From Policy to Practice:
Shaping CLN’s Role in Advocacy
Shaping CLN’s Role in Advocacy
Written by Dave Albrecht
As a member of the CLN Board of Directors and Chair of the Governance Committee, I’ve had the privilege of working with an outstanding team over the past year to review and strengthen CLN’s policies. Together with Monica Sczyrba-Davis, Tanya Mercredi, and Lisa Dickner, our committee has been focused on developing a policy that will guide the organization in advocating for foundational learning.
Each member brought unique strengths to the table: Monica contributed the compassion and heart needed to ensure our policies reflect the diverse needs of our communities; Tanya shared her practical wisdom and thoughtful insights that pushed us to pause, reflect, and refine our direction; and Lisa offered her expertise in both policy development and implementation, keeping us grounded in best practices.
Thanks to this collaborative effort, we now have a strong foundation for a policy that will support both CLN and our member organizations. At the same time, we recognize that this work is still in its early stages and will continue to evolve as the world around us changes.
Here is a quick snapshot of what we came up with.
Voice for CALP
CLN will support the raising of awareness of the Community Adult Learning Program within Government and the public as a whole. CLN will ensure it is strategically positioned and engaged with CLN’s funders’ activities and initiatives to ensure CALP is well represented (e.g. invitations to meetings, focus groups, events, etc.). It is important to note that CLN will not support individual requests for funding or be positioned as the primary advocate to coordinate all of CALP.
Voice for the CALP Professional Development System
CLN will raise awareness and promote CLN’s role and mandate to develop and deliver professional development and training for CALP. CLN will advocate for the importance of diversity in training delivery and learning opportunities (e.g. in person, online, urban/rural/remote, large & small group, one-to-one mentoring/coaching, etc.).
Supporting CALPs in Their Own Advocacy
CLN will develop and provide training to CALPs to support the development or enhancement of their advocacy activities.
Advocating for CLN
CLN will proactively address challenges, advocate for the support necessary to protect and enhance its ability to fulfill its mandate and ensure its continued ability to lead and support the CALP PD System.
The work of governance is never truly finished, but with this policy, we’ve taken an important step in strengthening CLN’s role in advocacy. We’re excited to see how it will continue to grow and adapt alongside the needs of our communities, and we look forward to refining this framework alongside our members and partners, ensuring it remains responsive and relevant in the years to come. A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who has contributed to this process—your voices, experiences, and expertise are helping us build a stronger foundation for lifelong learning across Alberta.
We’d love to hear your feedback, thoughts, and suggestions as we move forward—your input will be invaluable in shaping how this policy lives and evolves in practice.
A full detailed copy of the Advocacy Policy can be found here: Advocacy Policy
Dave Albrecht,
CLN Director & Governance Committee Chair