The Northern Corridor Education Precinct: A Space of Engagement for Mutual Benefit

A growing emphasis is being placed on the need for the education sector to engage with community in a meaningful and mutually beneficial way. Both in Australia and internationally, governments, the institutions and communities are looking at how the resources and potential of such relationships can be unlocked. Regional and urban education campuses have a multifaceted role within the community. Not only are they the site of traditional learning and possibly research but also they are usually one of the regions major employers, economic drivers, cultural, recreational, infrastructure and resource providers. The integration of community engagement concepts into educational teaching and learnings is critical to the holistic development of our future society. Through community engagement, this and future generations can gain a broader perspective and deeper understanding for aspects of social thinking and activities that would normally be beyond their immediate life experiences. This practice presentation explores how the drivers listed above have been integrated into the operations of the Northern Corridor Education Precinct (NCEP) a collaborative education sector initiative in the transport corridor to the north of Brisbane, Australia. How has the NCEP through collaboration, commitment and the grassroots been able to: weaken traditionally strong boundaries between learning institutions and their communities; create spaces of engagement in which discourse can occur; and engage their communities both internal and external in a sustainable and mutually beneficial way