# What is a Community of Practice?
A community of practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a concern, a set of challenges, or a passion about a topic. They deepen their knowledge and expertise by regularly interacting to create, share, and use knowledge. A CoP connects people to solutions, celebrates and spreads good practices, and spurs innovation. Those who are new to a field can learn from their more experienced peers and bring fresh ideas and perspectives.
# Communities of Practice…
- Often continue indefinitely
- Have a flexible, fluid membership
- Address challenges as they arise
- Build knowledge through sharing and collective problem-solving
Communities of practice are different from learning collaboratives, which are usually time-limited and have a defined group of participants as well as specific, measurable goals. !
Our Communities of Practice
The communities of practice listed below were are either currently hosted by the Alliance for Healthier Communities or began at the Alliance and are now hosted by an external partner.
| Community of Practice | Open To | Target Audience | Hosted By | How to Join |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) | Alliance Members | New and experienced AI users | Alliance | Email IMS@AllianceON.org |
| Finance | Alliance Members | Finance managers, Executive Leaders | Alliance | Email LHS@AllianceON.org |
| HART Hubs | Alliance Members | Anyone who is involved in a HART Hub in any capacity | Alliance | Email Communications@AllianceON.org |
| Health Promotion (HP) | Alliance Members | Health promoters, community developers, outreach workers, HP program managers | Alliance | Email LHS@AllianceON.org |
| Privacy | Alliance Members | Privacy officers | Alliance | |
| PS Suite Users | Alliance Members | DMCs and others who support the use of PS Suite at their organization | Alliance | Email LHS@AllianceON.org |
| Security | Alliance Members | Alliance | ||
| Social Prescribing - Ontario | Everyone | Health care providers/teams implementing social prescribing in Ontario | Alliance | Register here or email SocialPrescribing@allianceon.or |
| Social Prescribing - Canada | Everyone | People from arts, health care, academia, and other sectors who are interested in developing and promoting social prescribing | Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing (CISP) | Register here |
| ACES & Resilience (ACER) | Everyone | Anyone interested in building capacity for ACEs-informed care and community resilience. | Public Health Ontario | Email Emily Martyn or Becky Warzin |