Despite cuts in some areas of public expenditure in the United States, professional community development degree programs continue to increase in the United States. But some critics assert that the field is fragmented and disjointed. The University of Kentucky Department of Community and Leadership Development has received a $740,000 (U.S.) three year grant to address this fragmentation. The research will address 7 major objectives:
1) Conduct a national study of the status quo of graduate and undergraduate programs in community development;
2) Build a network of community development educators by convening a national conference that focuses on innovative curriculum educational practices, student development and professional development needs.
3) Convene a summit of diverse community education leaders to develop a national agenda for community development education
4) Build institutional capacity to support community development education by creating a virtual community of practice to share educational research, practices, resources and community engagement techniques.
5) Develop a special issue of Community Development that focuses on pedagogical theories and philosophies, disseminate innovation, best practices and future trends.
6) Encourage instructional and programmatic innovation within community development education through mini-grant system established for graduate and undergraduate educators,.
7) Enhance cultural compétence among community development education faculty; heightening instructors’ abilities to create inclusive educational environments for increased diverse student participation.
Several IACD members are closely involved in the project team, including Cari Patterson, former IACD Secretary General, Ron Hustedde, former Vice President and past Community Development Society President. Bryan Hains the current president of the American Community Development Society is the lead investigator on the initiative. (see picture)
This study is the largest research and development program in community development education for many years, and IACD will be supporting it fully. The timing of the study links well with the Association’s parallel work on developing international standards for community development education and practice. Ron Hustedde, the lead instigator behind the project is a member of the IACD Training and Professional Development committee and has been briefing the committee since the early days of the project design.
