The annual Association of Cooperative Educators (ACE) Institute, held this July 27-30 in Cleveland, brought together leaders across cooperative sectors to learn, network, and support each others' work. The mission of ACE is "to provide members a forum to highlight programs and practices that increase understanding, innovation and professionalism in cooperative education." Bill Patrie, Executive Administrator of the ACE, explains that while most trade associations focus on industry-specific issues, "ACE focuses on thinking and learning and teaching about human cooperation, which creates a dynamic that is not present in most associations."
In the past, the conference has been geared toward cooperative researchers and education staff for large cooperatives, but in recent years, ACE has shifted to a broader definition of cooperative education, including education in the form of technical assistance for cooperative and community development. This made Cleveland an ideal location for the conference, as the Institute worked closely with the Ohio Employee Ownership Center and the Evergreen Cooperatives , whose worker-owners are meeting the needs of Cleveland's community through sustainable businesses like an environmentally-friendly commercial laundry service and a solar panel installation co-op. ACE Institute participants had the opportunity to tour Evergreen Co-ops along with smaller co-ops, such as a Ohio City Bicycle Cooperative, an intergenerational space for community members to learn about bicycle repair and safe cycling.
The theme of this year's Institute was "Crossroads: Choosing Cooperation." Bill Patrie says that "what drove this issue to the forefront for cooperative educators was that in the US, the number of co-ops is diminishing (though their business is increasing), while the number of investor-owned firms is increasing dramatically." ACE wanted to draw attention to the fact that people are in a position to make choices that will directly impact our future. "It seems simple," says Bill Patrie: "we know there's a better way, and that way is human cooperation rather than marketplace competition."
During the Institute, several cooperators shared their success stories, including a Latino cooperative business incubator in Minneapolis, an Eau Claire, Wisconsin co-op that helps a hospital keep local food in supply for its patients & employees, and a partnership between MONDRAGON Internacional and the United Steelworkers. Participants explored everything from connections between co-ops and peace to research on cooperative governance.
ACE is one of the few cooperative associations that actively encourage participation of members from Puerto Rico, Canada, and the US. Of the nine ACE board members, at least 2 must be from Canada, 2 from the US, and 1 from Puerto Rico or other Caribbean islands. ACE provides materials in French and Spanish and translation on site at the conference. Colette Lebel, Director of Cooperative Affairs for Coop Fédérée in Quebec and ACE board members, says that because ACE represents a variety of countries and sectors, "it is rich in diversity, so we can learn from each other and develop a precious network of professional peers."
Still, the ACE Institute has room for improvement. As one of the youngest people attending the conference, NASCO staff member Mingwei Huang, commented that many of the presenters used technical language that was "difficult to follow" or relate to as a person who is relatively new to the cooperative movement. That said, youth leadership development is a priority for ACE, and Mingwei had the opportunity to speak on a panel about what NASCO is doing as a largely youthful organization. She shared some of NASCO's educational initiatives around social, environmental, and economic justice, and encouraged ACE participants to think about how they could adapt these ideas to their own programming.
The next ACE Institute will be held in Summer 2011 in Winnepeg. Papers, podcasts, and powerpoints from the ACE Institute are available online. Click here to access them.
