RURAL LEARNING ASSOCIATION (RLA)
--Working
together to improve the quality of rural life--
More
details through the University
of Guelph Archives
RLA's main projects:
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Sarah
Badgley Literacy Fund for Rural Ontario Children (SBF) |
The Rural Learning
Association is a non-profit general rural organization which promotes and
conducts informal educational activities throughout rural Ontario. It focuses
on the needs of small rural communities and has attracted a diverse membership
base. While the RLA's roots are deep, new members are always welcome! We
welcome fresh ideas and new perspectives to help shape our rural communities of
the future.
Founded in 1965,
the RLA draws on its solid past to guide its current projects and policies and
has the following objectives:
1. To improve
the quality of rural life by emphasizing family, community, and environmentally
responsible values.
2.
To create learning opportunities for residents of rural Ontario by helping them
to rediscover the nature of rural community life today, to identify local
needs, and to find effective means of action to meet those needs.
3.
To foster the organization of forums and seminars for the study and advocacy of
policies designed to strengthen the self-determining and self-managing
capacities of rural communities.
4.
To connect groups and organizations with rural clientele so that they can focus
on rural issues through research, discussion and action.
RLA's roots are
entwined with the Farm Radio Forum broadcasts of the 1930s - 1950s, which took
place until the majority of people had access to television. In 1965, the RLA
was organized to carry on the tradition of rural social justice. On this
occasion two rural organizations merged. The Ontario Folk School Council
joined forces with several hundred listening groups that were following the
National Farm Radio Forum broadcasts of the CBC. The broadcasting series
having been cancelled it was felt a new co-ordinating organization was
needed. Major changes over the past few decades have transformed,
and in some cases, completely destroyed many small
Membership
All
are welcome to join. ($10 per individual; $100 per organization) are due
annually at the AGM (usually in late June). Your membership will put you on the
RLA mailing list and you will receive the newsletter once or twice per year.
You can contact us
for more information.
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Email |
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RLA P.O. Box 1588 Guelph, Ontario N1H 6R7 |