The LCC advances JESNA’s goals through deliberate purposeful programs and initiatives designed to consolidate and codify learnings from the field, disseminate effective practices, and help communities (both geographic and topical) apply them.  It does so through four principal lines of service:

• Knowledge Dissemination. The LCC is creating a robust Knowledge Dissemination system that that is designed to provide educational decision-makers and practitioners with read access to current and accurate resources, information about trends and promising practices, and tools and documents to guide their decision-making and programmatic endeavors.  The LCC codifies “Lessons Learned” about what works under what conditions related to our primary focal domains (part-time Jewish education, Jewish educator support and development, community/central agency capacity building).  These lessons guide our expert consultations to communities (Central Agencies, Federations, professional communities) and our demonstration projects, and will be accessible to the field via our website, publications and presentations.  Dissemination activities include:
  • A well-developed, easily accessible website featuring rich resources and opportunities for interaction;
  • Publications (reports, periodicals and newsletters) that appear on a regular publication schedule and systematic marketing and distribution plans.
  • Conferences convened by the LCC;
  • Presentations by LCC staff at conferences and conventions of other organizations.

• Communities of Practice (CoPs). The LCC establishes and supports networks of highly skilled professionals.  Supported by LCC staff and resources provided through our knowledge dissemination system, CoP members have access to current knowledge of effective practices, skills development and professional training, and collegial support and consultation.  LCC staff members promote the CoPs, recruit appropriate members, provide administrative support, help develop programs and agendas, ensure that resources are readily available to all CoP members, including through the web.

• Demonstration Projects/Action Research. The LCC facilitates projects that provide “learning laboratories” in which to try out promising practices and to learn how to disseminate and adapt effective practices more broadly and in differing situations.  LCC staff helps identify appropriate sites for demonstration projects, assists communities in developing advocacy and support, and advises regarding community organization, planning and adaptation of projects.  In collaboration with JESNA’s Berman Center, LCC staff helps ensure that appropriate monitoring and assessment procedures are incorporated in the demonstration projects so that lessons can be extrapolated.  LCC staff codifies and disseminates learnings from the demonstration projects through its Knowledge Dissemination System (web, CoPs, publications, conferences, consultations, etc.)

• Consultations. LCC staff assists communities in addressing specific issues they wish to change, improve or affect in Jewish education. LCC staff provides expert facilitation of visioning, strategic planning processes, and development of implementation and action plans.