Creating and Supporting a Coalition of Collaborative Learning Networks
Netweavers are people who create networks. Most netweaving resources are inaccessible beyond the networks where they were developed, so netweavers cannot draw on other practitioner’s experiences. Networks often operate within an ecosystem of networks, with overlapping purpose, topic, area of operation, and membership. Coordinating networks raises a new set of questions for netweavers, both on how best to situate their networks within this broader ecosystem, and what practices can promote cross-network cooperation and integration while preserving each network’s autonomy and identity. In order to answer the question on how collaboration between learning networks can build capacity to catalyze change in a resilient manner for institutions that are facing complex social-ecological problems, we must create a database and establish connections between netweavers. Interviews, documents, meetings and workshops will help to populate the database and to foster collaboration among netweavers. Michelle will be partnering with MENV professor Bruce Goldstein to explore the several different learning networks that Brugo Lab is organizing into a coalition. Together, Michelle and Bruce will help the learning networks address the challenges of network design and implementation through the analysis of network best practices and the creation of a database and/or practitioner’s tool kit.