The City of Melton is the only Australian city that has been endorsed by UNESCO as learning city.
The city achieved this distinction through coming together with the Community Learning Board have chosen to align all Learning Strategies and frameworks to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Framework of Key Features of Learning Cities (2014).
UNESCO Framework of Key Features of Learning Cities
According to the framework established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, a learning city is one that has managed and continue to effectively mobilize its resources in every sector. The mobilization of these sectors is done in order to: promote inclusive learning from basic to higher education, revitalize learning in families and communities, facilitate learning for and in the workplace, extend the use of modern learning technologies, enhance quality and excellence in learning, and lastly to foster a culture of learning throughout life.
In so doing it will create and reinforce individual empowerment and social cohesion, economic and cultural prosperity, and sustainable development. Consequently, this will give rise to lifelong learning that boosts the learning city attribute of the city.
Melton City, the Learning City
Some of the major building blocks that make Melton City a learning city are:
- Inclusive learning in the educational system
- Revitalized learning in families and communities
- Effective learning for and in the workplace
- Extended use of modern learning technologies
- Enhanced quality and excellence in learning
- A vibrant culture of learning throughout life
By operating a learning city, Melton City enables individual empowerment, social cohesion, economic and cultural prosperity, and build a sustainable city.
The recent Melton Lifelong Learning Festival is one such platform that support the strategies of a learning city. The Festival was a huge success and will be back in 2019.