Order this Paper
Research a local community program and analyze its potential for community development. Relevant
programs must be planned by local non-profit or government organizations, be free or low-cost, and
intended to foster community development (or its aspects, such as capacity building, social capital
development, participation, etc.) Drop-in community programs, events, and festivals are all possible
topics. Suggestions are provided below, but you may also identify a program yourself.
Your research should include gaining firsthand experience at the program (i.e. attending an event
associated with the program, volunteering at the organization that runs the program, meeting with a
program organizer) and further research, including online information about the event (media reports,
web site), and accessing relevant academic literature related to your analysis.
Prepare a five-page (double-spaced, not including title page and references) analysis of the program,
including:
• A brief description of the program, including its purpose, organizers, participants, and how it
aims to foster community development
• Analysis:
• Describe the program (including the group that organizes it) in terms of its potential
for community development, in your opinion. For example, does it reflect an effort
to foster citizen participation, belonging/inclusion, advocate for social change,
placemaking, social capital, etc.?
• Determine how the program is/was initiated, organized, and structured, and discuss
the impact of its decision-making structure on opportunities for community
development
• Identify a key challenge related to running this program from a community
development perspective, and provide some ideas of how this should be addressed.
• In your analysis, draw on at least three relevant peer-reviewed literature sources related to
community development and the organization/initiative of interest (in addition to other
sources, which may include textbook chapters and articles discussed in class, web sites,
articles in the mainstream media, etc.)
Please discuss with me the program you plan to focus on to be sure it will fulfill the requirements
of the assignment.