Under What Conditions Do Rural Schools Learn From their Partners? (original) (raw)
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Successful rural community development efforts focus on harnessing the resources already present to find community solutions to community concerns. For these efforts to be successful, high levels of cooperation, communication and trust need to be built within the community. This paper is based on a pilot study which investigated the role of the local school(s) in the process. The study found that not only do schools educate youth, but they perform a myriad of other functions within their communities, from providing physical resources such as facilities and equipment, to involving community members in the academic, sporting and cultural activities of the school, to encouraging youth and community members to work together to develop a greater understanding of their community and its potential. As school and community work and learn together, relationships are built and strengthened, and networks, extending into and beyond the community, are established. The study also investigated those factors which influence the nature and extent of a school's contribution to its community, and found that leadership, both within the school and in the wider community, is central to the schoolcommunity partnership. A leadership philosophy which supports community participation and shared decision making ensures that relevant solutions are found to meet local community needs. This philosophy is based on the importance of relationship building and establishing networks. Community leadership processes which harness and develop existing school-community relationships and networks are therefore laying a solid foundation for rural community sustainability.