Every so often, I am reminded of the joy and deep value of gathering with one’s people.
I was reminded of that just a few weeks ago, when members of your ALLLM exec and additional lifelong learning leaders gathered for the second of three community of practice gatherings here at Columbia Theological Seminary.
In late 2023, ALLLM received generous funding from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning to underwrite a series of consultations for lifelong learning leaders. Our big hope was to clarify the distinctiveness of lifelong learning, its leaders, and best practices for program design and development. This year, we looked at what we need to know and be able to do for effective leadership.
After unpacking the basics of adult learning, we played* – an aspect of adult learning not often addressed in much of the literature! But, as we learned, it’s absolutely crucial and provided a winsome and humorous laboratory for us to learn about how we function as leaders.
Once again, we were reminded of the collaborative and frequently MacGyver-like innovation that marks the best of lifelong learning leadership. And once again, we were reminded of the political challenges and issues we frequently confront in this work. You know the list; lack of administrative buy-in, power dynamics, attachment to nostalgic approaches to education, organizational inflexibility, and so on.
So what to do? The team also named where and how we can support each other – and, as a guild, support you – in developing and sustaining these capacities. Here were some of the big observations that garnered the most traction:
Peer network and support (a community of practice!)
Getting outside our comfort zones and learning from other educational efforts
Intentional formal learning experiences for us, especially those new to the work
Opportunities to reflect on the work we do, individually and communally
Experiencing the grace that lets us experiment and make mistakes
Which of these most resonate with you? Email me at blierh@ctsnet.edu! We want you in on the conversation.
The week’s end found board members in a facilitated strategic planning process for the organization. Let’s face it – the work is big and our bandwidth is limited. So where’s the sweet spot between our resources and capacities and the membership’s greatest needs? It was a tremendously productive session and you’ll soon see the fruits of it in the coming months. We are excited to be rolling out new, targeted ways to support you and your work.
Oh, and if you think it would be great to be part of one of these consultations, stay tuned! We’ll be opening up next year’s gathering to the membership as we trade notes and collect wisdom on best practices for lifelong learning program design!
Grateful for all of you,
~Helen
*Yes, we really did play. Board member Tay Moss designed a game, similar to Mission Possible, to put us in the thick of design thinking on behalf of fictional (and funny) audiences. Click on the photos to see images of the game and us playing it! Interested in your own copy of the game? Watch this space for more info!
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