Community Leadership Certificate

CONTACT

Raúl Gutiérrez, 413.552.2817, rgutierrez@hcc.edu

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The purpose of the Community Leadership Certificate is to provide future and current community activists and organizers the skills and knowledge in the field of community organizing in non-profit organizations in Western Massachusetts, especially Holyoke, Chicopee and Springfield.  The Community Leadership Certificate is for community activists and organizers who want to supplement their existing experience.  Our students can become community leaders that make a difference in people’s lives, working to improve urban communities and affecting change through policymaking at local, state and federal levels. This certificate can be stacked into the following options: Critical Social Thought, Child and Family Studies, Human Services, Latinx Studies, Liberal Arts and Science and the forthcoming Foundations of Health Public Health Track.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

• understand the field of community organizing and grassroot organizations
• communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• understand the relationship between race, class, gender, and ethnicity in their local communities
• use cultural humility when working with diverse individuals, families, and groups in the community
• identify cultures, histories, and languages in the population of Western Massachusetts that will prepare them for the demands of a global society
• gain practical experience by working with local non-profit organizations
• understand the ethics of working in the field of community organizing
• develop interpersonal and leadership skills necessary to enact change in the community