Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central region Basic Understanding of Community

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 2 Learning Objectives  Define community and how it has changed over time.  Explore the underlying assumptions of community development work. Define community development and its role as a process for addressing change in community. Link concepts of community and community development to Extension work.

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 3 Learning Objectives cont. Develop an understanding of the various roles Extension educators can play in communities. Identify the principles that guide the practice of community development process. Define the Community Capitals concept. Identify the community development process.

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 4 Communities Have Changed There have been many changes in our communities over recent years. What are some of these changes?

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 5 Community Issues  School financing  Adult education  Local taxes and government financing  Employment  Retail businesses  Adequate, affordable housing  Land use issues

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 6 Community (Public) Issues  Community issues are complex  Community issues affect large number people  Community issues are interdependent with other issues  Decisions are made by a public body  Decisions result in public policy (regulation, ordinance, expenditure of public resources) that will affect the community

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 7 Community (Public) Issues The context for this series is the community as a whole, as a “unit of analysis” rather than an individual or organization.

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 8 Extension’s Role in Community Work Extension’s work in communities is not new. It has been a part of Extension’s mission since What has evolved over time is that community development has become more professionally defined.

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 9 Understanding Community Think about your community.  What are the characteristics that make your community a community?

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 10 Defining Community Community includes three elements:  Territory or place  Social organizations or institutions that provide regular interaction among residents  Social interaction on matters concerning a common interest. -- Definition by Kenneth Wilkinson (1991)

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 11 Defining Community These three elements of community (place, social systems that provide regular interaction, and matters of common interest) are increasingly separate.

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 12 Defining Community Based on your experiences of working in communities  What are some of the changing aspects of community?  Why have these elements separated over time?

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 13 Defining Community Development What is community development?

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 14 Defining Community Development A process through which people and communities acquire the attitudes, skills and abilities for active participation in creating meaningful futures and dealing with community issues. -- Community Development Academy, University of Missouri

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 15 Underlying Values & Assumptions What are the underlying values and assumptions we make when we talk about community and community development?

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 16 Right to affect our environment CD Principles free and open participation accurate information understanding is basis for change right to be heard right to participate Community Development

Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 17 Principles of Good Practice  Promote active and representative participation toward enabling all community members to meaningfully influence the decisions that affect their lives.  Engage community members in learning about and understanding community issues, and the economic, social, environmental, political, psychological, and other impacts associated with alternative courses of action.

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 18 Principles of Good Practice  Incorporate the diverse interests and cultures of the community in the community development process; and disengage from support of any effort that is likely to adversely affect the disadvantaged members of a community.  Work actively to enhance the leadership capacity of community members, leaders, and groups within the community.

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 19 Principles of Good Practice  Be open to using the full range of action strategies to work toward the long-term sustainability and well being of the community.

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 20 Community Interaction Strong Sense of Community Strong Sense of the Primacy of the Individual Community Society

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 21 Community Interaction Another way to look at community interaction are the strength of ties or social capital:  Internal ties within the community  External ties outside the community How have these changed over time? Have increasing external linkages strengthened or weakened communities?

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 22 Community Interaction How do we think about our work in communities?  The community is something external to us and to be acted on, predicted and managed.  We are the community and create it through our ongoing processes of interaction.  Do you consider yourself an insider or outsider in the communities you work? Domahidy, M. (2003). Using theory to frame community and practice. Journal of the Community Development Society, 34(1),

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 23 Community Capitals Model Cornelia Butler Flora, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Jan Flora, Iowa State University, Community Interaction

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 24 Turning Community Assets into Capitals According to C. Flora community assets become capital when they are invested.  Natural capital – assets that abide in a location  Cultural capital – reflects the way people “know the world” and how to act within it  Human capital – skills & abilities of people to develop and enhance their resources

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 25 Turning Community Assets into Capitals  Social capital – connections among people & organizations to make things happen Bonding social capital – close ties that build community cohesion. Bridging social capital – weak ties that bridge among organizations, agencies, communities

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 26 Turning Community Assets into Capitals  Political capital – access to power and power brokers  Financial capital – financial resources available to invest in community  Built capital – infrastructure that supports the community

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 27 expand the organization review and evaluate establish organizing group identify who is to be included create purpose develop vision and goals develop action plan implement action plan celebrate success Community Development Process Community Development Process Collect /analyze information Community Development Process

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 28 Reflection Questions  What communities am I a part of in my work?  How do I relate to community—am I an insider or an outsider?  How do I define community development in my work?  What are the principles that guide my interactions with people in my community work?

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 29 References Adams, J.R., Jeanetta, S.C., Leuci, M.S., & Stallman, J. (2004, September). Building communities from the grassroots. Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Extension. Community Development Society. (1998) Principles of good practice. dev.orghttp:// dev.org

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 30 References Domahidy, M. (2003). Using theory to frame community and practice. Journal of the Community Development Society, 34(1), Green, G.P. & Haines, A. (2003). Asset building and community development. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 31 References Keller, S. (2003). Community: Pursing the dream, living the reality. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Tönnes, F. (1957) Community and Society. (C.P. Loomis, Trans.). East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press. (Original work published 1887)

Community Development Core Competencies for Extension Professionals in the North Central Region SLIDE 32 Next Session February 9, 2006 Community Demographics Christine Nolan The ability to understand the demographic profile and trends in a community is essential to identifying issues and sustainable alternatives.