Learning from Community
Ours is a learning community. We gather to share skills, put our hands to a new task or craft and we know that the first attempt will certainly not be perfect. When we make pottery, several pieces will explode – too thick or too thin. Dishes we cook together might be oversalted, boards we cut in a carpentry class may end up as a slightly crooked box.
The greatest thing about embracing the learning is that we get to keep tweaking every time. Adjusting until it looks right, feels right. Putting our own stamp on it in the end.
Interestingly, the same thing is happening as our community grows. We have new hosts who are linking up with our network and starting LifeSchoolHouse spaces for their own communities. Each time, a new twist is introduced. A flavour that enhances the dish.
Sarah is a skilled videographer so she is capturing content and building an online community. Elaine is partnering with food banks to engage their communities in LSH programming. Erica is starting with outdoor activities - each innovative adaptation of our project demonstrates what is possible and inspires further creativity and growth. Community-led and community-inspired.
A few weeks ago I had a wonderful front porch chat with one of our core volunteers. We were exchanging plants and pots for our latest project – a community garden that will fill the community pantry this fall. Our garden coordinator has been an active participant in our Dartmouth community for a while but found the model asked for a lot of extroverted energy, even from our introverted attendees. Teaching or hosting a class is vulnerable work and the swaps are boisterous and while some of us miss the crowds others are quite happy to have the option to participate in the virtual swaps instead! When we launched a community garden we both observed that there became space for people to pop in when the timing was right for them, to quietly dig and weed and water, and to enjoy short impromptu visits with neighbours as folks began to treat the garden as a community gathering place. A haven for introverts to engage in a comfortable way. On the porch that afternoon we talked about what we have learned from this new project: allowing space for the model to adapt and re-form allows us to find ways to better serve all the members of our community and make use of the unique gifts and interests of our volunteer hosts too.
There is great opportunity for a ‘learning organization’ like ours to never stop re-moulding the clay or adding new spice – aren’t we lucky to be able to follow our community’s lead on new ideas and projects? As always I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next and who might be able to join in as our model opens up and makes space for everyone.
Written by Jennifer DeCoste