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There are 3 modules in this course
Driving meaningful change in your organization requires more than internal alignment. It also depends on understanding the communities, networks, and systems your organization touches. This course equips business professionals with the tools and mindset to support change that is strategic, inclusive, and grounded in real-world context.
You will explore practical methods for understanding local needs, identifying existing strengths, and working with stakeholders to co-create solutions. Topics include sustainability and resilience fundamentals, needs assessments, asset mapping, and applying systems thinking to support transitions inside and outside your organization.
Whether you lead programs, manage partnerships, or support community engagement, this course helps you apply your skills in ways that strengthen relationships, uncover opportunities, and deliver value through shared outcomes.
What You’ll Learn:
- Lead change by aligning organizational goals with community needs and assets.
- Apply systems thinking to guide strategic transitions across teams or regions.
- Use asset mapping and needs assessments to surface opportunities and guide engagement.
- Strengthen your ability to co-create solutions with stakeholders and partners.
This module introduces core ideas behind sustainability and resilience and how they shape long-term thinking. Learners explore the balance between social, economic, and environmental priorities, and examine how systems adapt to disruption. The module also highlights common assumptions about sustainability and shows how a resilience lens can uncover vulnerabilities, strengthen adaptive capacity, and guide decision-making in changing environments.
What's included
11 videos1 reading3 assignments
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 71 minutes
Welcome to Transforming Communities•3 minutes
Sustainability and Resilience•1 minute
Defining Sustainability•5 minutes
Defining Sustainability: Part 2•4 minutes
4 Principles of Sustainability: A Systems Perspective•6 minutes
Sustainable Practices•9 minutes
Resilience: Introduction•6 minutes
Applying a Resilience Lense•13 minutes
Distinguishing Resilience from Sustainability•3 minutes
Systems Thinking for Sustainability and Resilience: Practice•10 minutes
Resilience Assessment•10 minutes
1 reading•Total 1 minute
Course Updates and Accessibility Support•1 minute
3 assignments•Total 35 minutes
Module 1 Reflection Question•10 minutes
Sustainability and Resilience Quiz•20 minutes
Review Applying a Resilience Lens •5 minutes
Needs Assessment and Asset Thinking
Module 2•2 hours to complete
Module details
This module introduces practical tools for understanding a community’s needs, strengths, and priorities. Learners explore how to build relationships, engage stakeholders, and gather meaningful input through structured assessments. The module breaks down each step of the needs assessment process and shows how to surface barriers and opportunities. It also introduces asset mapping as a way to identify local resources, support systems, and existing capacity that can guide strategy and build momentum for change.
What's included
16 videos3 assignments
Show info about module content
16 videos•Total 87 minutes
Welcome to Needs Assessments and Asset Mapping•1 minute
Letting the Community Decide•8 minutes
Getting People Involved•11 minutes
Needs Assessment: What Is It?•6 minutes
Needs Assessment: Before You Begin•3 minutes
Needs Assessment: Understanding the Current State•4 minutes
Needs Assessment: Gather and Analyze Information•7 minutes
Needs Assessment: Possible Questions•2 minutes
Needs Assessment: Identify Needs and Make Decisions•6 minutes
Needs Assessment: Barriers•6 minutes
Asset Mapping: Introduction•5 minutes
Asset Mapping: What is an Asset?•6 minutes
Asset Mapping: Set Up and Planning•5 minutes
Asset Mapping: Identify Assets•6 minutes
Asset Mapping: Data Collection•5 minutes
Asset Mapping: Map and Report•7 minutes
3 assignments•Total 45 minutes
Module 2 Reflection Question•10 minutes
Needs Assessment and Asset Thinking Quiz•20 minutes
Reviewing Needs Assessments •15 minutes
Systems Thinking for Change
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
This module focuses on how systems thinking can guide real, lasting change in organizations and communities. Learners explore how to identify leverage points, anticipate unintended consequences, and manage complexity across teams and networks. The module connects systems thinking to inclusive leadership, project management, and the triple bottom line. Learners also reflect on their role as changemakers and gain practical strategies for supporting collaboration, co-creation, and resilient outcomes.
What's included
13 videos2 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
13 videos•Total 134 minutes
Welcome to Systems Thinking for Change•4 minutes
Systems Thinking and the Triple Bottom Line•12 minutes
Systems Thinking For Change•13 minutes
Being a Changemaker•4 minutes
Changemaker Archetypes•3 minutes
Keys to Making Change•7 minutes
Perspectives on Systems Thinking and Inclusive Leadership•48 minutes
Benefits of Co-Creation•5 minutes
Systems Thinking and Project Management•5 minutes
Applying Systems Thinking to Your Projects•7 minutes
Final Thoughts•8 minutes
Developing a Community Vision•11 minutes
Moving Beyond a Gas Station Stop•9 minutes
2 readings•Total 13 minutes
Transforming Communities Case Studies•3 minutes
Further Reading•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 70 minutes
Module 3 Reflection Question•10 minutes
Systems Thinking for Change Quiz•10 minutes
Transforming Communities Final Assessment•40 minutes
Reviewing Inclusive Leadership •10 minutes
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What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.