Community Building & Sustainability

The course surveys the history, the theory, and the exemplary practitioners of community. Particular attention will be given to traditions that serve the goals of conflict resolution, environmental education, activism, and community building.

This course promotes the idea that foundations and communities alike are interested in projects that serve to improve communities and strengthen community-based organizations. It is intended to help an organization: (1) strengthen itself, by enhancing connections with the community’s assets; (2) strengthen the community, by investing in the community’s assets; and (3) strengthen current and future community-based projects, activities, and proposals.

This course is designed to look at leadership as an inside-out, relational phenomenon – from individual development to group dynamics and eventually complex organizations. A broad range of leadership topics including self-development, diversity, communications, conflict resolution, group roles, teamwork, decision-making, ethics, organizational design and change, community building and renewal is covered.