Introduction to Community Development

This free online course, Introduction to Community Development, is the first in a four-part series of courses that will introduce you to the concept of community development, how to get a community group started and ways to organize a community group to take action. Using the healthy community model as a springboard for understanding community development, you will get to know about the principles, values, concepts and practices found in the community development segment.

This online course defines the community and its features, and teaches you how to identify issues to be actioned within the community. You will be learning about the various roles within a community group and the strategies it can adopt to further its objectives. Next, you will learn about the art of creating a team that can identify issues within the community group, ensuring inclusive participation and navigating conflict within the group as well as about the practical aspects of governance, liability, and the structure of the community group.

Furthermore, various tools that can be used to analyze the community, such as community asset mapping and the community characteristic checklist will be thought in this online course. You will also get an overview of the types of collaboration that may be possible with other organizations found in the community development sector such as coalitions and networks.

This course will be of immense interest to professionals or volunteers working in community development and with community organizations. It will also be of interest to individuals who would like to improve their understanding, knowledge and skills in relation to community development and its role in changing and improving local communities. Enroll in this online course today and start learning about the principles of community development.