[NLA] Advocating for the Collaborative Approach - A Coalition Salute

[DoughtyHRC@aol.com]

Andea - yes, to get a full National Alliance of Urban Literacy Coalitions 
listing contact Edith Gower at office at NAULC.org. This will include all the 
urban literacy coalitions and also the state and rural coalitions that are 
beginning to partner with NAULC.

You ask about threads running through the coalition development work.   The 
first is a gradual shift from local competition to collaboration which 
evolves with the growth of trust built through shared projects and trainings. 
 The second is an increase in support from non-literacy organizations that 
increases issue awareness and raises the profile of literacy (this would 
include such groups as city and county, business and funding, civic and 
religious organizations, and many others).   The idea being that if there is 
a vision of 100% literacy that requires a 100% community engagement.  
Communities that 'own' the issue are far more prepared to work together for 
change.

It is rather like the pebble in the pond - the more collaboration and support 
the more providers join the coalition; as more providers join the coalition 
the community voice becomes more powerful;  as the voice gets more powerful 
the funders become more interested; as funders become more interested there 
is a greater focus on shared accountability and collecting data across 
funding streams to create a community report card.   As a community report 
card feeds back program data a cycle of growth and improvement is developed.  
 The most critical thread though, is the fact that the coalition is a 
grassroots effort and its development is not mandated by a single funding 
stream or organization.  It is the power of the local providers working 
together for the good of the learners and therefore for the good of their 
entire community.

It is very exciting to change happening through a new spirit of collaboratio
n.

Margaret
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