialogs at the local, state and national levels. Thanks to the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, following are the cumulative efforts for these historic meetings and the development of a Strategic Plan, which will guide the Association into a rich future.

NCEA Mission Statement

The mission of the NCEA is to inspire, engage and empower our members as community leaders and advocates.

NCEA Core Values

We Believe:

• Community Education is vital to our nation’s success.
• Learning is a lifelong process which improves the quality of life.
• Communities are strengthened and sustained through leadership development
• In the power of community collaboration
• Community Educators deserve quality representation at the local, state and national levels.
• In the expertise and the diversity of our members.

NCEA Strategic Goals:

1. Generate awareness and understanding of the principals of Community Education.

a. Identify and develop partnerships with a diverse array of organizations.
b. Develop and implement a comprehensive marketing plan including current marketing practices.
c. Develop and implement yearly media and communications plans.
d. Promote National Community Education Day nationwide.

2. Build a diverse and sustained membership.

a. Align membership dues structure with member benefits.
b. Develop and launch a yearly membership campaign.
c. Develop and implement a membership survey.
d. Develop and implement a corporate and civic membership program.
e. Identify and develop partnerships with organizations and businesses not traditionally associated with Community Education.

3. Strengthen state capacity building relationships between NCEA and state organizations.

a. Develop and implement a cooperative state/national membership program.
b. Facilitate greater influence with legislators, increase membership, and resources available to state associations.
c. Provide complete lifecycle support for state based legislative advocacy through research and guidance via best practices.

 4. Be identified as the leading source of guidance and information to support school and community collaboration strategies for local, state and federal policymakers.

a. Develop a concise legislative platform that can be mobilized at the national, state, and local level.
b. Cultivate additional sources of funding for the advocacy of Community Education.
c. Collect an inventory of existing state level legislation as well as a database of ongoing legislative activity at the state level.
d. Develop grassroots advocacy programs.
e. Advance legislation to connect learning to quality of life including economic development and environment sustainability.

5. Assume leadership in providing training and professional development opportunities relevant to Community Education.

a. Disseminate best practices by expanding existing and creating new professional development programs.
b. Create and develop legislative services including training and other support services.
c. Develop and implement “How-To Kits” for annual events.
d. Provide support and resources for participants in National Community Education Day.
e. Develop an accreditation (CEU) process.
f. Train and empower community educators as legislative advocates in all levels of government.

6. Actively pursue new initiatives that support and enhance our mission and core values.

a. Establish NCEA as a viable resource in the rural revitalization movement

**Proposed addition – draft, not yet board accepted:

7. Embrace and promote community school models as an efficient mechanism for integrated service delivery while encouraging and supporting other service delivery strategies.

Considerations for Change

We will:

• Adopt only programs or services consistent with our mission and core values.
• Respect the past as we move forward with new ideas.

Supplement

Considering a Future…

For Community Education

A Report

Based on the 2007 NCEA Futures Summit

and Regional Conferences

NCEA Futures Summit

February 22, 2007

On February 22, 2007, a distinguished group of leaders in education, business, government, and other fields joined the National Community Education Association’s Board of Directors for an “NCEA Futures Summit.” With support from the Mott Foundation, this key meeting-of-the-minds was held in the conference room of the Council of Chief State School Officers in Washington, D.C.

While the Summit provided immediate guidance for NCEA in developing a renewed strategic plan, it also began a process of constantly staying in touch with the political, economic, social, technological, and demographic environment. By using this pool of thinking to stimulate continuing conversations about the future, the association hopes to turn its plan into a strategic vision, a living strategy that is sensitive to the needs of a fast-changing world.

As a key leadership organization, NCEA understands that the viability and effectiveness of communities and the education system at all levels depend on inclusive leadership and public engagement. This historic Summit, which seeded thinking and collected ideas and counsel from this gathering of leaders at the national level, set an example for how communities, states or provinces, and even countries can keep democracy viable, organizations strong, and the conversation going.

Logistically, the Summit included:

• A presentation devoted to trends impacting society.
• An opportunity for members of the council to consider possible implications of the trends for NCEA and community education as well as for any community’s economic growth and development.
• A presentation devoted to building an understanding of processes for staying in touch with the environment and considering a vision for the future. Those processes, among others, included trend analysis, issue analysis, gap analysis, historic/defining moments analysis, and flexibility/innovation analysis.
• A session devoted to speculating about issues that might impact community education and sorting those issues according to their probability and potential impact.
• A discussion devoted to identifying characteristics of community education programs capable of preparing students, their education systems, and their communities for the future.
• A brief presentation devoted to enhancing all programs by providing intellectual leadership that is connected to forces impacting society.

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Facilitator for the Summit was Gary Marx, president of the Center for Public Outreach in Vienna, Virginia. He offered a reminder that those who pay ongoing attention to trends and issues will likely be seen as in-touch. Those that don’t will likely gain a reputation as being out-of-touch.

Sixteen Trends…

That Will Profoundly Impact Education, Communities, Students, and the Whole of Society

In his kickoff presentation during the NCEA Futures Summit, education futurist Gary Marx focused on sixteen trends that are profoundly impacting society. Those trends, individually and collectively, carry significant implications for educators, students, communities, countries, and the world.

By definition, trends represent “a line of general direction or movement, a prevailing tendency or inclination.” Giving trends a heightened sense of urgency, the father of issue management, Howard Chase, described them as “detectable changes which precede issues.”

For many organizations, Marx said, a strange thing happens on the way to accomplishing their strategic plans, the world changes. That’s why our most cherished plans need to become living strategies. Any plan, no matter how well conceived, simply must be flexible and dynamic, not static.

The following questions are basic. Are our schools and colleges part of a fast-changing society or separate from it? Are we preparing our students for the future or for a time long past? While we deal with today’s issues, are we staying in touch with political, economic, social, technological, environmental, demographic, and other forces that are impacting education and the whole of society?

Community educators should become masters of making essential connections. They should, as a matter of course, pay attention to the needs of their communities, and then provide counsel on helping the system address them. Community educators also form partnerships. At their best, they should be so connected to trends, issues, and possibilities that they are naturally at the table when decisions are made that impact not only education but also the entire community. They understand the need to engage, involve, and listen. “Information is not in the hands of one person,” according to James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds. “It is dispersed across many people. So relying on your own private information to make a decision guarantees that it will be less informed than it could be.”

What are the benefits of making these connections and staying in touch? Visionary community educators can be at the very heart of helping keep the organization fresh, energized, and open to new ideas; encouraging creativity and imagination; helping spot opportunities and identifying potential tipping points; and encouraging educators to use futures tools. Those tools are a centerpiece for considering the implications of trends, identifying and dealing with issues before they become crises or catastrophes, pinpointing the gap between where we are and where we’d like to be, and establishing a vision.

Here’s the challenge. Study each of the trends included in this chapter. They are fully addressed in the book, Sixteen Trends…Their Profound Impact on Our Future, written by Gary Marx and published by the Educational Research Service (ERS). Then ask, “What are the implications for how we run our schools and colleges, for what students need to know and be able to do to be prepared for life in a global knowledge/information age, and for ensuring sustainable economic growth and development and quality of life in our communities?” Considering that context, ask another question, “What are the implications of these trends for community education.” The following is a brief discussion of those trends.

Trend: For the first time in history, the old will outnumber the young. While this trend holds true in the developed world, just the opposite in happening in the underdeveloped world, where the young will substantially outnumber the old. By 2030, only two people will be working for every person drawing benefits from Social Security. If we hope to maintain that cherished benefit, then we’d better make sure people of all ages are well educated so they can earn a good living and contribute to the system. Community educators will need to balance the political demands of the young and old; get ready for a virtual explosion in the numbers of retiring Baby Boomers; expand community and adult education programs and other opportunities for lifelong learning; ask older experienced citizens to help students understand the connection between what they are learning and how it will be useful to them; and help recruit or retain older citizens for service as educators and other workers.

Trend: Majorities will become minorities, creating ongoing challenges for social cohesion. The U.S. has traditionally been a majority/minority society. By mid-century, no single racial or ethnic group will constitute 50 percent of the population. We will become a nation of minorities. In 2000, 71 percent of the U.S. population was non-Hispanic white. By 2100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number will drop to 40 percent. A challenge will be to raise all boats. Ensuring equal opportunity for all students will be part of the bottom line. Community educators will need to seek common denominators and consensus with increasingly diverse communities and may have to constantly reframe their identities to be inclusive. They will need to ensure that divergent ideas and voices are heard as decisions are made, promote professional development that supports inclusion and cultural understanding, and develop an international focus.

Trend: Social and intellectual capital will become economic drivers, intensifying competition for well-educated people. We are moving at warp speed from an industrial age into a global knowledge/information age. Currently, knowledge workers make up about 30 percent of the workforce but command about 50 percent of all wages and salaries. “Brain-gain cities” and communities are trying to attract as many of these well-educated people as possible. Schools and colleges need to be sure students are prepared for the new economy and that they have the teamwork, management, and entrepreneurial skills they’ll need to make it in either the for-profit or nonprofit sectors. Education systems must understand trends and other forces impacting society and reach out to make the community a classroom. Community educators will be expected to stay in touch with political, economic, social, technological, environmental, demographic, and other forces impacting both the economy and civil society. Those communities and education systems that try to freeze the system in the past will, unfortunately, be promoting their own obsolescence and even threatening their very survival.

Trend: Standards and high-stakes tests will fuel a demand for personalization in an

education system increasingly committed to lifelong human development. In a high-stakes environment, when students don’t do well on the tests, parents will likely demand greater personal attention to their child’s interests, needs, talents, and abilities. Personalizing may be the ultimate key to reaching or exceeding standards, and community educators will be expected to consider how schools and colleges can make that happen. The education system should be positioned as a prime community asset. Bottom line: standards and high-stakes tests should not freeze the system in the past but lean in the direction of preparing students for the future.

Trend: The Millennial Generation will insist on solutions to accumulated problems and injustices, while an emerging Generation E will call for equilibrium. The Millennials, born between 1982 and 2003, were the primary pool of students for schools and colleges at the turn of the new millennium. Indications are that they will be committed to solving the problems and dealing with the injustices of the world. What are the implications for education? We need to be sure that we develop students’ intergenerational communication skills, that we teach them how to manage conflict and make change peacefully and democratically, and that we hone their media literacy skills. As they go to the Internet, or whatever replaces it, to get information and counsel in making decisions, they will need to be capable of separating truth from fiction. A Generation E, born from about 2004 through perhaps 2020, will likely call for equilibrium. In a fast-moving world, they will be somewhat committed to consolidating our gains and cutting our losses as we temporarily develop “a new normal.”

Trend: Continuous improvement and collaboration will replace quick fixes and defense of the status quo. Rather than simply defending what we have, we should be creating the future we need. Our challenge will be to use and even teach the principles of continuous improvement as we shape the economy, workforce, education system, and civil society of the future. Community educators will help align the system with student, community, civil society, workforce, and other needs. In some cases, they will need to develop legitimate partnerships to get the job done.

Trend: Technology will increase the speed of communication and the pace of advancement or decline. The real story with technology is the impact it is having on the pace of change. Granted, we need to have access to up-to-date technologies and know how to use them. Our students need to understand that we’re depending on them to develop the next generations of technologies that will help drive our economy and civil society in the future. Self-learning will no longer be seen as a threat to the traditional system of education but will be incorporated into the learning plan. Teachers will help students move from raw data and information they find on the Internet toward usable knowledge and even toward wisdom. Community educators might ask, “How are we doing in introducing our students to biotechnology and nanotechnology--technology at the molecular level?” Of course, a constant challenge will be to close the digital divide that sometimes separates the technology rich from the technology poor.

Trend: Release of human ingenuity will become a primary responsibility of education and society. Expect education to move from information acquisition toward knowledge creation and breakthrough thinking. In other words, our education system needs to provide the climate, training, and support for teachers to help students learn across disciplines, to build on students’ individual strengths, to consider their multiple intelligences, to apply what we know from cognitive research, and to make thinking and reasoning basic skills. We need to create intellectual entrepreneurs who, at the end of a class, are eager to answer the question, “Does what we discussed today trigger any ideas for you?” Futures studies should become a mainstay of education and help both the system and students get and stay connected to forces that impact the social environment.

Trend: Pressure will grow for society to prepare people for jobs and careers that may not currently exist. The word is out that by 2015 more than half of us will be working at jobs that don’t currently exist. What does that mean for career planning and ensuring that students have “employability” skills? In reality, many of today’s students will become so connected to the environment that they will actually anticipate new jobs and invent new careers that will enrich our local, state, and national economies. Consider other implications of this trend for economic growth and development in the community. Consider how the education system and the community should team up to become leaders in nanotechnology, biotechnology, or the development of new sources of energy and propulsion. Address how existing and emerging technologies can strengthen our sense of community, our effectiveness as citizens, and the possibility of strengthening civil society.

Trend: Competition will increase to attract and keep qualified educators. By 2012, the U.S. will need between 2 and 2-1/2 million new teachers. How can we develop them, attract them to our community, and keep the talented people who are already serving as educators? Recruitment and retention have serious implications for every education system.

Trend: Scientific discoveries and societal realities will force widespread ethical choices. Doing what seems most practical or what is easy just won’t cut it if it doesn’t seem ethical. In the post-ENRON era, we need to be sure that we are providing ethical leadership, expanding civic and character education programs, and helping students understand that ethical behavior will be essential to their legitimacy and survival. Building the connection between ethical behavior, taking the higher ground, and legitimate success should overlay every community education program.

Trend: Common opportunities and threats will intensify a worldwide demand for planetary security. Ultimately, our personal security and self interest mean very little if we destroy the biosphere that supports life on our planet. Students need an understanding of common threats, ranging from conflicts over oil and water to perceived motivations of terrorism. They should also see common opportunities for ensuring planetary security by developing new sources of energy; discovering treatments, cures or prevention strategies for diseases; and supporting even better education. In the process, they will learn to apply math, science, social studies, communication skills, and a host of other things we’re already teaching to real world problems and opportunities. Again, making those connections should be part of business-as-usual for community educators.

Trend: Understanding will grow that sustained poverty is expensive, debilitating, and unsettling. We all know the impact of poverty on education: achievement gaps/test scores, poor health care and nutrition that inhibits learning, few learning resources in the home, negative stereotyping, test bias…the list goes on. To deal with poverty, we need to understand it. So do our students. Somehow, we need to get past the isolation of those in poverty and those of wealth. Community educators, who have deep connections to people and institutions, should be part of the team that insists on education and training programs that will help lift students and their families from the depths of sustained poverty and put them on the road to opportunity and hope.

Trend: Polarization and narrowness will bend toward reasoned discussion, evidence, and consideration of varying points of view. “How can we maintain a civil society when so many people seem so narrow-minded?” That’s a question that’s cropping up more often as we deal with a “my way or the highway,” red state/blue state, black or white approach to the issues we face. What’s at stake is civility. Community educators, all educators for that matter, need to demonstrate that kind of civility in their discussions. Do we expect our schools to turn out students who are capable of seeing several sides to an issue and engaging in civil discourse? What steps do we need to take to move toward reasoned discussion, to move from narrowness to open-mindedness?

Trend: As nations vie for understanding and respect in an interdependent world, international learning, including diplomatic skills, will become basic. Survival as a nation might depend on our relationships with countries and people on other parts of the planet. International education helps students develop diplomatic qualities, such as courtesy, good manners, a sense of tolerance, and the ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. It recognizes the importance of economics, history, law, political science, government, civic responsibility, human rights, and social skills in the development of a truly educated person. As community educators broaden their definition of community from the neighborhood to the planet, they will become an even more dynamic force in shaping international understanding. In an interconnected world, isolation is no longer an option.

Trend: Greater numbers of people will seek personal meaning in their lives in response to an intense, high tech, always on, fast-moving society. People often work 24/7. They’re trying to keep up with the Jones’s and stay ahead of the bill collector. They’re too often harried. They have more, but they’re enjoying it less. How can we establish a climate that supports greater work-life balance and emotional health? As we consider the future for educators, students, and others in our communities, what can we do to ensure the time and the skills we all need to discover personal meaning in what often seems like a fast-moving impersonal world?

Note: The following is information about how to obtain copies of books, also written by Gary Marx, that served as a basis for this report and the trends and processes it suggests. Sixteen Trends…Their Profound Impact on Our Future (Educational Research Service, ERS, Arlington, Va., 2006, ers.org, click on Publications Catalog, Click on Search the Catalog, Enter Key Word “Sixteen Trends,” click on Sixteen Trends), and Future Focused Leadership… Preparing Schools, Students ,and Communities for Tomorrow’s Realities (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development , ASCD, Alexandria, VA 2006, ascd.org, Click on Publications/Books, Click on Browse by Title, Scroll Down, Click on Future-Focused Leadership). Both books are also available from amazon.com. Contact information for the author: Gary Marx, President, Center for Public Outreach, Vienna, Virginia, USA, Phone 703-938-8725, Email gmarxcpo@aol.com

Further Implications of the Trends

for Community Education, NCEA, Economic Growth and Development, and Quality of Life

The presentation of sixteen trends served as a macro environmental scan of political, economic, social, technological, environmental, demographic, and other forces impacting the world, each nation, each community, and every education system. Some implications of the trends are suggested in the previous chapter.

In two parts, this chapter lists possible further implications of the sixteen trends. First is a listing of additional implications identified during the NCEA Futures Summit. Second is a summary of implications that grew from small group sessions at NCEA Regional Conferences.

Further Implications of the Trends for Community Education and NCEA Identified by Futures Summit Participants

Additional Implications of trends for community education and NCEA. The following are a few of the many implications for community education and NCEA that were identified by Futures Summit participants.

• Community education should become a catalyst for change in the education system.
• Redefinition may be needed. Community education will need to be more clearly defined. NCEA and state organizations will need a more defined, distinct focus or purpose and a clearer definition of the roles of members and potential members. Even the definition of “community” and the “role of schools” should be redefined.
• The community should be seen as an extension of the classroom.
• Community educators and NCEA should assist schools in becoming true community learning centers.
• Consensus building will become an essential in each community to bring people together in common purpose.
• Needs that are not getting attention from existing organizations should be identified and addressed.
• Training will be needed to help educators become even more adept at reaching out to the broader community.
• Centers might be formed in communities to bring together and tap the expertise and skills of older citizens, including legions of retiring Baby Boomers. Intergenerational collaboration will become essential.
• Retirees should be integrated into school and community affairs, providing ongoing two-way mentoring and a continual sharing of community and cultural experiences across generations.
• Community education should offer models and experiences for promoting intergenerational interaction.
• Access to resources and networks should be provided for those who have limited or no community connections. Services and learning opportunities for young people should be expanded.
• The association should provide relevant, well-defined services and experiences for its members. Models should be offered that can help members in their practical application of various approaches to community education.
• An attempt should be made to develop even more young community education professionals and attract them as NCEA members.
• Synergy should be reflected in NCEA’s marketing. As a community-wide and education-wide organization, the association should be branded in a way that helps people understand that it is greater than the sum of its parts.
• The NCEA board might be structured to provide for a greater diversity of agencies with a presence on the governing body. The association should also become increasingly aggressive in attracting an even more diverse membership.
• Technology should be used as a mechanism for growth. It should help address diversity and bring earning potential to more people. The impact of technology on the total community, including children, is an important, ongoing consideration. An aim should be to make sure people across all ages, social and economic groups, races and ethnicities, and others understand how to effectively use existing and emerging technologies. The gap between the “technology rich” and the “technology poor” should constantly be addressed. Technology should be integrated into delivering NCEA services to members.
• NCEA might need to identify more potential partners to work with the organization. Networking with universities, associations, and other “allies” should lead to increased collaboration. The association might benefit from making presentations at a variety of education and other conferences.
• NCEA might consider a special focus on the needs of rural communities.
• Schools and colleges should seek buy-in for the importance of education and help to ensure that voters of all ages understand the importance of their support.
• Educators should acknowledge that students can also be teachers. While students are learning from teachers, teachers can also be learning from students.
• While educating individuals is highly important and schools should be expected to bring out and develop the talents, skills, abilities, and interests of the whole child, education systems at all levels must further see education and learning as a way to rally and strengthen their communities.
• Community educators should make sure appropriate training is provided for community leaders.
• Those who are poor should be exposed to resources that help them break the cycle of poverty.
• Community education programs should provide a billboard for existing and emerging careers.
• Clearinghouses should be developed that provide a source of information about how young people can be civically involved and connected to real-world experiences that make a difference in their personal lives and in society.

Additional Implications of the Trends for Economic Growth and Development and Quality of Life in Communities

Participants at the February 2007 NCEA Futures Summit also considered implications of the sixteen trends for economic growth and development and quality of life in communities. The following were among their responses.

• Communities will need to consider issues and pursue opportunities that could impact quality of life.
• Communities should expand their intellectual capacity to create new industries and new workplaces that can have a positive impact on the economy as well as the environment.
• Communities must consider how they will retain their youth and how they can help elders become even more productive.
• Human resources will need to be used more effectively.
• Every child should have a mentor and every elder a mentee.
• Education should become more engaging for students.
• Ongoing efforts should be undertaken to redefine what and who is an educator, since many individuals and groups play a role, in addition to the formal education system.
• An ongoing effort should be focused on turning people, students in particular, into lifelong learners, since many will need to be prepared for jobs that don’t currently exist. Generally, people will need to be adaptable and understand the possible need for career changes during their lives.
• An increased focus should be placed on “learning in the real world,” learning that is more hands-on. An emphasis might be placed on “embedded learning.”
• Career ladders should be created for people who seem stuck in low-level or entry-level work.
• Technology should be used as a mechanism for growth. It should help address diversity and bring earning potential to more people. The impact of technology on the total community, including children, is an important, ongoing consideration. People generally need to know how to use various technologies. The technology gap must be addressed.
• The potential of virtual organizations should be explored as another means of enhancing perceived quality of life and helping bring communities together.
• An understanding of intellectual property, its value and how it can be shaped, distributed, and used, should be developed in each community.
• Communities should develop and promote access to information for everyone. NCEA might support the Gates’ idea of “expanding satellites for information access.”
• New currencies will need to be created that are not monetarily based. Those new currencies might be redeemed as quality of life, civility, and opportunity.
• Ways should be found to value people for what they do in all walks of life. For example, parents should understand their value in contributing to education.
• Redefine productivity. Value people for what they have rather than what they lack. Identify, celebrate, and find a place for their skills.
• Communities should identify/harness the experiences of people and provide opportunities for them to share their wealth of knowledge and skills with each other.
• Community educators should provide knowledge and other resources that will contribute to addressing issues such as poverty and the environment.
• Efforts should be undertaken to help people find meaning in their lives through engagement in their local communities. Doing so will increase their sense of contribution and ownership and help keep many communities intact.
• Communities might explore, develop, and pursue relationships with cooperative agencies that have a general interest in the well-being of people community-wide.
• Elders should be accepted as part of mainstream. Having caring communities could, among other things, impact healthcare costs.
• Communities should develop the notion that personal security often depends on instilling a sense of self-worth and confidence among people.
• Communities should consider how to expand ownership of property by locals rather than those who are absent.
• “Futures Councils” should be considered as an ongoing part of each community and NCEA.

Further Implications of the Trends for Community Education and NCEA Identified by Participants at NCEA Regional Conferences

During NCEA Regional Conferences, participants examined the sixteen trends. They then considered implications of those trends identified by those involved in the National NCEA Futures Summit. In thoughtful discussions, regional participants suggested the following implications which extend or, in some cases, further emphasize the work of the summit group.

• Create a healthy community framework to assist families in poverty—break the cycle.
• Community education will be the catalyst for unity to build social cohesion.
• Community education will provide opportunities to develop a global perspective.
• Community education should include a component on health care and wellness.
• Improved methods are needed to assess and analyze community needs and develop tools to evaluate programs.
• Community education will be a contributor to change for the education system.
• Redefinition is an ongoing process. Community education will be defined by each community.
• Retired workers’ skills and contributions must be captured in the workplace, community, and country.
• Workplaces will be flexible and based on distance work via technology.
• Immigration will be encouraged to provide additional workers as Boomers retire, placing additional emphasis on literacy skills, adult basic education, and multiple languages.
• Reluctance to fund education must be overcome. (Three Related Comments)
• Diverse funding sources will need to be identified and/or created.
• Managing a huge increase in the numbers of older people will become a growing challenge.
• Using old ways of marketing may not work in the emerging information age. The trends need to be considered in marketing and communicating about community education. Unconventional approaches may be needed.
• The impact of diverse populations, changes in demographics, will demand consideration. (Two Comments)
• Transitional communities will increasingly need support and leadership. (Two Comments)
• The trends have a direct impact on service learning possibilities for youth.
• Responding to the trends will impact qualifications and compensation for instructors and future community education professionals.
• Multigenerational communication must become commonplace.
• Training in diversity is essential considering shifts in demographics. (Three Comments)
• Community education and society at-large will need to manage substantial increases in older populations.
• The questions, “Who will take over?” and “Where are the young people?” need attention generally and within the community education profession.
• As school districts make decisions, they will need to consider the impact on community education. Decisions don’t stand alone. They have implications for others in the system.
• The current dropout rate needs to be addressed.
• Community education will likely be asked to contribute to improving academics.
• Community educators will likely call on business people for funding of some projects.
• Funding will be needed to keep schools open during summers and for longer periods during the week to accommodate weekend recreation and opportunities for families to be together.
• Global business interests may be in the process of replacing nations.
• People in under-developed nations will increasingly want a greater share of world wealth.
• A question should be raised about where the family and the individual fit in the world that is developing.
• Schools and society need to teach “Conceptual Age” concepts, such as curiosity and imagination.
• A federal education program is needed to help support these emerging needs...

Issues Facing Community Education and NCEA

What are issues? In general, issues represent a trend or condition, sometimes even a critical uncertainty or wildcard that may, will, or does affect the successful accomplishment of our objectives. Of course, issues can be both internal and external.

Issue analysis provides an incisive way to constantly review critical, ongoing, and emerging issues and to determine the priority or attention each might deserve.

Using a classic “probability-impact matrix,” Summit participants first identified issues facing community education, then speculated on the probability that each might become “a major issue.” In another round of discussion, this thoughtful group of leaders noted what the impact of each issue might be—high, medium, or low—if it gains prominence.

If an issue is ranked high in probability and high in impact, it will likely become a driver for the organization. If we don’t manage the issue, it will manage us. If an issue ranks high in probability and low in impact, it might represent a conventional expectation. Even though the impact on our mission and goals might not be great, people simply expect us to offer or do certain things. If an issue ranks high in impact but low in probability, we need to decide how much attention we will give it. The likelihood of its becoming a major issue might be low, but if it ever does, the impact would be substantial. Finally, if an issue ranks low in probability and low in impact, it might be inconsequential. In some cases, we might decide to give an issue more prominence. That is the process of actually raising an issue, something all leaders should consider doing whenever necessary.

Issues Identified by NCEA Futures Summit Participants

The following are among the nearly 35 issues identified and sorted by the 2007 NCEA National Futures Summit panel. On pages 16-17 is a summary of issues revealed during 2007 regional conferences that immediately followed the summit.

Issues…80 Percent or Greater in Probability, High Impact:

• The need for common definitions and understandings of community education.
• The role and identity of community education within the education system and the role of the education system within community education.
• The role and identity of community education within each community, at every level.
• The identity and role of the National Community Education Association.
• The imperative of increasing community engagement.
• A growing sense that young people and others are not adequately engaged and feel limited ownership for education.
• The need to help build families and to help them become involved in their communities.
• The need for community educators to have a service orientation and to help people live more fulfilling lives.
• A lack of awareness of what community education is doing or accomplishing.
• Funding for community education programs.
• The need for professional development.
• A lack of school policies related to the ideals of community education.
• The urgency of building partnerships at all levels, including the national level.
• Resegregation of many communities.
• The need for an even more forceful advocacy and a legislative presence.
• Declining memberships in organizations such as NCEA.
• A fragmentation of community education functions among many related organizations.
• As Boomers move toward retirement, the need to connect elders to community education.
• The need to connect businesses to community education.
• Dealing with an imbalance in how the education system addresses the purposes of education, which include, among others, citizen participation, work preparation, and academics.
• The urgency for education systems and community educators and programs to respond the change.
• The need to develop even greater leadership within community education and among community educators.
• A sense that public schools should be but are not necessarily seen as the center of their communities.

Issues…80 Percent or Greater in Probability, Medium Impact:

• The need for community educators to become change agents.

Issues…50 up to 80 Percent or Greater in Probability, High Impact:

• Confronting a reality that values may be increasingly related to materialism.
• The challenge of abandoning a program in one area while creating a program in another, challenging the tradition of always doing more but never dropping anything.

Issues…50 up to 80 Percent or Greater in Probability, Medium Impact:

• Shifts in demographics that change the identity or definition of the community.
• Community education’s role and identity need to be clearly developed and explained.
• The need for a more unified nationwide network or community within community education.
• The growing sense of urgency in many communities about the need for affordable housing for teachers.
• The viability of education in general and its ability to be expansive, constantly adjusting, and redefining its role and scope.
• International gaps that are developing among nations in the use of technologies.
• The need to integrate community education into the life of each community so that it is not seen as an add-on or extra.
• The need to get school administrators to buy into the community education philosophy.

A few additional issues that ranked lower in probability and impact included: seeking common ground among organizations, often allies, who do similar work; seeking buy-in and possible funding from policymakers; and community disintegration.

Issues Identified by Participants in Regional NCEA Conferences

During regional conferences, participants studied issues identified by the National Futures Summit Panel. Then, these regional civic education leaders added to the list of issues they believe are or will be impacting community education and NCEA. Those issues include the following.

• A common definition for community education is needed, and it needs to be broadly understood. (Several Comments)
• NCEA’s role must also be clearly defined and articulated.
• Community awareness is needed of the philosophy that drives community education and NCEA.
• The skills and capacity of community educators need to be developed, not just in how the process works but also in how the people involved should function.
• A critical component might be to re-emphasize the need for a National Department of Education that has a common community education language or vocabulary and has a commitment to political advocacy for the program.
• Among other things, NCEA membership services need to address best practices, best models, accountability and evaluation tools, and measurement benchmarks.
• Partnerships will be needed for community education to be fully effective.
• NCEA should honor retirees and pass on the torch.
• State associations for community education should be strengthened, including their overall leadership, public relations, and branding. Advisory groups are needed.
• Visionary benchmarks and national standards need to be set for community education programs and professionals.
• A network of models for convening communities should be extended to include approaches such as state sharing/networking, issue specific forums, and other methods.
• A national marketing campaign should build an awareness of the community education concept and programs.
• Community educators and their organizations need to understand how to communicate a vision, develop and explain strategies and outcomes, create partnerships, and undertake advocacy efforts at the local and state levels.
• State associations need constantly renewed skills for working with their state legislatures and other local officials, even those who are within the education system. State associations need to help NCEA and vice versa.
• NCEA will need to focus efforts on ideals and characteristics of community education that have implications for issues facing communities. Those efforts should be designed to achieve change and results. Enough focus is needed to avoid fragmentation.
• Among many issues with implications for community education are retiring Baby Boomers and global warming/environmental concerns.

• Leadership training is needed to encourage big picture thinking.
• Greater emphasis on social cohesion will be needed in light of increased diversity. Community educators are facing an increasingly diverse population.
• A focus will be needed on core values, such as education bringing people together to address community issues and accessing community resources.
• Resegregation is an issue and open to discussion and debate.
• School leaders at the building level should provide support for value-added engagement, including services to the community and to the organization.
• NCEA will need to emphasize marketing and clear communication about community education, which will impact programs, funding, and other needs and possibilities. We need to market community education, NCEA, and identify possible funding sources. Community educators also need to sell themselves and their programs.
• The association must address declining registrations.
• The issue of stand-alone budget decisions should be addressed. Decisions made in isolation for a variety of reasons impact others, including community education. (Two Comments)
• Attracting and keeping future professionals for the community education field is a key issue.
• Ideals expressed by NCEA groups are excellent, but some states need to be more responsive to needs. For some, funding for community education has gone down. The emphasis on No Child Left Behind leaves district administration very little time to consider community issues, even though community education could impact NCLB results. Getting state education department attention is increasingly difficult. NCEA might help get state attention and convince those in charge to enhance the funding stream. In some cases, national and state proscribed data seem to drive the system and command all attention, leaving out some of the very programs that could lead to accomplishment and achievement.
• State legislators need to better understand the concept, the need for, and the benefits of community education.
• NCEA might work with more states in forming even more viable community education associations.
• Funding for community education is central. We must ask where we might obtain additional funding, in addition to the legislature. (Several Funding Comments)
• A central resource is needed on how to conduct various types of activities, providing suggestions for how to do these things with little or no budget.
• Changes in the family structure create ongoing challenges, needs, and opportunities. (Two Comments)
• School and community relations need to be strengthened.
• A need is growing for educators, parents, and others in the community to understand the needs of youth.
• Violence is becoming a critical issue in some communities.
• Schools need to interact with families and communities to determine their needs as they make decisions and develop programs. Not all programs children need are necessarily school-based.
• A sound public relations program is needed for NCEA and for community education in each community.
• A state interlocutor is needed to help integrate the growing number of programs that can seem piecemeal without pointing out relationships and creating a broader context.
• At least one key university or college should be identified to work with each state in supporting community education programs.
• Demand will continue to grow for lifelong learning—classes and activities.
• Individual involvement in the community and in community education is a growing need. Community educators must stay in touch with current and future trends in education and society.

Ideals or Characteristics…Community Education of the Future Gap Analysis

After an intense review of trends and their possible implications and a session devoted to identifying and sorting issues according their probability and potential impact, NCEA Summit participants moved to the next step. Again, working in small groups, they were asked to use a modified gap analysis process to identify ideals for or characteristics of community education programs that they would like to become commonplace within ten years, using their 2007 Summit gathering as a base. Each item represents one part of a picture of an alternative future.

The Ideals/Characteristics and How They Compare to Reality

In conceiving of and composing these ideals and characteristics, Summit participants were asked not to be limited by current obstacles. While obstacles can be very real, they should not limit our vision. This gathering of leaders used their creativity, imagination, and ingenuity in describing what community education might strive to become. Then, they were asked to rate where community education currently stands in relationship to each of those ideals in comparison to current nationwide reality (1=low, 10=high). Noting differences between the ideal and current reality, community educators are encouraged to consider how to close he gap. Where individual community education programs stand in relationship to each ideal or characteristic would likely vary from one community to another.

Ideals/Characteristics Identified and Rated at National Summit, Considered and Re-Rated during NCEA Regional Conferences

The following is a brief summary of ideals or characteristics identified at the national summit and how participants rated them. Those same items were shared with groups meeting regionally across the nation, who were asked to consider each one, re-rate it, and offer any comments or suggestions. More than 40 small groups of generally six to ten people each considered these statements at regional conferences. Again, keep in mind that these statements are being rated in comparison to current reality. A rating of 10 would indicate that the statement reflects current reality. A rating of 1 indicates that considerable work would need to be done to accomplish the full intent of the statement.

• Community education will be the catalyst for engagement in each community. It should be seen as the weave in the fabric of society.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3

• Every school will be a community learning center operating under a community education philosophy.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2-3

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3

• Community education will provide the framework for lifelong learning.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 5.5

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 6.25

• A national Department of Community Education will be created with representation in each state. A key purpose would be to build the capacities of communities.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1.6

Comment/A Regional Group: Don’t like the statement.

• Community education will provide a balance among social, economic, and educational forces that make up the fabric of community life.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3.7

• Employing the philosophy of community education, every child will start school prepared--and ready for success. No child will start behind!

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2.8

Comment/A Regional Group: Eliminate second sentence.

• At the state level, community education will reflect partnering that is consistent with community education philosophy and each community’s capacity.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 5

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 4.9

• Community education will contribute to the ongoing development, replenishment, recruitment, and engagement of community leaders.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 4

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 4.6

• Every school will have a trained community education coordinator, and every superintendent will have been involved in community schools training.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1.8

Comment/Regional Group, Suggested Rewording: Every district will have a trained community educator, and every superintendent will have been involved in community schools training.

• Community education programs will be flexible and readily adaptable to each specific community.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 7

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 7.8

• State, local, and federal matching funds will be available for community education.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2.25

Comment/Regional Group: In one case, participants rated their own local efforts to accomplish this ideal as high while they ranked efforts at the state level as low.

Suggested Rewording/Regional Group: State, local, and federal funds will be available for community education.

• Youth will be prominently represented in programs for leadership development.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 4

Comment/Regional Group: Statement needs more definition.

• Community education and community educators will help education systems become conveners for change.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3

• Every community strategic plan will view schools as a central convening point for creating a future.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

Comment/Regional Group: Statement might need to be further defined.

• Comprehensive systemic needs assessments will help education systems and communities respond to local needs and include a focus on appropriate business, economic, and health services.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1.85

Comment/Regional Group: Consider in rewording, “A comprehensive systemic needs assessment will respond to local needs.”

• Every community member will have access to resources that will help them to become or remain successful.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3

• Schools will be viewed as a primary resource for addressing community needs.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 4

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 4

Comment/Regional Group: Consider this statement: “Community Education will be viewed as a primary resource for addressing community needs.”

• Every college or university with an education department will have a community education component.

National Summit Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2

Regional Conference Groups Identify and Rate Additional Ideals/Characteristics

During the series of regional NCEA conferences, participants, meeting in small groups went beyond the ideals/characteristics for community education that had been previously identified at the National Summit. While some might be similar to the previous items, they are all included here, along with their ratings by regional groups, to fully air the ideas generated during those meetings.

• NCEA’s mission and definitions of community education, the role of community colleges, and related items should be clarified.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: Not Rated

• A more expansive definition of community education should include community leadership, engagement, school readiness, and lifelong learning, including adult learning.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: Not Rated

• Public identity and awareness of community education should be heightened for citizens through communicating about and marketing these services to the community.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 4

• Community Education as a concept should include family literacy, parent education, and family outreach.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: Not Rated

• Childhood obesity prevention and health education awareness for youth should be included in community education programs.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 6

• The Community Learning Center Model should be employed involving community use, family engagement, partnerships, training/education, and community building.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: Not Rated

• Organizations within a community should be encouraged to work together in strong collaborations, rather than being competitive.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

Comment/Regional Group: During the past 24 years, cooperation has dwindled as we find ourselves competing for shrinking funds. There are no incentives to cooperate.

• Community Education will incorporate partnerships among schools, universities, and others.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

• Technology should be brought to the forefront in community education.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• Community Education programs will offer up-to-date technology classes.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 4

• Community Education will be a primary provider of out-of-school time opportunities for kids.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• Parent education opportunities will be available through community education.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• Community education should be prime resource to support GED/Adult Literacy in each school district.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3

• Community Education will provide leadership to create a community where all members are treated equitability.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• Community Education will be seen as a catalyst for ensuring that all people have equal rights.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

• Community Education will transcend boundaries, such as the characteristics of rural and urban areas and current infrastructures of community education centers.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

• Community Education will be a safe haven in destructive communities.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• NCEA and community education should have both a national and international presence.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• Community Education should be adequately funded by state and national sources.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

• Funding should be available to implement community education.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

• Funding for community education should be considered on the national level.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

• Sufficient funding for community education will become consistent and a standard part of education system budgets.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• Community Education could become a gatekeeper for all community-focused programs.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

• Community educators will have training needed to professionalize the field and elevate salaries.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• Teacher attitudes toward sharing rooms with after school and evening classes will be accommodating and welcoming.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 2

• Custodial job descriptions will specifically include timely preparation for and cleaning after community education programs.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

• As part of their accreditation, school districts will be required to have community education programs available.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1

• Community Education courses should be taught within the education block in preparing teachers and administrators.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• All people are rewarded in an appropriate way for their contributions to the community. Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 1
• School administrators support and embrace community education philosophy.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: No Rating

• All people will be recognized for their particular role as valued educators.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3

• Community Education will work with local partners and stakeholders to provide transportation to each center.

Regional Conferences Rating on 1 to 10 Scale: 3

Next Steps in Gap Analysis…

Considering Priorities and How We Get From Here to There

Where do we go from here? Engage a group of thoughtful educators and others from the community in taking the following steps.

First, review the list of characteristics/ideals for community education identified by participants in the National Community Education Summit and at regional NCEA conferences. If other statements are needed, add them to your list.

Second, reach quick consensus on an answer to the following question: “When do you believe each of these characteristics/ideals will become commonplace for community education and/or the National Community Education Association?” For each of the items, choices might be:

• It is commonplace now.
• It will become commonplace in the short-term (1-3 years).
• It will become commonplace in the medium-term (4-6 years).
• It will become commonplace in the long-term (7-10 years).
• It will never happen.

Third, for each item, ask what the impact of the item will be if it becomes commonplace for community education and NCEA. Will its impact be:

• High
• Medium
• Low

Fourth, based on your analysis, select those ideals/characteristics you believe should define community education in the future. You might even want to weave these items into a scenario or set of scenarios describing what you would like community education to become.

Fifth, consider the gap between each of the ideals and the perception of current reality. For example, if an ideal only rates anywhere from 1 to 9 on a 10-point scale, strategies will be needed to get from where we are to where we would like to be. Identify steps that will be needed to turn each of these ideals or dreams into realities.

Sixth, assign priorities or phases. Since all of your strategies or plans of action will likely be important, you might give each set a ranking of priority one, priority two, or priority three. Another possibility is to consider phase one, phase two, and phase three as you pursue your ideals. Keep in mind that some of your strategies will likely help you accomplish one or more ideals.

Seventh, turn priorities and plans into action.

Gap analysis takes us close to the process of actually creating a future. Without the constant process of developing aspirations or alternative futures, circumstances will likely consume our time, energy, and other resources. Without a process for looking forward, to tapping imagination, creativity, and ingenuity, we will likely be relegated to simply defending an indefensible status quo or reacting to the most recent challenge rather than moving toward a longer-term strategic vision.

Once We’ve Done Trend Analysis, Issue Analysis, and Gap Analysis…

Are we finished?

The answer is an emphatic “no.” In a fast-changing world, we must constantly stay in touch with the environment and renew our vision for the future. Each of these processes, and perhaps others, should become a part of our futures tool kit. Our assignment could be to regularly repeat the processes to make sure we are constantly sensing trends and issues and considering how we’re doing in reaching toward our ideals. In the process, we can conceive of how the list of aspirations needs to be modified or how it needs to grow in relationship to forces impacting today’s and tomorrow’s realities.

The ingenious contributions of those who participated in the 2007 NCEA Futures Summit do not represent the end of a process. It is only the beginning. We hope that school systems, colleges and universities, communities, states, and nations will use this report as required reading as they engage people in a similar process for conceiving of and pursuing a future.

Part 2 of this publication is a workbook. It is designed to stimulate thoughtful consideration of trends, implications of trends, issues, and ideals for community education programs. Consider following each step, perhaps even adding some of your own. The future is in your hands.

Part 2

Considering a Future…

for Community Education

Workbook

How to Use This Publication

The NCEA Futures Summit was designed to be a beginning, not an end. That’s why the association wants to keep the conversation going about creating an even brighter and more meaningful future for community education and the association. Considering a Future…For Community Education is not just a book. It is also a workbook

The following are steps to consider in using this publication.

Futures Councils. Bring together diverse groups of people who are willing to provide their thinking about the future of community education. In some cases, these groups will involve people who participate in local, regional, state/provincial/cantonal, and national gatherings. They will also likely involve representative groups within schools, school systems, colleges, universities, and communities.

Read the Book. Obtain copies of this book, and ask members of those Futures Councils to read it. Don’t stop there. Share the book even more broadly within the community.

Study, Hear About, and Identify Societal Trends. Read brief items about each of the trends that are included in this publication. Then, using resources such as Sixteen Trends…Their Profound Impact on Our Future (Educational Research Service, 2006) and Future-Focused Leadership…Preparing Schools, Students, and Communities for Tomorrow’s Realities (ASCD, 2006), learn even more about trends impacting the whole of society. You will likely want to include a presentation on these and other trends during meetings of your Futures Councils.

Review and Identify Implications of the Trends. Study implications identified by those who participated in NCEA’s Futures Summit. Then, engage members of Futures Councils in identifying further implications of these and other trends for community education; for what students need to know and be able to do; for how we operate our education system; and/or for economic growth and development and quality of life in our communities. Use the workbook page included in this publication.

Review and Identify Issues Facing Community Education. Ask Futures Council members to seriously consider issues facing community education and NCEA that were identified at the 2007 Summit. Then, identify other issues and sort them according to their probability and potential impact, again using the process identified on the issues workbook page. You should feel free to restate issues already identified and re-rate them. Do not use this session to air local grievances or attack individuals. Focus on issues that have an impact on community education.

Consider Ideals for/Characteristics of Community Education in the Future. Study the ideals and characteristics identified by participants in the Summit. On the appropriate workbook page devoted to gap analysis, ask the council to reach quick consensus on how well you believe each statement reflects current reality, using a scale of one to ten.

Identify Additional Ideals or Characteristics. Ask members of the Futures Council to consider what should be on the list but isn’t. Add those ideals or characteristics and rate them on the appropriate workbook page. Do not use this session to air local grievances. Instead focus on community education for the future.

Select Three Ideals or Characteristics and Develop Steps for Closing the Gap. From among the ideals or characteristics identified both by the Summit and by your Futures Council, select three for deeper analysis. Using the process explained on the appropriate worksheet, reach consensus on how the reality compares with the ideal. Develop steps in what could become a plan for getting from where we are to where we would like to be in two, three, five, or possibly ten years. Then, consider each of these ideals or characteristics on the basis of when the Council believes it might become commonplace.

Make Copies of Your Worksheets and Send Them to NCEA. When you have completed the process, consider how you can use what you have learned and the plan you have developed to prepare your community education program for the future. Then, make copies of workbook pages. Send those copies, along with your name, position, address, phone, fax, email, and the nature of the group that was involved to Futures Councils, NCEA, 3929 Old Lee Highway, Suite 91A, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-2401. Your thinking will help NCEA and community education stay ahead of the curve.

Thank you.

Workbook

Considering a Future…

for Community Education

Further Implications of Trends

Instructions: Study the trends that were shared during the Futures Summit. They are found on pages 5-9. Then review implications of those trends that were identified by Summit participants—pages 10-12. Use this workbook page to identify and share what you consider additional implications of those trends for community education, the National Community Education Association, economic growth and development, and quality of life in our communities. What do you believe should be added to the Summit list?

What do you think the implications of the sixteen trends will be…

For Community Education and NCEA?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

For Economic Growth and Development and Quality of Life in Our Communities?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

(Process created by Gary Marx, Center for Public Outreach)

Workbook

Considering a Future…

for Community Education

Identifying the Issues

Instructions: Review and Identify Issues Facing Community Education. Those identified by the Futures Summit are found on pages 13-14. Use this form as you identify additional issues and/or pull forward any of the issues identified at the Summit that you would particularly like to address. First Step: Identify the Issues in the space provided on the left. State the issue clearly. Write it down. Use brainstorming techniques, and do not discuss each of the issues. Second Step: When you have completed identifying issues, start at the top of your list and reach quick consensus on the probability or likelihood that this will become a “major issue” for community education. Your response will be a percentage. For example, if it is highly probable that the item will become a major issue, the probability might be from 80 to 100 percent. If it’s 50-50, it might be 50 percent. Third Step: Again, go to the top of your list and reach quick consensus on what the impact on community education will be if each of the items becomes a major issue. Mark the impacts as High, Medium, or Low. You should also feel free to restate issues already identified at the Summit and re-rate them. Focus on issues that have an impact on community education. (Do not use this session to air local grievances or attack individuals.)

Impact

Issues for Community Education	Probability %	High	Medium	Low

(Process created by Gary Marx, Center for Public Outreach)

Workbook

Considering a Future…for Community Education

Gap Analysis

Rating Ideals or Characteristics…

Community Education of the Future

Instructions: Review each of the ideals for or characteristics of community education in the future. Participants in the Futures Summit identified the items listed on this page and then rated them, using a scale of one to ten. In rating them, they were speculating on where community education currently stands in relationship to each of those ideals. Their work is found on pages 15-16. Again, please review each of these items, and within your group, reach consensus on how you believe each one should be rated. Consider 1 to be low and 10 high. Circle the number indicating how close this statement comes to reflecting current reality.

• Community education will be the catalyst for engagement in each community. It should be seen as the weave in the fabric of society.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Every school will be a community learning center operating under a community education philosophy.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Community education will provide the framework for lifelong learning.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• A national Department of Community Education will be created with representation in each state. A key purpose would be to build the capacities of communities.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Community education will provide a balance among social, economic, and educational forces that make up the fabric of community life.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Employing the philosophy of community education, every child will start school prepared--and ready for success. No child will start behind!

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• At the state level, community education will reflect partnering that is consistent with community education philosophy and each community’s capacity.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Community education will contribute to the ongoing development, replenishment, recruitment, and engagement of community leaders.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Every school will have a trained community education coordinator, and every superintendent will have been involved in community schools training.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Community education programs will be flexible and readily adaptable to each specific community.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• State, local, and federal matching funds will be available for community education.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

Workbook

Considering a Future…for Community Education

Gap Analysis

Rating Ideals or Characteristics…

Community Education of the Future

Continued from Previous Page

• Youth will be prominently represented in programs for leadership development.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Community education and community educators will help education systems become conveners for change.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Every community strategic plan will view schools as a central convening point for creating a future.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Comprehensive systemic needs assessments will help education systems and communities respond to local needs and include a focus on appropriate business, economic, and health services.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Every community member will have access to resources that will help them to become or remain successful.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Schools will be viewed as a primary resource for addressing community needs.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

• Every college or university with an education department will have a community education component.

Current Rating, Please Circle: Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

Note: You might also wish to consider additional ideals/characteristics identified during 2007 regional conferences. They are found on pages 20-22.

(Process created by Gary Marx, Center for Public Outreach)

Workbook

Considering a Future…for Community Education

Gap Analysis

Identifying Additional Ideals or Characteristics…

Community Education of the Future

Instructions: Identify ideals for or characteristics of community education in the future. Do not be constrained by traditional obstacles. Instead, use your creativity, imagination, and ingenuity to develop statements you would like to become commonplace in describing community education. First, identify up to five ideals or characteristics. Second, rate the current reality in comparison to each ideal. Third, conceive of steps you believe will be needed to close the gap, to get from where we are to where we would like to be. Fourth, speculate on when you believe this characteristic will become commonplace.

Ideal/Characteristic #1: _________________________________________________________

Rating: How would you currently rate the extent to which this statement currently describes community education in the nation?

(Circle one of these numbers.) Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

Steps: What steps would you recommend for filling any gap that might exist?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Likelihood: When do you think this characteristic will become commonplace for community education?

? It is commonplace now. ? Short-Term (1-3 years). ? Medium-Term (4-6 years).

? Long-Term (7-10 years) ? It will never happen.

Ideal/Characteristic #2: _________________________________________________________

Rating: How would you currently rate the extent to which this statement currently describes community education in the nation?

(Circle one of these numbers.) Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

Steps: What steps would you recommend for filling any gap that might exist?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Likelihood: When do you think this characteristic will become commonplace for community education?

? It is commonplace now. ? Short-Term (1-3 years). ? Medium-Term (4-6 years).

? Long-Term (7-10 years) ? It will never happen.

Ideal/Characteristic #3: _________________________________________________________

Rating: How would you currently rate the extent to which this statement currently describes community education in the nation?

(Circle one of these numbers.) Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

Steps: What steps would you recommend for filling any gap that might exist?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Likelihood: When do you think this characteristic will become commonplace for community education?

? It is commonplace now. ? Short-Term (1-3 years). ? Medium-Term (4-6 years).

? Long-Term (7-10 years) ? It will never happen.

Ideal/Characteristic #4: _________________________________________________________

Rating: How would you currently rate the extent to which this statement currently describes community education in the nation?

(Circle one of these numbers.) Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

Steps: What steps would you recommend for filling any gap that might exist?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Likelihood: When do you think this characteristic will become commonplace for community education?

? It is commonplace now. ? Short-Term (1-3 years). ? Medium-Term (4-6 years).

? Long-Term (7-10 years) ? It will never happen.

Ideal/Characteristic #5: _________________________________________________________

Rating: How would you currently rate the extent to which this statement currently describes community education in the nation?

(Circle one of these numbers.) Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 High

Steps: What steps would you recommend for filling any gap that might exist?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Likelihood: When do you think this characteristic will become commonplace for community education?

? It is commonplace now. ? Short-Term (1-3 years). ? Medium-Term (4-6 years).

? Long-Term (7-10 years) ? It will never happen.

(Process created by Gary Marx, Center for Public Outreach)

Summit Participants

NCEA is grateful to each member of this panel for sharing a wealth of time, experience, and insights. The association also expresses its appreciation to all who contributed to futures thinking during regional conferences that immediately followed the summit.

About the Author and Futures Summit Facilitator

Gary Marx is president of the Center for Public Outreach in Vienna, Virginia. Marx is a respected education futurist and is a frequent speaker, workshop leader, and counselor to education systems and other organizations worldwide. He has spoken to audiences in all 50 U.S. states and on five continents and has long been involved in efforts to strengthen community education. Among his most recent books are: Sixteen Trends…Their Profound Impact on Our Future (Educational Research Service, 703-243-2100, ers.org) and Future Focused Leadership…Preparing Schools, Students, and Communities for Tomorrow’s Realities (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 800-933-2723, ascd.org). Both books are also available from amazon.com.

Resources

Florida, Richard (2004). The Rise of the Creative Class. New York. Basic Books

Marx, Gary (2006). Sixteen Trends…Their Profound Impact on Our Future, Arlington, VA, Educational Research Service.

Marx, Gary (2006). Future-Focused Leadership…Preparing Schools, Students, and Communities for Tomorrow’s Realities, Alexandria, VA, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Marx, Gary, Various Articles and Presentations.

Surowiecki, James (2004). The Wisdom of Crowds, New York, Doubleday.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

U.S. Census Bureau. National Population Profiles, Total Population by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Social Security Administration. The 2000 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Trust Funds, Washington, D.C., Author.

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