This paper describes the journey of a mid-size community college towards developing and institutionalizing a core set of values into the culture. The aim is to establish a common guidepost to integrate planning, decision-making and behaviour within the learning community of Red Deer College (RDC). Consultative process was used to engage staff and students in defining the values and a set of associated questions for each value. In order to encourage living the values, strategies were implemented to create strong branding, to establish the values as the organizing framework for key processes, and to facilitate conscious use of the values in daily activity. The values were linked to the college vision, mandate, mission, board goals, and leadership principles as an integral component of the "big picture" and of ongoing cultural change. Key determinants of success and key challenges are outlined as well as future directions.