CLC: kept alive by you and me
This evening, the Memphrémagog Community Learning Center is holding a country concert fundraiser at the Piggery Theater. Fun is sure to be abundant; performer Ray Seguin will be coming back for an encore after last year’s success. Yet, the fundraiser is dampened by the nature of its necessity. Without it, the CLC, and all the wonderful activities it organizes, might not be able to continue.
Community Learning Centers are set up all across the province. Their mandate is quite simple: since 2006, CLCS serve to help English schools build partnerships with their communities. They partner up with schools, such as Princess Elizabeth Elementary, to support student success and contribute to the vitality of English-speaking communities.
What the CLC actually does, however, goes deeper than that: they provide a place to learn, grow, and connect with others, and not just Anglophones either; it is open to absolutely anyone. The Memphrémagog CLC has been running for a little over 10 years and according to those involved, it’s something special.
The learning center, located in PEES, hosts a variety of activities. Just recently, the center worked with the Copp’s Ferry Museum and the PEES ethics and religion course to work on a big project focussing on farming. The idea paired well with the CLCS community gardens, another project of theirs, and worked on reconnecting students with their farming roots.
The CLC also, and perhaps most notably, has organized a night school, that offers sessions twice a year. The spring and fall semesters last six weeks each and offer a variety of “skill sharing” classes every Wednesday. For 20$ a session, community members can take a course in anything that happens to be offered. Since the teachers are all volunteers, the curriculum changes depending on what skills the volunteers choose to share that semester, ranging from art classes and writing workshops, to computer skills classes, all the way to archeology courses.
Mike Davis, who is an instructor and co-founder of the night school, reminisced about the beginnings of his project, when only he and Pervana Mladenof, the current coordinator of the Magog CLC, were teachers.
“Back in 2008, it was only us two,” he said. “We taught four classes. Only two of them took hold: Pervana’s arts and crafts class and my business class. We only had about 3 students each.”
Now, the school has much more to offer, and a lot more traffic. According to Davis, the last spring semester brought in 123 students. Mladenof, on her end, guessed that there were as many students during night school then at regular day classes.
She continued to say that the caliber of the night school is “amazing”.
“It’s completely based on volunteer work, both for organizing and teaching. Everyone who teaches here came to share a skill, it doesn’t matter who. If you offer, we’ll take it!”
Davis pointed out that the sheer number of volunteer hours needed to run the CLC’S night school was “astonishing” and praised Mladenof for her dedication to the organization.
“For the spring semester we had 12 committee members and twelve teachers for a total of 742 volunteer hours,” said Davis. “The average of the last few years brings that number up even higher. Pervana does incredible hours all on her own. We all know it.”
While the scope of the CLC’S projects keeps growing, the funding to organize them does not. When the CLC was first founded, they had received a government grant. Since, they have withdrawn their assistance, asking the CLC to become self-sufficient, something that is difficult for an organization that is already scrambling for time and manpower to get everything done.
“The funds are really so limited, especially for a co-ordinator,” said Davis. “We’re constantly being told to be selfsufficient. It’s nerve wracking.”
“The original money was a start-up cost. That was ten years ago. The money is still there, but it’s decreasing. We had hoped for some help from the Eastern Townships School Board, but their funds are decreasing as well,” explained Mladenof, adding that the CLC wants to keep costs for their activities at a bare minimum Dr. Robert Chadwick teaching his course Recent Developments in World Archaeology
to included everyone, no matter their socio-economic background.
“We don’t want to exclude anybody. We want to maintain what we have now. That’s why I’m so grateful to my community. It’s so amazing that they rallied together to organize the Piggery fundraiser,” she said, extending her thanks to fundraiser organizer Christine Hodge.
Despite their economic challenges, according to Mladenof, the night school is just as community oriented as the rest of the CLC’S activities: when members found out that some among them were not comfortable driving at night, they came together to organize for a shuttle bus to drive the night students to and from class.
“We end each day with a snack at the cafeteria. It’s really a social network. There aren’t just people from Magog either,” she said, stating that some night students come all the way from Montreal or Vermont. Davis said that every evening after class at least 60 or 70 people would stay to chat.
Robin Colyer has been involved with the CLC since nearly it’s beginning too. She’s been teaching viniyoga classes through CLC, both at night school and during the “off season”, in a room provided
to her by the CLC. When she had first moved to Magog, the learning center proved to be place that made her feel at home.
“It’s been wonderful. When I had just moved here, it was really my way in to the community,” said Colyer. “I met a lot of people. I felt like I had a place. Everybody was very welcoming, and they all have such a nice wide range of experiences. It’s a fantastic meeting space, but also one where you can contribute.”
“I think it provides a service to the Anglophones in the community, but not solely to them. It’s a place you can feel comfortable no matter what,” she added. “Magog isn’t too big. It’s easy to feel isolated, especially people who live out in the country. It’s a problem.”
Davis agreed. According to him, some of the effects of the CLC on the community can be measured.
“The fun of learning has a large impact,” he said. “A lot of seniors suffer from isolation. The night school gives them a chance to get out there.”
Farzin Farzaneh, an award-winning animated film maker and artist who volunteers as an art teacher at the night school, also felt the community-building effect of the CLC.
“I started teaching here three years ago. I decided to give it a go and it’s been a great experience,” he said. Regarding to his students, he commented: “They learn a lot. They lose their fear of drawing, they loosen up, but I learn a lot from them too. They all have different stories and backgrounds. During class we chat, tell stories, jokes. Very few knew each other before, but the café is always full. I go, it’s good for me too. I tend to keep to myself, but it gets me out there. It’s fun. The pastries are great and homemade. I always stay for at least a half hour.” After the courses, the students and teachers meet to network and socialize.
“It’s very important to me. I’ve been here close to seven years now,” said Colyer, who sadly will soon be moving away to be closer to her children. “My students threw me an incredible going away party. It just goes to show how close we’ve become, we wouldn’t have met otherwise. I’m going to miss all of our friends here. We really do have good people. I hope that people understand the value of what they have here, with the CLC. I think people would feel a big loss without it.”
Keep an eye out for more events and fundraisers organized by the Memphrémagog CLC on their website www.magogclc.ca, or on their Facebook page by typing “Memphremagog Community Learning Center” in the search bar. Those who would be interested to get involved and volunteer can contact Pervana Mladenof by email pervanamlad@gmail.com or at the 819843-4847, extension 6. To support the Piggery Theater fundraiser, which is happening tonight at 8 p.m., call Christine Hodge at 819-847-2769, or Patsy at 819843-7687. Tickets cost 20$ per person.