Community Education & Sustainability module (CO20016)

Sustainability is key in ensuring that community projects have a long-term impact. It assures that they respond to the needs, wants, and aspirations of local people.

In this module, you will explore and critique a range of approaches. This will cover a range of topics from the policy, planning and evaluation of individual, local, and national outcomes. These fundamentally make up sustainable organisations.

You will explore and critique funding and resource implications. You will also explore ways in which different organisational models can respond to expressed socio-economic needs.

You will explore the differences between leadership and management theories. You will also determine ways in which effective, principled, and inclusive practices promote sustainability.

You will be encouraged to reflect on your own practice experience.

What you will learn

The module comprises these key elements:

The module comprises these key elements:

Planning and Evaluation

You will explore and critique a range of policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation models and frameworks. These will relate to individual, local and national outcomes which underpin sustainable organisations.

Funding and Resources

You will explore and critique funding and resource implications. You will look at ways in which different organisational models can respond to expressed socio-economic needs. This is to ensure sustainability.

Leadership & Management

You will explore the differences between leadership and management theories. You will also determine ways in which effective, principled and inclusive practices promote sustainability.

Collaborative Working

You will explore the complexity of collaborative working. This includes the benefits and possible challenges.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• critique and understand the significance of policy and evidence-based planning. You will also be able to look at evaluation models of effective and sustainable organisations in Community Education
• show awareness of the opportunities and infrastructures for funding. You will also be able to have an awareness of resourcing sustainable locally-based projects and organisations. This is in response to communities' social, economic and environmental needs
• debate the relevance of different styles of leadership and management. This will help you achieve inclusive, participatory, and sustainable practice in Community Education contexts
• show an understanding of the importance of collaborative working

Assignments / assessment

• group presentation (100% - 50% based on individual criteria, 50% based on group criteria)
  • set in Week 1
  • due in Week 11

This module does not have a written exam.

Teaching methods / timetable

• lectures (one 2-hour session per week for one semester)
• workshops (two 1 hour sessions to support the preparation of your presentation)

You will learn by taking a hands-on approach. This will involve exploring sustainable youth work, adult education or community development projects. Learning materials are provided through specific classes and lectures, workshops, a detailed reading list, videos, examples and talks by invited speakers.

Typically, the programme of sessions looks like this:

1. Introduction to Key Concepts
2. Sustainability, Planning and Evaluation: 1
3. Community Development, ABCD and project planning
4. Funding and Resources
5. Leadership and Management
6. Collaborative Working
7. Sustainability, Planning and Evaluation: 2
8. Presentation Rehearsals
9. Sustainability and Community Education
10. Common Themes, Critique and Curiosity
11. Presentations