Building Abundance in Indigenous Communities (BAIC)

This seven-week online course will introduce you to Indigenous principles and practices for community work that build upon strengths and assets for action. We work to create an open space to learn from one another's lived experiences and stories of community building. Our goal is to provide you with community-building tools and methods to meet the needs of present-day Indigenous families, communities, and Nations. By the end of the course, you will identify changes you want to see in your community or organization and create an engagement plan to begin putting your learning into action. Remember that community building is a long-term undertaking that braids together many voices, visions, and partners. Our approach is informed by more than a decade of working with Indigenous graduates, mentors, and Elders and emphasizes the abundance of gifts, talents, and contributions that are alive and well in all Indigenous communities.

Course Objectives:

• Rediscover your community through a lens of abundance.
• Examine historical and colonial impacts on Indigenous community-building and identify decolonizing practices for engagement.
• Challenge and reflect on the assumptions and practices that can help or hinder you in creating and sustaining meaningful community change.
• Explore Indigenous examples of community-driven development.
• Practice participatory tools and methods for uncovering and implementing community strengths for community projects or advocacy efforts.