Welcome to Gathering Grounds: Indigenous Communities of Practice!

“Communities hold the knowledge to improve and sustain health and wellness; they’ve been doing public health, always.” – Forum Participant, August 2016

What is a Community of Practice?

A community of practice is an approach to learning where members share best practices and deepen their knowledge through interaction on an ongoing basis.  

Communities of practice have existed for as long as people have been learning and sharing their knowledge and experience through storytelling. Like our elders who pass down their knowledge and wisdom through stories, a community practice is innately Indigenous. It is a group of people who share a common concern, passion, craft, profession, or set of challenges, and come together to fulfill individual and group goals.

Those who are part of our community of practice benefit in the following ways:

• Connect with people who you might not interact with frequently or at all.
• Generate and explore ideas in a collaborative environment.
• Solve challenging problems through dialogue and exchange.
• Create new, mutually beneficial opportunities to network with others.
• Contribute your individual strengths to support a collective vision.