ABOUT
GREATER THAN

In 2013, the County Foundation (TCF) produced a Vital Signs report that provided a snapshot of the community and raised awareness of its successes and challenges. This report was based on a collection of quantitative and qualitative data from municipal, provincial, and federal sources, and community conversations. The report pointed to opportunities for collaboration to analyze and address problems.

An advisory committee prioritized three key areas for immediate action: Learning, Food Insecurity, and Transportation. Working groups defined priorities and projects in each of the three areas. The Vital Signs Learning working group, with members from 15 local organizations, articulated a vision “to create a community culture that embraces learning and personal development and enables everyone to reach their potential.” The group has met on a regular basis since 2013, and in the early days focused on relationship-building and gaining awareness of services available in the community.

 A driving force for the group was the knowledge that graduation rates in PEC are well below the provincial average. Conscious of the complex, long-standing nature of this issue, the group came to embrace a Collective Impact approach for reaching the goal of increasing the PEC graduation rate to parity with the provincial average by 2026, which was seen as a key indicator of progress toward the group’s vision.