ASSET-BASED AND COMMUNITY-LED DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES
January 15 – March 3, 2025
This 7-week online course 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.
This course is designed for change-makers of any age or sector who are questioning the relevance of projects and programs driven by external organizations and focused on community needs and deficits. This includes community builders, government agencies, NGOs, universities, and grant making organizations. You are a strong candidate if you are passionate about helping communities flourish and reach their full potential, curious about how ABCD can enhance your work, and committed to applying the approach after the course.
The asset-based and community-led development approach has reshaped my perspective and strategies, enabling me to harness the strengths within my community to drive sustainable change.
Michael Maganga, Executive Director Igniting Young Minds Tanzania
Course learning outcomes:
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
• Discuss the fundamental theories and principles of Asset-Based and Community-Led Development.
• Apply participatory methods to discover, connect, and mobilize community assets. Provide insights on how external institutions can support Asset-Based and Community-Led Development projects.
• Examine the limitations and critiques of ABCD and explore ways in which ABCD can strengthen other approaches to change (e.g., rights-based approaches).
Time requirement
This course runs for seven weeks. As a participant, you are expected to spend eight hours per week engaged in learning activities by attending live learning sessions, participating in online discussion forums, reading, reflecting, and completing assignments independently. While they are not mandatory, you are strongly encouraged to attend the live sessions. All instructional materials will be in English.
The live learning sessions will take place from 17:00 – 19:00 Universal Time (UTC) on Thursdays.
Technology requirement
• Reliable internet access (high speed is recommended)
Speakers and microphone
Fees
Tuition for the course is $400. Coady Institute strives to ensure that practitioners and community members working toward community led development around the world have access to its courses. This is made possible through funding provided by many individual and institutional donors. Full bursaries are available for First Nations, Métis and Inuit community members residing in Canada, and members from African Nova Scotian communities and Nova Scotians of African descent.
If you belong to one of these communities and would like to request a full bursary, please reach out to coadyadmit@stfx.ca.
Established in 1959, Coady Institute is committed to accompanying generations of global leaders skilled in the application of citizen-led, asset-based, and community-driven leadership for economic and social change. Located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People, on the campus of St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Coady Institute includes a network of leaders in 130 countries globally. To register, visit coady.stfx.ca
