Association of Cooperative Educators
Cross-border membership and collaboration brings growth
he Association of
Cooperative Educators
(ACE) has a big vision:
to strengthen cooperatives
and the cooperative
movement by promoting innovative
educational responses to social and
economic changes.
From the outside, ACE appears to
be an unassuming organization. Its
part-time executive administrator
works from her home in Arlington, Va.
The Cooperative Foundation provides
many of the organization’s support services
out of the CHS Inc. offices in
Inver Grove Heights, Minn. Its website
is hosted by the University of
Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives in
Madison, Wis.
At a time when cooperatives have
been cutting back on education staff,
ACE’s membership has been growing.
“ACE gives a lot of bang for the
buck,” says Leslie Mead, ACE executive
administrator. “The combination
of a committed board, organizational
and foundation supporters, and technology
allows ACE to serve its diverse
membership and promote cooperative
education very efficiently.”
ACE brings together researchers,
educators and cooperators from across
cooperative sectors as well as national
boundaries, linking an otherwise decentralized
field. Most ACE members
come from the United States, Canada
and Puerto Rico with membership from
the rest of the world growing.
The Internet not only offers a costeffective
way to reduce administrative
expenses, but it also allows frequent
communications with members and
offers a wealth of information on
cooperative research, education programs
and developments.
“The ACE newsletter contains a lot
of information gleaned from websites,”
says Mead. “The web makes
available information on some very
good cooperative education resources
and innovative programs from all over
the world. Few people have the time
to search for it. The newsletter provides
a valuable service by distilling
this information and making people
aware that it’s available.”
ACE recently began publishing its
newsletter electronically. The change
reduced printing and mailing costs
and allows greater flexibility in size,
design and color. The newsletters are
posted on the ACE website and available
to all.
While the Internet has expanded
ACE’s information and communication
capacity, the annual ACE Institute
remains an important event for cooperative
education and networking.
The Institute includes recognition
of the best cooperative education programs
and honors cooperative educators
at the annual awards banquet.
This year, ACE member Cooperativa
de Seguaros Múltiples de Puerto Rico
commissioned an artist to redesign the
ACE awards. The result is a stained
glass trophy that symbolizes the
national and sector diversity of ACE
membership.
This year’s institute in Montreal will
be simultaneously translated in Spanish,
French and English. (The 2004
Institute will be held Aug. 4-7.)
Though ACE has been around for
over 40 years, its importance grew significantly
in recent years as events and
organizations once considered cooperative
education institutions were curtailed
or eliminated.
“Despite continual changes in
demographics and economies, there
remains a significant interest in cooperative
education and recognition
that education is essential to member
commitment and support of cooperatives,”
says William Nelson, president
of the CHS Foundation and The
Cooperative Foundation.
“Cooperative Centers, universities
and state and national organizations
are all components in the revitalization
of cooperative education. The
Cooperative Foundation sees the networking
and information services
provided by ACE as very important
to this process.”
Contact Information: website:
http://www.wisc.edu/uwcc/ace/ace.html ;
Phone: (651) 355-5481; address: ACE
C/O The Cooperative Foundation,
P.O. Box 64047, St. Paul, Minn.
55164. President, Anne Reynolds
(University of Wisconsin); Executive
Administrator: Leslie Mead.
