2015 RTL Conference

Interagency and intersectoral collaboration in the workplace, is often a solution to complex problems that an individual organization cannot solve alone. Providing students experiential learning opportunities specific to interagency collaboration is necessary to cultivating their capacity to support and navigate diverse workplace experiences. This workshop explores a Master of Education Capstone action research findings, exploring the elements of ‘learning how to successfully work within interagency collaboration.’ Research data results revealed that interagency collaboration requires learning specific skills, as an element for success and sustainability. The facilitator combines academic research with experiential knowledge as the ‘Director of Collaborative Partnerships & Education’ at a local community organization. This interactive and participatory workshop learning can be applied within the classroom and when fostering academic and community partnerships. Incorporating constructivist and social learning theory, the fundamentals of learning how to work in collaboration include: collaborative leadership skills, collaborative communication, and bridging workplace or disciplinary cultures, and learning how to become a new ‘collaborative’ community of practice. Navigating across traditional boundaries between disciplines, departments or organizations often requires flexible and spontaneous ‘learning by doing’ and possible ‘rule bending’ which will be explored within this engaging two hour workshop.