Building Community Capacity in Winnipeg's Inner City: Exploring The Learning and Resource Needs of Volunteer Boards of Directors in Non-Profit Organizations, Research Report

Abstract

This report explores community development and adult education with inner city residents who sit on boards of directors of non-profit organizations - in particular licensed childcare facilities, women’s centers and family resource centers. Community organizations are important vehicles for development of neighbourhoods in terms of the degree to which they increase citizen participation, and stabilize and revitalize neighbourhoods through the creation of social capital (Gittell et al., 1999; Temkin & Rhoe, 1998). Drawing on a “community research as empowerment” framework (Ristock & Pennel, 1996), the project combined research and community capacity building by exploring the learning processes and identifying the resource needs of a sample of Winnipeg inner-city volunteers using an adult education model of experiential learning (Kolb, 1984; 1991). Data was collected through individual questionnaires, focus group/workshops and participant observation.