Community Philosophy

Community-based Research

This research was founded on the principles and philosophy of community-based research. Traditional Western approaches to educational research typically start with an academic deciding what needs to be studied and how, and then seeking approval from appropriate research sites to conduct the study. Community-based research is different because it begins with exploration with the school to determine a research focus.

Community-based researchers:

heed the aspirations of the school community itself,
honor the expertise and knowledge of the local stakeholders, and
work in concert to co-create knowledge.

The assumption of community-based research is that all stakeholders to a research study have valuable experiences, knowledge, and contextual understanding that position them to participate in the research. Ensuring the research benefit not only the academic, but the local community, is a fundamental principle of community-based research.

I came to community-based research eager to learn about how to collaborate with educational stakeholders in a research study. As someone who grew up and now live in rural Alberta, attended and then taught in rural schools, the idea of working together with the school community aligned with the rural sensibilities of sharing responsibility and collective ownership. Rural communities thrive when everyone takes part. When I started to get to know New Humble Community School, it was soon obvious that this school existed because of the commitment and consolidated effort of many parents and community members.

Growing Together Community Dinner

Thanks to a Dialogue Grant from the Kule Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS) at the University of Alberta, we held a community dinner that we called “Growing Together” on April 22, 2022 at Telford Hall near Calmar, Alberta. Canada. A crowd of parents, teachers, and community members first shared a meal then shared their perspectives and aspirations around these prompts:

In 30 words or less, describe what’s great about the education for students in New Humble Community School.
What’s unique or special about New Humble Community School compared to other rural schools?
What are the top three strengths of the school (what would you want to highlight for others)?
Think about your children after they leave NHCS—how are they different than children who have attended other schools?
In the future, what contribution would you hope to make to education (other schools) in the Province of Alberta?
If you had a magic wand and you could change one thing regarding NHCS, what would that one thing be?

Based on the discussion, a report captured the sentiments of the discussion.

This dinner served to demonstrate a commitment to a community-based approach and the value of school community members’ input.

A Shared Harvest:

Community Dinner to Share Research Findings

In keeping with community-based research, we gathered once again at Telford Hall so that the NHCS staff, families, and community members could hear about the research. It was a cold day in February, 2026, but in true NHCS fashion, people showed up! Bonnie presented research findings that highlighted five themes:

Agriculture makes learning purposeful and imperative: Students feel like they are part of something "beyond themselves" by caring for animals and growing a garden.
Students learn and develop through high-stakes, adult-like responsibilities: By participating in a working farm through chores and other activities, students do work that is physicially, cognitively, and emotionally demanding. Agriculture doesn't allow anyone to hide from mistakes, so they learn how to deal with the choices they make and the actions they take. They also learn that they cannot control everything, and they have to adapt to Nature's wishes.
Agriculture makes learning joy-full, wonder-full, and awe-full: The natural world is a co-teacher. The world of animals, plants, soil, and air is a canvas for curiosity, which gives students a chance to pursue their own passions and to make connections between the rural world they live in and the curriculum they are learning.
Agriculture develops citizenship and stewardship: Students interact with peers of different ages on the chores crew and to complete projects, but they also engage with members of the larger community. They are engaging in intergenerational teaching and learning. The animals and earth are vessels for learning compassion, conservation, and environmental ethics.
An agriculture-based school honors local knowledge, thus challenging urbanormativity: Students are learning their right to be rural and seeing how rural citizens are innovative, hard-working, and important in a global sense.

This dinner served to demonstrate continued commitment to a community-based approach and the right for communities to use research findings. The research findings were presented again to the staff during a Professional Development Day in May. The presentation captured key findings.