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                            Information Item

                    THE MILLENNIUM LEARNING CENTRES 

                          Christopher L. Cope
                          Executive Director
                            execdir@ncf.ca
                           February 20, 2000
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    The Coalition of 13 Regional Health and Service Centres has conceived
a plan to establish 20 "Millennium Learning Centres" in strategically
placed locations in the region. 

    The Vision and Mission for the Millennium Learning Centre's (MLC)
Project was first articulated on April 1, 1999 in a submission to HRDC's
Office of Learning Technology (OLT) for developmental funding. This
document states in part: 

    VISION:  That every individual in our community have the opportunity
             to access learning technologies and support in a user
             friendly location and environment. 

    MISSION: To create up to 20 community driven access points in the
             Ottawa region that will provide learning technologies,
             mentorship and skills development to low income individuals,

             To build long term partnerships between the business
             community, the advanced technology sector, service providers
             and the community,

             To develop a unique mentorship program that will tap the
             wisdom and expertise of our "retired" community and the
             experience of our local business people Background: 

    The purpose of the OLT developmental funding request was to
substantiate the need for these centres and to build the multi-stakeholder
model for the MLC's as presented in the OLT submission. The next stage
would be to develop a full project proposal if sufficient interest and
support was indicated. Developmental funding was approved in August 1999.
Since that time a Steering Committee has engaged in broader consultation
with the community as to what these technology centres would provide and
to seek sources of additional funding, other in-kind resources, technical
expertise and professional & voluntary assistance to operate them on a
sustainable basis. 

    A full proposal for three-year funding for this Pilot Project will be
presented to the OLT on February 29, 2000. Additional proposals for the
Project's core staff and the technology required in these centres are "in
the works" to The Region of Ottawa-Carleton (ROC) through Partners for
Jobs and to Industry Canada's Community Access Program (CAP). The
"architecture" of this project, as conceived, is consistent with the
objectives and prescribed methodology outlined in the requirements for
both federal funding programs. 

    From the onset, this project has been directed by a multi-stakeholder,
community based steering committee that is committed to providing
innovative technology access points for a "community" that has been
increasingly left out of our knowledge-based economy (i.e. physical
infrastructure, supportive learning tools, environments and networks). 

    I have been invited to sit on the interim steering committee for the
project and will provide a letter of support for the project from the
National Capital FreeNet. Support from NCF will primarily consist of the
provision of our core services to the clients of the Millennium Learning
Centres, including NCF accounts for these users. In addition, there will
be an excellent opportunity through this project to market the advantages
of FreeNet membership including our traditional services plus our newer
features such as Thin Client and Web-Mail. 

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             ***   Christopher L. Cope, Executive Director   ***
         National Capital Freenet / Libertel de la Capitale nationale
          tel. (613) 520-2600 ext. 8024  -or-  fax (613) 520-3524