The Waterloo School for Community Development is a critical part of the work of The Working Centre. Early on, we established the importance of engaged learning as part of our reflective practice. This learning happens in formal and informal ways that inform our work, enliven our exchanges, and allow us to constantly grow and change. See the article attached below to understand how this commitment has grown and is described.
This section of our website introduces you to some of the ways this engagement is embodied in our work:
- Good Work News – In issues that date back to 2005, you can read the stories, activities, and reflections of Working Centre projects and activities.
- Ideas and Influences – This page reflects the thinking that guides our work, including community tools, access to tools, lack of hierarchy and bureaucracy, building relationships, work as gift, respect for the enivronment, producerism, humility, cooperation and serving others; this section also includes a tab of influential thinkers whose writing informs our work.
- Books for Sustainable Living – We have put together this creative collection of books for sale, that contain ideas that help to challenge our habits and open us to new ideas and thoughts.
- Working Centre Publications – There is a growing collection of books produced and published through The Working Centre.
- Engaged Learning – The Diploma in Local Democracy offers a conversation-based course that explores the principles of community development; Internships offer practical ways to learn and contribute to The Working Centre; The Simple Living study circle guide is a resource for those interested in voluntary simplicity.
- Tree of Life – Andy Macpherson created this drawing in celebration of The Working Centre’s 30th Anniversary – “After 30 years at The Working Centre, core values, principles, ideas, shared work, learning, programs, community, kindness, compassion … so much fruit has been born of such hearty trunk and roots, all in cooperation with the whole; service, life, joy, community, shared tools and skills, hospitality, creativity, love.”
- University Partnerships – Increasingly we are forming closer connections with our University partners in an effort to develop ways for formal and informal learning to work together; sharing our spaces and our practical learning about community development, inclusion and social enterprise.
- International Partnerships – From the beginning of The Working Centre we actively learned from international experiences and partnerships, understanding the work of community development through diverse lenses and perspectives. We have continued to develop international partnerships that help widen our understanding of our work.
- Mayors’ Dinner – This page portrays the decades of celebration of people who commit their lives to community service. These people have become our friends and mentors and many continue to support and engage in the life of The Working Centre.
For more information, contact genmail[at]theworkingcentre.org.
