course_package

Building Community 101: Course Package

Course Overview

This 3-hour course teaches practical skills for connecting with people around you, finding like-minded individuals, transitioning from digital to in-person interactions, and building meaningful communities. Designed for complete beginners, the course provides the essential 80/20 knowledge needed to start building community effectively.

Course Structure

Introduction

  • Introduction: Welcome to Building Community 101
  • Introduction Checklist

Core Lessons

  1. Understanding Your Community Needs
    • Lesson 1 Checklist
  2. Breaking the Ice: Conversation Skills for Community Building
    • Lesson 2 Checklist
  3. Finding Your People: Locating Like-minded Individuals
    • Lesson 3 Checklist
  4. From Online to Offline: Bridging Digital and Physical Communities
    • Lesson 4 Checklist
  5. Showing Up: Becoming an Active Community Member
    • Lesson 5 Checklist
  6. Building Trust and Deepening Connections
    • Lesson 6 Checklist
  7. Taking Initiative: Creating Your Own Community
    • Lesson 7 Checklist
  8. Sustaining Community: Nurturing Long-term Connections
    • Lesson 8 Checklist

Capstone

  • Putting It All Together: Your Community Action Plan
  • Capstone Checklist

Supplementary Materials

Cheat Sheets

  • Types of Communities Reference Guide
  • Active Listening Quick Reference
  • Digital Tools for Community Building
  • Conflict Resolution Steps
  • Community Health Indicators
  • Conversation Starters for Different Contexts

Templates

  • Personal Values and Interests Worksheet

Interactive Elements

Self-Assessment Quizzes

  • Introduction: Community Connection Self-Assessment
  • Lesson 1: Values and Interests Inventory
  • Lesson 2: Conversation Comfort Assessment
  • Lesson 3: Community Finding Readiness Check
  • Lesson 4: Online-Offline Transition Readiness
  • Lesson 5: Participation Patterns Evaluation
  • Lesson 6: Trust-Building Capacity Assessment
  • Lesson 7: Community Creation Readiness Check
  • Lesson 8: Community Sustainability Evaluation
  • Capstone: Community-Building Skills Integration Assessment

Role-Playing Scenarios

  • Conversation starters with different personality types
  • Navigating awkward social situations
  • Transitioning online connections to in-person meetings
  • Addressing conflicts in community settings
  • Facilitating first community gatherings

Guided Reflection Prompts

  • Community needs and motivations reflection
  • Social connection mapping exercise
  • Community exploration experience journal
  • Participation barriers identification
  • Trust development reflection
  • Community vision development

Action Planning Worksheets

  • Weekly community-building action planner
  • Community exploration tracker
  • Conversation practice log
  • Community contribution planner
  • 30-Day Community Building Challenge tracker

Visual Elements (Suggestions)

Infographics

  • The Community Building Cycle: Showing how the skills in this course connect and reinforce each other
  • The Conversation Depth Navigator: Illustrating movement from small talk to deeper connection
  • The Community Discovery Matrix: Mapping different types of communities and finding methods
  • The Online-to-Offline Bridge: Showing progression from digital to in-person community
  • The Community Contribution Matrix: Displaying different types of contributions at various participation levels
  • The Trust Development Cycle: Illustrating how trust builds in community settings
  • The Community Creation Journey: Mapping the progression from identifying need to established community
  • The Community Sustainability Cycle: Showing interconnected elements that maintain community health
  • Your Community Building Journey Map: Personalizable progression from self-understanding to thriving community

Diagrams

  • Types of Communities and Their Characteristics
  • The Elements of Active Listening
  • From Stranger to Community Member Progression
  • Digital to Physical Community Transition
  • Elements of Healthy Communities
  • The Trust-Building Process
  • Community Leadership Roles
  • Community Health Assessment Framework

Course Completion

Upon completing all lessons and the capstone project, learners will have: 1. A clear understanding of their personal community needs and values 2. Practical skills for initiating and deepening connections 3. Strategies for finding and evaluating potential communities 4. Tools for bridging online and offline interactions 5. Methods for becoming valued community members 6. Approaches to building trust and navigating conflicts 7. Frameworks for creating new communities when needed 8. Practices for sustaining community over time 9. A personalized 30-day community building action plan