Ktunaxa Community Learning Centres (KCLC): A Model of Community Engagement in Health, Education, and Training

According to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, there are disproportionately high rates of social and community ill health among First Nations in comparison to the Canadian population in general. Health encompasses not only health care delivery, but also education, community and family networks, traditional knowledge exchange, and linguistic vitality and identity. The use of information communication technologies in health service delivery, also known as e-health, has the potential to improve access to health information in underserved communities and potentially affect disparities in community health. An important area requiring further exploration is community engagement in the design of health resources and content suitable for unique community contexts. In order to understand this process, the Ktunaxa Community Learning Centres (KCLC) project was developed to support the development and implementation of health education in three First Nations communities. The goal of KCLC was to explore how technology could be used to promote health in rural First Nations communities. This chapter describes the development, implementation and impact of this community learning centers initiative and offers recommendations, insights and key messages based on the project.