Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development

Learning Communities

Tags: Community Economic Development, Research, Social Capital, Systems Thinking

Client Name: Appalachian Regional Commission

Client Type: Regional Development Organization

Year: 1996, 1997

Location: Washington DC

Yellow Wood Associates, Inc. prepared a paper on the concept of learning communities for the Appalachian Regional Commission. The paper focused on how to identify traits common to learning communities and how to foster the development of these community traits. The paper drew on ideas from the physical sciences, leadership training, learning theory, rural development, public work, organizational learning, systems thinking, and community capacity building.