Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada

Coady Institute

Asset-Based and Community-Led Development Principles

This 6-week online certificate introduces you to fundamental Asset-Based and Community-Led Development (ABCD) theories and principles. You will learn tools to support communities to organize themselves to discover, connect and mobilize their strengths for change. In addition, you will be able to reflect on the outside institutions’ role in supporting community development projects to avoid dependency and foster sustainable community development projects. Course Learning Outcomes: At the end of the course, participants will be able to: Discuss fundamental Asset-based and Community-Led Development theories and principles. Apply participatory methods to discover, connect and mobilize community assets. Give insights on how outside institutions can support Asset-Based and Community-Led Development projects. Examine limitations and critiques of ABCD and explore ways ABCD can strengthen other approaches to change (e.g., rights-based approach).

Grassroots Peacebuilding

This 7-week online certificate is an introduction to peace and conflict while examining the nature, effectiveness, and challenges of grassroots peacebuilding. Grassroots Peacebuilding focuses on the theory, models, and frameworks relevant to peacebuilding and conflict resolution which may be applied in post-conflict situations, humanitarian emergencies, and long- term peacebuilding and reconciliation initiatives. The course uses a wide range of materials in an interactive learning environment. You will be introduced to the latest theories, models, and skills in the context of the most current developments in peacebuilding theory and practice. This course allows for an inquiry of the way in which grassroots initiatives play a role in national peacebuilding practices. As a result, the course explores the tensions that arise between actors from national and international agencies. We will also dissect the importance of conflict analysis prior to examining theoretical frameworks and practical initiatives of peacebuilding. The course offers you the opportunity to navigate between theory and practice. One-on-one academic support is provided upon request by participants. You are responsible to communicate with the facilitator for any course related questions or concerns.

Introduction to Community Outreach

In Introduction to Community Outreach, participants will learn the fundamentals of how to engage with community in a way that is meaningful and impactful for all parties. CEI’s team of facilitators will introduce the idea of community outreach as one piece of a larger puzzle that also includes promotion and engagement, and help participants understand the intersections of how each piece works together. Participants will then have the chance to dive deeper in the “why” and “how” of community outreach, and explore various tools and approaches that can be applied to their own contexts. Individual module topics include: defining community outreach and engagement, understanding community needs and priorities, planning and purpose, forming meaningful partnerships, and measuring impact.

Dans le cadre de ce cours, les participants apprendront les principes de base qui leur permettront d’interagir avec la communauté d’une manière utile et efficace pour toutes les parties. L’équipe de facilitateurs du CEI leur proposera de considérer la sensibilisation communautaire comme une pièce d’un casse-tête qui comprend également la promotion et l’engagement. De plus, elle les aidera à comprendre comment chaque pièce s’emboîte les unes dans les autres. Les participants auront ensuite la chance d’en savoir davantage sur les raisons de faire de la sensibilisation communautaire et sur la façon de le faire. De plus, ils pourront examiner divers outils et approches qui peuvent être utilisés selon le contexte. Les sujets de chaque module comprennent les suivants : définition de la sensibilisation et de l’engagement communautaire, compréhension des besoins et des priorités de la communauté, planification et détermination des objectifs, établissement de partenariats fructueux et mesure des impacts.

Leadership for Young Professionals

We hear about leadership all the time – in the contexts of our workplaces, governments, schools, and communities… but what is leadership really? This course is intended to support young professionals in the early stages of their careers (less than 5 years) in the workforce as they explore what leadership means to them in the context of their work and future goals. It will offer participants the chance to grow their understanding of what leadership means, explore their own personal strengths as leaders, learn new skills, and begin to think through how they can apply their leadership in the workplace. The facilitation style for this course is highly participatory, and prioritizes self-reflection and participant-driven learning. Course participants will be actively involved in shaping their own experience and should not expect a more traditional lecture-based classroom. Benefits of the Program: After nine weeks, participants will come away with a deeper understanding of leadership and a personal inventory of their own strengths as a leader. They'll have learned new skills and strategies for practicing holistic leadership in the workplace from experts and from their peers, including how to create safer and welcoming workplaces; handle difficult discussions; facilitate workshops; and prioritize self and community care within the work environment. Throughout the course, participants will also work to identify how to apply their learnings, adapt the skills they've learned to suit their own personal leadership styles, and use their strengths in leadership to take them from where they are to wherever they want to go - making an impact on what matters to them. Benefits to the Participant's Organization: The participant's organization will benefit from the participant's increased leadership skills and the participant will be encouraged to share their learnings surrounding facilitation, leadership, anti-oppressive practices, etc. with others in their workplace.

Leading with Abundance: Indigenous Women's Leadership

Indigenous women are natural leaders and decision-makers; keepers of knowledge, culture, and language; protectors of land and water; activists and cycle-breakers. Indigenous women are reclaiming their rightful place as leaders. This course supports Indigenous women revitalizing roles and responsibilities and reclaiming places of honour and respect as leaders within their communities and organizations. This course is grounded in relational practices and will guide you to identify and connect with cultural values, build upon your already trusted leadership capacities for community-led, community-driven development, and create spaces for social change. This seven-week course will allow you to learn and explore the abundance of strengths and gifts that live within you and your community. This course reflects Indigenous teachings, relational leadership models and approaches. Principles and tools are also shared. This course is for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women of all ages and backgrounds who have some prior leadership experience and are interested in engaging in social change and becoming active members of a national network of supportive Indigenous leaders. Learning Outcomes: Reflect upon lived experiences and leadership practices to identify personal strengths and motivations. Explore stories and experiences of other Indigenous women leaders to guide you to uncover your values, skills, and capacities. Develop an understanding of opportunities and practical strategies for overcoming challenges. Learn tools for supporting community-driven change. Connect, collaborate, and learn from your peers’ approaches to building community well- being. Build on the foundations of solid leadership skills and awareness to support change. Develop relational approaches to increase the social capital of your communities. Develop vision and leadership approaches that support and lead to innovation and social change.

Participatory Project Planning and Management

This course will examine the key concepts of designing and project or program of action that cultivates positive social change. Emphasis will be placed on the values, principles and critical thinking skills involved in strategic planning, along with participatory project management processes and tools to achieve outcomes for the well-being of all, particularly the most marginalized. It will give participants and opportunity to reflect on their own experiences and to learn from examples of participatory social change. Participants will be challenged to shift their mindset and to select and adapt tools to fit their situation and development context, creating spaces to allow community-led development to flourish. Learning Outcomes: Participants will deepen their understanding of the social change process as a result of the course. This includes the ability to: *Identify practical strategies for creating inclusive, participatory spaces in development practice; *Analyze complex situations and identify potential pathways of social transformation; * Develop knowledge and skills to facilitate community-led processes; * Understand methods to explore, plan, implement, reflection, and assess development initiatives; * Gain new insights by exchanging practical skills and ideas for managing social change initiatives with diverse cohort; and * Select and integrate participatory monitoring, evaluation and learning methods into your work.

Youth Focused Outreach

In Youth-Focused Community Outreach, participants will build on the fundamentals of the Introduction to Community Outreach course and learn how to engage with youth in a way that is meaningful and impactful for all parties. Course facilitators Addy Strickland and Hannah James will support participants to define youth outreach and engagement, share strategies for creating welcoming, youth-friendly spaces, and explore a variety of tools for use in outreach and engagement activities. Participants will make connections and explore various tools and approaches that can be applied to their own contexts. Individual module topics include: defining youth outreach and engagement, meeting youth where they’re at, creating welcoming youth-friendly spaces, tools and strategies to engage youth, asset-based approaches to youth outreach, and trust in action.

Dans le cadre de ce cours, les participants consolideront les bases du cours d’introduction à la sensibilisation communautaire et apprendront à interagir avec les jeunes de façon significative et pertinente pour tous les intervenants. Les facilitatrices de ce cours, Addy Strickland et Hannah James, aideront les participants à définir la sensibilisation et l’engagement des jeunes, à échanger des stratégies pour créer des espaces accueillants et conviviaux pour les jeunes et à découvrir une multitude d’outils pouvant servir aux activités de sensibilisation et d’engagement. Les participants créeront des liens et exploreront divers outils et approches qu’ils peuvent utiliser dans leurs propres situations. Voici les sujets de chaque module : définir la sensibilisation et l’engagement des jeunes; aller à la rencontre des jeunes; créer des espaces accueillants et conviviaux pour les jeunes; les outils et les stratégies pour engager les jeunes; les approches fondées sur les atouts en matière de sensibilisation des jeunes; et la confiance en action.

 

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