This foundational course focuses on essential communication skills for entering and advancing in industry. Students will develop skills for effective resumes, cover letters, and job interviews that are tailored to the specific needs of prospective employers. Additionally, students will enhance their interpersonal skills and digital fluency while applying speaking, writing, and collaboration techniques crucial for job searching, adapting to new roles, and achieving long-term career goals. Students will also develop strategies for continuous learning to remain competitive in an ever-changing job market.
This course introduces and compares the rationale, concepts, values, principles, and strategies currently used to mobilize community change and address social inequality through community-based initiatives. Participants will explore local examples of Community Development initiatives through guest speakers and field trips. Participants will complete a multi-course project that will provide them with an opportunity to develop the skills required to plan, organize, and facilitate a community event.
This course explores the challenge of navigating differences in organizations and in the community to improve capacity to collaborate. Students will focus on their own identity and experience of difference in terms of gender, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation, as well as by special ways of learning, creating new ideas, and formulating new worldviews. This course explores how differences are viewed and used to sustain power imbalances. Students will examine the mechanics of oppression and privilege, and various learning techniques that help us work together more equitably, inclusively, and respectfully as allies and agents of change.
This course will introduce students to the concept of change through community reflection and action, mobilized from within the community. Students will learn facilitation techniques including developing the ability to set objectives, design and plan empowering group sessions and meetings, lead groups to work together in collaborative ways and finally to gather feedback to evaluate, community gatherings, workshops and other types of community meetings. Students will then take their facilitation design skills and apply them to various situations using critical thinking and analysis to assist in community discussion, decision-making, and consensus.
In this course, students study the activities and functions of community development organizations and explore ways to analyze common problems, manage strategic planning, and create a positive culture in a flexible organization. They will learn how assessment tools measure viability and success and consider ways to take corrective actions. They will explore governance roles and responsibilities, policy-making, and operational principles and practices. They will examine sector trends, current challenges, and the best practices.
In this course, students will explore the financial tools available for community groups to support projects and initiatives. They will expand the skills required to participate in the full cycle of funding proposals, including defining and documenting business models, responding to Requests for Proposals (RFPs), maintaining organizational transparency and accountability, and negotiating with financial institutions and project stakeholders. This course expands on the content in Financial Literacy and Financial Accounting, applying these concepts to funding challenges.
In this foundational course, students will examine the world-wide elements that have come to define healthy and sustainable communities. They will be introduced to the universally accepted determinants and models of human health and the health of the planet. The course will introduce various schools of thought about creating healthy and sustainable communities through design and development. It will also introduce options for transitioning to a healthier community.
Governance Structures is a natural progression from the Human Resources and Operations Management course completed in Term 1. In this course, students will be introduced to a range of governance models traditionally adopted in community development organizations. This focus will expand to incorporate innovative governance models used in social innovation organizations. Students will explore the functions of management and policy boards, advisory committees, and partnerships. They will examine the legal and social impact of various models on the communities they serve.
In small teams, using current project management tools and procedures, and the knowledge gained from all other courses in SICD and CD, students will complete a project of their own choice and design, based on observed needs. They will be matched with a community development organization, or coalition of organizations which will serve as mentors for the project and receive the project design for their own use. The team will define the project, design a plan for completion, assign responsibilities, monitor progress, and present the completed project to the organizations, the class, and invited guests. They will be supervised by the instructor. The project will provide the participants with work-integrated experience and an opportunity to work closely with a potential employer.
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In this course, students will be introduced to the basic methods for primary and secondary research using the computer software applications developed in earlier courses. They will learn how to assess the validity of their findings. Using basic project management tools, they will learn to manage projects from preparatory research through time-lining, communicating, and documenting. Students will create a comprehensive action plan for managing this term’s capstone project, incorporating their learning from all courses completed in the final semester.