Our Vision for a Creative Learning Culture In the year 2030, Bend is a community that values the synergy of a well-rounded, broad-based education, the nurturing and economic power of creativity, and the human connection of culture, heritage and recreation. We are a respected national leader in education, from our kindergartens and public schools to our community college and an established university. Exceptional literacy rates, rigorous academics, well-trained teachers, stable funding, and culturally and globally aware students are hallmarks of our K-12 educational system, while lifelong learning programs foster the mastery of new skills and personal growth. Our new Performing Arts Center and a Museum of Fine Arts serve as major venues for cultural and artistic events, and are centerpieces of the region’s reverence for artistic excellence and achievement. Community-wide cultural arts mentoring, international cultural exchanges and connections with Central Oregon’s heritage and peoples inspire creativity and provide outlets for artistic expression that spans Bend’s socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
KEY VISION ELEMENTS
EDUCATION
1 – Stable K-12 Funding. Bend-LaPine schools have achieved permanent sources of stable funding for K-12 education, assuring small class sizes and the best teachers, facilities, resources, curricula and programs for students.
2 – Educational Excellence. Bend has high quality, accessible early childhood and pre-kindergarten educational programs. The Bend-LaPine School District is recognized as the top school system in Oregon, with well-trained teachers, academically demanding curricula, educational preparation for technical training, high graduation rates, exceptional levels of literacy, and culturally and globally aware graduates. There is comprehensive collaboration among all the community’s K-20 stakeholders.
3 – Alternative Educational Models. Bend offers more creative choices in its K-12 educational system through the provision of alternative learning and instructional options.
4 – Integration of Technology and Sustainability in Education and Economy. Bend integrates technology and the principles of environmental sustainability into education, arts and business in the community.
HIGHER EDUCATION & LIFELONG LEARNING
5 – Thriving Community College. Central Oregon Community College continues to thrive, meeting the diverse needs of a growing community, with adequate funding and strong community support.
6 – Established University. Bend has an established sustainable university with an attractive campus offering research, graduate programs and scholarship opportunities to satisfy the needs of Central Oregon students and attract a national and international student body.
7 – Higher Education-Community Collaboration. Bend's university and community college are actively involved in community affairs, with a ‘low walls’ policy that promotes higher education/community collaboration in solving local problems and synergizing the local economy.
8 – Lifelong Learning Opportunities. Opportunities in Bend abound for lifelong learning, fostering the mastery of new skills, academic enrichment, mentoring programs and personal growth.
ARTS
9 – Active and Thriving Arts Scene. Bend recognizes and supports the arts and culture as a vital part of the community and a significant economic engine in the region's economy, promoting its continued strengthening and development.
10 – Performing Arts Center. A new Performing Arts Center has been established in Bend, providing a major venue for performing arts, including concerts, theatre and dance.
11 – Bend Museum of Fine Arts. Bend has established a new museum of fine arts with permanent collections, exhibits, an auditorium for films, and other events and activities.
CULTURE
12 – Cultural Mentoring. Bend has established a community-wide cultural arts mentoring program to promote the exchange of knowledge and skills from one generation of the community's artists to the next, bridging social, economic and cultural gaps.
13 – International Cultural Exchange. Bend has established an international cultural exchange program, promoting artistic, cultural and informational understanding of other cities and cultures around the world.
14 – Connections with Central Oregon’s Culture and Heritage. Bend honors and celebrates its connections with Central Oregon’s history, heritage and peoples, and their connection with the area, including historical, artistic, cultural, environmental and spiritual ideas and traditions.
1 – Stable K-12 Funding. Bend-LaPine schools have achieved permanent sources of stable funding for K-12 education, assuring small class sizes and the best teachers, facilities, resources, curricula and programs for students.
2 – Educational Excellence. Bend has high quality, accessible early childhood and pre-kindergarten educational programs. The Bend-LaPine School District is recognized as the top school system in Oregon, with well-trained teachers, academically demanding curricula, educational preparation for technical training, high graduation rates, exceptional levels of literacy, and culturally and globally aware graduates. There is comprehensive collaboration among all the community’s K-20 stakeholders.
3 – Alternative Educational Models. Bend offers more creative choices in its K-12 educational system through the provision of alternative learning and instructional options.
4 – Integration of Technology and Sustainability in Education and Economy. Bend integrates technology and the principles of environmental sustainability into education, arts and business in the community.
HIGHER EDUCATION & LIFELONG LEARNING
5 – Thriving Community College. Central Oregon Community College continues to thrive, meeting the diverse needs of a growing community, with adequate funding and strong community support.
6 – Established University. Bend has an established sustainable university with an attractive campus offering research, graduate programs and scholarship opportunities to satisfy the needs of Central Oregon students and attract a national and international student body.
7 – Higher Education-Community Collaboration. Bend's university and community college are actively involved in community affairs, with a ‘low walls’ policy that promotes higher education/community collaboration in solving local problems and synergizing the local economy.
8 – Lifelong Learning Opportunities. Opportunities in Bend abound for lifelong learning, fostering the mastery of new skills, academic enrichment, mentoring programs and personal growth.
ARTS
9 – Active and Thriving Arts Scene. Bend recognizes and supports the arts and culture as a vital part of the community and a significant economic engine in the region's economy, promoting its continued strengthening and development.
10 – Performing Arts Center. A new Performing Arts Center has been established in Bend, providing a major venue for performing arts, including concerts, theatre and dance.
11 – Bend Museum of Fine Arts. Bend has established a new museum of fine arts with permanent collections, exhibits, an auditorium for films, and other events and activities.
CULTURE
12 – Cultural Mentoring. Bend has established a community-wide cultural arts mentoring program to promote the exchange of knowledge and skills from one generation of the community's artists to the next, bridging social, economic and cultural gaps.
13 – International Cultural Exchange. Bend has established an international cultural exchange program, promoting artistic, cultural and informational understanding of other cities and cultures around the world.
14 – Connections with Central Oregon’s Culture and Heritage. Bend honors and celebrates its connections with Central Oregon’s history, heritage and peoples, and their connection with the area, including historical, artistic, cultural, environmental and spiritual ideas and traditions.
