Principles of Practice

The following principles of practice are based on the experience of Learning Dreams pilots projects and current research in education and community development:

  • Learning is fundamentally anchored in the home and community (not school)
  • Parents must be involved in their own learning (not simply supporting their children)
  • Parents and children can learn, even in troubled homes
  • Support for learning leads to increased family and community capacity to support learning
  • Building community capacity to support learning leads, over time, to improved school outcomes
  • Schools must respect and support the home and community as places of learning
  • A local neighborhood-based educator is crucial to involving families successfully
  • Organizing a community around learning usually threatens no one and therefore receives enormous support
  • People from all cultures are inherently curious and love to learn, therefore Learning Dreams is adaptable to diverse cultures
  • Success in education leads to poverty reduction