Adaptation Learning Network

The Adaptation Learning Network (ALN)’s mandate is to increase British Columbia’s capacity to adapt to climate change.  The ALN designs and delivers learning opportunities for working professionals via three pillars: Courses, Competencies, and an Adaptation Network.

The Adaptation Learning Network: Inspiring Climate Action aims to  increase British Columbia’s capacity to prepare for and adapt to climate change impacts. The ALN’s work expands the knowledge and skills of working professionals who manage the province’s natural resources and infrastructure, including engineers, planners, technicians, landscape architects, agrologists, biologists, and foresters. The ALN increases skills and knowledge through professional training in climate adaptation while encouraging knowledge exchange through a peer network of professionals across disciplines.

The Adaptation Learning Network has a three-pronged approach to developing adaptation capacity: Courses, the Climate Adaptation Competency Framework, and the Adaptation Learning Network.

The ALN collaborated with seven BC universities and built reciprocal relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities to develop courses focused on climate change adaptation. 

Courses are delivered by the participating universities continuing professional development (CPD) departments. Course content and resources are openly accessible as Open Education Resources on the BCcampus website.

 

Courses

Inspiration, innovation, and shared learning experiences are at the core of the ALN’s work.  Seven BC universities have co-developed climate adaptation courses in partnership with the ALN.  

A challenge dialogue survey consultation was performed to identify areas that 68% of climate change and adaptation stakeholders felt were either unaddressed or underdeveloped. From the market consultation results, courses were developed in the identified areas.   

Each course offering is: 

  • designed to be accessible;
  • delivered through a blend of synchronous and asynchronous methods;
  • for a specific audience;
  • designed so that the resulting knowledge and data is accessible to everyone through Open Education Resources;  

 

Adaptation Network

An adaptation network allows climate adaptation professionals to share resources and access available information on climate change adaptation. The ALN’s BC Professionals’ Adaptation Network is focused on climate change-related research, challenges and inspiring solutions. The network includes our social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn), the ALN Newsletter, and partnered organisations. 

 

Competencies

The Climate Adaptation Competency Framework provides a defined set of competencies to ensure that individuals and teams can identify and build the necessary expertise and abilities to perform functions that contribute to climate action: 

  • a practical approach for managing workforce development and performance monitoring in this interdisciplinary field;
  • assistance for employers and job applicants to understand which skills, behaviours and attitudes are required to perform climate adaptation work effectively;
  • provide a basis for employers and educators to identify learning outcomes focused on climate-related issues, potential areas of concern, and options for innovative solutions.

The ALN’s BC Professionals Adaptation Network is an active learning community for climate change adaptation and resilience which fosters discussion and an exchange of expertise and ideas.

The Adaptation Learning Network (ALN) has made significant contributions to increase climate adaptation capacity in BC. This three-year project has achieved the following:

resources and tools generated through the ALN are openly available for sharing and repurposing through BCcampus and the WeADAPT platform.

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