Best practices in the design and implementation of learning communities

Many multisite initiatives supported by national foundations and the federal government have included some type of cross-site convening or platform for peer learning within the design, often referred to as ?learning communities.? This report, based upon a literature review and interviews with 15 individuals who have had experience in designing and implementing learning communities and communities of practice, looks at how learning communities have been designed, the challenges faced when implementing this work, and what have been some of the best practices in terms of building team cohesion, strengthening the capacity of the stakeholders involved in the work, and sparking new and creative thinking. The paper provides guidance to those involved in designing and supporting different types of multisite learning communities and identifies how thinking about ?who? should participate in a learning community and ?how? the learning community is structured relates to the intended goals.