This is the FULL FIVE WEEK COURSE.
Why Community Building?
If the industrial era was about building things, the emerging information and organic eras are about connecting things, people, and ideas.
The kind of meshwork we need to ensure strong, healthy and vibrant communities will require a commitment and investment in efficient and effective learning opportunities that legitimize and further develop staff and volunteers from all sectors to act as community builders.
Although a fast paced and increasingly complex society has resulted in it becoming more and more difficult to predict changes and trends, futurists agree the local communities that thrive will be those that have strong and trusted relationships, networks, and webs able to support "meshwork”.
About the Foundational Community Building Certificate:
Foundational Community Building is an entry-level, stand-alone certificate that is also a core and foundational prerequisite for other certificates offered by the Campus for Communities.
It is applicable to those from a variety of sectors e.g. health, social services, economic development, education, justice, libraries, elected officials, recreation, agriculture, arts, cooperatives, environment etc. and those who believe we can and should be doing better.
The learning is designed to enhance your ability as a community leader to:
- contribute to meaningful and responsive policies, programs, services, and events that help people grow and be healthy, build strong families and communities, provide opportunities for those that are disadvantaged, protect the environment, stimulate the economy, and add to the quality of life in our communities
- accelerate community potential for building capacity, innovation, collective impact, and ultimately, comprehensive community transformation;
better understand that success is dependent upon a process that encourages system-thinking, shared leadership, responsibility, and accountability
- build a network of other community builders.
Upon completion of this certificate, participants will have:
- new knowledge and skills for becoming a catalyst for positive community change;
- be familiar with issues, trends, and models required for community development, community building, collective impact, and comprehensive community transformation, and
- increase their personal growth and development as a community leader.
Target Audience:
Volunteers, staff of government and non-profit organizations, elected officials, and business leaders for whom community building may be a partial responsibility. It is also suitable for funders or senior leaders wanting to make community development a priority.
