The Learnings and Consultation Center (LCC) furthers JESNA’s mission of stimulating Jewish educational excellence in North America by enabling communities (whether geographic or topical) to raise and realize their aspirations for Jewish education.  We seek to increase participation in effective Jewish education (formal, informal and integrated) that leads to more learning, connection to and participation in Jewish life.  [Although we are interested in all aspects of Jewish education, recognizing that others are working specifically in the arenas of Day Schools, Early Childhood Education, Camping, etc., we are currently focusing primarily on part-time Jewish education, educator support and development, and developing communities’ educational capacity through their central agencies.] 

Learnings, Dissemination and Application are the signature strategies by which the LCC achieves its goals:

• Learnings: LCC staff gathers and synthesizes empirical knowledge about what works under what circumstances in order to achieve greater understanding of the factors leading to Jewish educational excellence, change and improvement.  Sources for these learnings include the outstanding work of JESNA’s Berman Center, other leading researchers, and field experience; 
• Dissemination: Using a variety of technologies and means such as the web, Communities of Practice (CoPs) and professional networks, conferences and consultations, publications, etc., the LCC provides a forum for the exchange of current learnings in useful and easily usable ways;
• Application: LCC expert consultants help communities apply “learnings” by working collaboratively with lay and professional leaders to identify issues and customize solutions, facilitate strategic planning processes, and implement demonstration projects.

The LCC establishes and supports networks of highly skilled professionals working on the community level throughout North America.  Through these "communities of practice" (CoPs), it provides participants with access to current knowledge, skills development and professional training, and collegial support and consultation that enables them in turn to guide, support and develop thousands of educators in their local communities.

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.  The LCC has engaged in the following consultations.

The LCC pilots projects that provide "learning laboratories" for promising practices and solutions: Generating ideas, finding the right sites and settings, assisting communities in implementation and advocacy, and advising on a wide range of relevant and related skills.  In collaboration with the Berman Center, LCC staff helps ensure that usable learnings are generated and then disseminated so that others may benefit as well.

As part of its systematic approach to providing educational decision-makers and practitioners with access to updated resources, information about trends and promising practices, and tools and documents to guide decision-making and programmatic endeavors, the LCC is engaged in the following dissemination projects.