What is a Community of Practice?
A Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of people connected by a shared interest, concern, or passion whose collective purpose is to build a strong network of relationships, increase skills and knowledge, and develop solutions towards common goals.  

While the organizations and people in the Food Systems Leadership Network are geographically dispersed, they are united by shared efforts to create more sustainable, just, and equitable food systems. Creating avenues for FSLN members to learn what people in other regions are doing, to understand national trends, and improve efforts by gaining critical knowledge, skills, and resources is crucial for the success of individual and collective efforts.

Communities of Practice at the FSLN
CoPs are a great space to share your knowledge or explore an area you might be less familiar with. Each FSLN CoP has its own goals, meeting schedule, and facilitation plan, as determined by CoP participants. In most cases, these CoPs are open to all network members, though others may emerge from specific trainings or cohorts, and may remain closed to that group. CoPs are typically co-facilitated by an FSLN backbone team member of Wallace Center staff an FSLN member.

Community of Practice vs. Discussion Group
The FSLN’s online platform has several topical Discussion Groups for network members to ask questions, share resources, and troubleshoot together. While these are great forums for ad hoc questions and to archive resources, Communities of Practices offer space for people to convene virtually, making it easier to build relationships and explore a topic more in depth. In many cases, the FSLN’s Communities of Practices are aligned and connected with the Discussion Groups and open to any number of FSLN members.

We invite you to explore, join, and engage with your peers via the CoPs that are right for you!

*Note: To join a Community of Practice, you will need to login or register for an account at www.foodsystemsleadershipnetwork.org/register