Ask us how you and your class can customize this offering to be done in person in one of our program countries.
The virtual Community Development Program focuses on how to work with on-site community leaders to conceive and develop tangible plans for community improvement. The Program explores a variety of public health, medical, microfinancing and community banking, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) projects, with an extended focus on a hands-on collaboration with community members to develop plans for multiple development projects. Together, these experiences help students develop transferable skills that can be applied across a variety of community development projects and in a variety of global locations.
The heart of the Program focuses on facilitating small team engagement in hands-on collaboration with local community leaders and organizations through virtual meetings to develop plans for multiple development projects. Students begin by collaborating with community members to map community assets.1 Based on the asset mapping results, teams will collaborate with community members to:
- plan and develop a detailed Community Development Action Plan that builds on the communities’ assets and addresses the needs as identified by the community,
- research and formulate a Plan infrastructure budget, and
- work out an implementation timeline.
1 “Asset mapping provides information about the strengths and resources of a community and can help uncover solutions. Once community strengths and resources are inventoried and depicted in a map, you can more easily think about how to build on these assets to address community needs and improve health. Finally, asset mapping promotes community involvement, ownership, and empowerment.” UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (https://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/programs/health-data/trainings/Documents/tw_cba20.pdf). Accessed March 24, 2021.
The NGO, Global Brigades, will then work with the community to implement the Community Development Action Plan developed in the Program.
The Community Development Program aligns with three of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: #3 Good Health and Wellbeing, #6 Clean Water and Sanitation, and #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth.
This virtual Community Development Program enables students to collaborate with community members to achieve real impact, gain significant experience, and develop transferable community development skills and intercultural competencies, while limiting time away from school and their carbon travel footprint, by using virtual meetings.
Community Development Program Learning Objectives
Students that successfully complete the Community Development Program will be able to:
- Discuss what a community development program is, and key factors to ensure its success (gather information, promote community participation in the process, identify an evidence-based program, monitor and evaluate the process).
- Discuss a variety of public health, medical care, economic development (microfinancing and community banking), community violence (gang, family), and WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) community issues and possible solutions.
- Collect and analyze real qualitative and quantitative community data for these issues.
- Work collaboratively with community leaders in a unique cultural context, emphasizing participation and buy-in, to research, identify, and recommend solutions to public health, medical care, economic development, community violence, immigration, education, and WASH challenges.
- Learn how to develop, write, and present a Community Development Action Plan with real-world guidelines for implementation.
Resources provided in support of the virtual sessions and Modules
- A bilingual, on-the-ground session facilitator will facilitate each virtual session with students.
- A translator is provided in each virtual session in which students engage with community members.
- Full-time local teams that work year-round to execute programs alongside communities.
- Electronic support materials provided to all students.
- Session scheduling that coordinates all class meetings and meetings with community members.
Modules in the Community Development Program curriculum
There are eleven Modules in the Community Development Program that can be variously assembled to build programs of the appropriate length and focus.
Additional Modules can be developed to address specific campus needs.
- Additional Modules can be added to the beginning of the Program that focus on developing a variety of skills and experiences with students, or extending the post-engagement work to provide the opportunity for more comprehensive reflection, research, and time for other projects.
- Additional meetings with community members can also be developed.
In addition to our skill-based learning objectives, we focus on helping students develop intercultural competencies so that they can more effectively collaborate both with our community partners and others.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Module 1 – Self-paced Reflection and Action Activities (to be completed before the Module 1 class meeting)
- Watch the Reflection and Action videos.
- Complete the Public Narrative assignments.
- Watch the Global Brigades Foundations video.
- Note any questions that arise in anticipation of the Module 1 meeting and discussion.
Module 1 – Reflection and Action; Program Overview (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- Discussion of the details of the Community Development Program and how its sessions will work.
- Public Narrative discussion, based on the self-paced activities.
- Discussion of principles to bring about change, intercultural competencies, relational and community meetings.
- Review the Holistic Model and the community development approach and activities of the NGO, Global Brigades.
Module 1 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 1 will be able to:
- Discuss the interconnected relationship between reflection and action.
- Discuss key principles (attitudes and skills) used to bring about change.
- Begin to develop student Public Narratives, including each students’ story of self.
- Discuss key attitudes, knowledges, skills, and internal/external outcomes that are part of the process of developing intercultural competencies over time.
- Explain the basics assumptions and practices of a relational and community meetings.
- Explain the basic theoretical framework that animates the practice of community development.
- Explain how the Community Development Program is aligned with both the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the Empowered 300 rural communities initiative (E300).
Module 1 – Self-paced follow-up activities
- Watch the Introduction to Honduras video.
- Watch the Healthcare Situation in Honduras video.
- Complete the assignments in Canvas.
Module 2 – Healthcare Situation in Honduras (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- Discuss concepts, components, and the social determinants of primary health access in developing economies abroad.
- Discuss the major difference between students’ healthcare system and the healthcare system in Honduras.
- Discuss the current community’s public health, sanitation, medical, and microfinancing and community banking challenges.
Module 2 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 2 will be able to:
- Explain key concepts, components, and social determinants of primary health access in developing economies abroad.
- Explain the details of the current community’s public health, sanitation, medical, and microfinancing and community banking challenges.
- Explain the major difference between students’ healthcare system and the healthcare system in Honduras..
Module 2 – Self-paced follow-up activities
- Watch the Community Selection Process video.
- Complete the assignments in Canvas.
Module 3 – Community Context and Data Tools (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- Preliminary introduction to the partner community with which students will collaborate.
- Exploring the community profile (RNA) , needs assessment, and past medical trends .
- Discussion on data collection methods and tools (Basic Sanitation Committee Interview, Community Assessment Household Surveys, KoboToolbox).
Module 3 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 3 will be able to:
- Explain the main historic data and profile information for this community.
- Explain the primary public health needs for this community.
- Explain the primary data collection methods used in these sessions.
Module 3 – Self-paced follow-up activities
- Review the Healthy Schools and Households Manual, which will guide the methodology for house visits and to identify and change a community’s public health behaviors. Answer the questions listed in your Handbook.
- Review the Data Informatics Report on your community, past medical patient trends from prior Global Brigades clinics, as well as the Rapid Needs Assessment and community profile for your assigned community prior to your next session.
Module 4 – Quantitative Household Data Analysis (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- Data collected from the Community Assessment Household Survey is reviewed and discussed.
- Based on the Community Assessment Survey data, identify the primary challenges facing the community. Establish a priority list.
- Based on the review and discussion of the data, next steps are established to draft a Community Development Action Plan, which includes a market analysis of infrastructure needs.
Module 4 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 4 will be able to:
- Explain what a Community Assessment Survey can determine and whether the Survey data is representative of the community as a whole.
- Explain the trends identified from the data regarding primary challenges for the community.
- Quantify the amount and type of infrastructure needed in this community.
Module 4 – Self-paced follow-up activities
- Begin drafting the Community Development Action Plan, with Marketing Analysis and a budget breakdown.
- Draft questions that you would like to be answered by the community leaders in Module 6.
Module 5 – Community banking and microfinance (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- Understand implications and underlying factors of global wealth disparities.
- Explore the role of microfinance and micro-enterprise development in achieving sustainable development.
- Write questions for the community leaders (Module 6).
Module 5 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 5 will be able to:
- Discuss issues involved in global wealth disparities.
- Explain how microfinance and micro-enterprise projects can successfully be used for sustainable community development.
Module 5– Self-paced follow-up activities
- Draft in Spanish, a self-introduction for the next session where you will meet the community leaders.
- Continue to revise and update questions for the community leaders.
- Review the list of common Spanish language terms used in Community Development to facilitate your interaction with the community leaders.
Module 6 – Meeting the Community Leaders (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- Conduct a qualitative focus group session on community challenges with community leaders, based upon the questions that students prepared.
Module 6 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 6 will be able to:
- Explain the issues and challenges faced by the community.
- Explain how to facilitate a qualitative focus group session on community issues.
Module 6 – Self-paced follow-up activities
- Write your conclusions, based on your meeting with the community leaders.
- Begin to identify problems and research their potential solutions for the Community Development Action Plan, based upon feedback from the community leaders and other data.
Module 7 – Group Working Session 1 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- The group learns about the problem-selection methodology.
- The group presents its analysis of community challenges, issues, and solutions in order of priority to the facilitator for feedback.
- The group presents a preliminary Market Analysis on community infrastructure needs.
Module 7 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 7 will be able to:
- Explain how to assemble an effective Community Development Action Plan, with timelines and budgets.
Module 7 – Self-paced follow-up activities
- Continue to draft the Community Development Action Plan, with timelines and budgets.
Module 8 – Group Working Session 2 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- Continue to work to finalize the Community Development Action Plan.
- Continue to work on finalizing the Market Analysis of infrastructure needs.
- Draft the Community Development Action Plan presentation.
Module 8 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 8 will be able to:
- Explain how to assemble and present an effective Community Development Action Plan, with timelines and budgets.
Module 8 – Self-paced follow-up activities
Complete the draft Community Development Action Plan presentation, with timelines and budgets.
Module 9: Group Working Session 3 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- The Group rehearses its Community Development Action Plan presentation with the facilitator for feedback.
- Revise the Community Development Action Plan presentation, based on the feedback.
Module 9 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 9 will be able to:
- Explain how a Community Development Action Plan is developed and presented, revised collectively through team discussion and collaboration, and finalized into a working document to be used with the community leaders.
- Explain how to develop a Market Analysis of infrastructure needs to support the Community Development Action Plan and the work of the community leaders.
Module 9 – Self-paced follow-up activities
- With the Group, finalize any revisions to the Community Development Action Plan presentation.
Module 10 – Community Presentation (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- The Group presents its Community Development Action Plan with a Budget for infrastructure to the community leaders, assisted by a translator.
Module 10 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 10 will be able to:
- Present the analyzed data, based on the Public Health Assessment Survey, to the community leaders.
- Present the Community Development Action Plan with a Budget for infrastructure to the community leaders.
Module 10 – Self-paced follow-up activities
- Revised the written Community Development Action Plan, based on the community leaders’ feedback.
- The revised written Community Development Action Plan will be forwarded to the community leaders for their use.
Module 11 – Post Project Next Steps, Data Impact Reporting & Networking (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
- The facilitator leads a reflection and discussion with the Group on the utility, impacts, and planning and creation of the Community Development Action Plan.
- The facilitator explains the monitoring and evaluation process that GB will follow when the community implements any of the Community Development Action Plan’s projects.
Module 11 – Learning outcomes
Students that successfully complete Module 11 will be able to:
- Explain the monitoring and evaluation process that GB will follow when the community implements any of the Community Development Action Plan’s projects.
- Reflect on the impacts of community planning.
Impact Reporting
Students will be included in Global Brigades’ regular newsletters and receive project updates and overall monitoring and evaluation of our programs.
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