Skills and Strategy for Community Change (Urban Planning)

SW653, Section 002

This course will engage students in learning core cross-cutting skills needed for engaging in community change. It will use a framework of “ Scan” - “Plan” – “Do” – “Review” to help organize skills. Learning to infuse cross-cutting principles including critical Praxis.

Scan- Assessment and Scanning Skills (individual to community).
Illustrative skills may include: social identity assessments, individual skills assessments, story of self/personal motivational assessments, community power mapping, asset/strength assessments, organizational/community scans, and neighborhood mapping

Plan- Planning Skills.
Illustrative skills may include: participatory community planning, strategy charts, implementation of planning steps, logic charts and theory of change

Do- Action Skills.
Illustrative skills may include: one-on-ones (formal and informal), facilitating participatory meetings, coalition-building techniques and considerations, policy advocacy, program development, intergroup facilitation, and community mobilization

Review- Community reflection and Evaluation Skills.
Illustrative skills may include: critical reflection, program/organizational evaluation, monitoring,
campaign analysis, and participatory evaluation

Topic Description / Additional Information

Priority is given to CBI Scholars and to NCS Community Change Pathway scholars if necessary. Scholars will receive an electronic permission to enroll in this course section prior to registration. All others interested should submit the Course Enrollment Petition via the SSW web site, https://ssw.umich.edu/my-ssw/class-related-forms.