Growing organic zucchinis, orchids and … skilled workers:

LE JARDIN COLLECTIF, a community-based

training and integration project

Practices of social economy

• Collective projects with community expertise

• Integration of different logics

• Consider the person as a whole (not a problem)

Disadvantaged community

• 31 % under poverty line

• 22% single mother families

• 22 % income support recipients

• 17% less than 9th grade

Le jardin collectif: 1997

COMMUNITY ORGANIC GARDENING PROJECT:

• Less dependency on food banks

• Better eating habits

• Social interaction for excluded

Le jardin collectif: 2000-

• M-FOR program (Emploi-Québec)

• 7 month intensive training

• Men and women from 18 to 50 yrs.

Le jardin collectif training

• 50 % classroom/50% hands-on

• Adapted to market needs

• Certified by School Board

• 15K$ per participant

Le jardin collectif training

• In tune with initial objectives

• Full-time social psychologist

• 1000 kg. organic vegetables distributed

Future orientations

• Recreational area with market activities

• Combination of different logics: public sector support, market activities and volunteer participation

Le jardin: Main characteristics

• Community expertise: including local development and partnerships

• « Person as a whole »: an empowerment process

• Staff working conditions

• Recognized quality of training

Third sector W2W projects

ADVANTAGES:• Solidarity values• Capacity to integrate

different logics

Third sector W2W projects

WEAKNESSES:

• Financial capacity• Human ressource

stability• Lack of recognition

Implications for policy

• Recognition of practices

• Appropriate and stable financing

• Decentralized decision-making and joint-planning

• Future-oriented projects with quality training