We have built up our capacity with a team of coordinators who are passionate about their work and are committed to making a difference in their individual communities. Supporting and guiding each CLC is a group of committed stakeholders—community organizations, school boards, governmental agencies, and a volunteer partnership table. We are doing amazing things with a relatively small budget, but there is constant pressure to keep the schools open longer, the lights on, and our programs running.
Our future is uncertain. Our reality includes less government funding, fewer donations, families with reduced income, school boards under threat, and communities with increased expectations of their CLC. This is why it is imperative that the federal government continue to support the initiative in the new road map.
There are 37 CLCs at different stages of implementation located in vastly different contexts. Some are situated in the remotest areas of the province, where there are no roads connecting villages. Others are located in urban centres. There is a mix of elementary, high school, and adult centres, with student populations ranging from 45 students to 1,500. The reality is that each CLC needs to find tailor-made solutions to answer the unique needs of its students, families, and communities.
CLCs are transforming schools into vibrant centres of lifelong learning and community life. Buildings that used to close when the students left are now open until 10 p.m. for six and in many cases seven days a week and in the summer. It isn't unusual to find senior citizens reading to five-year-olds and grade 6 students teaching seniors how to use computers so that they can e-mail their grandchildren.