Community Leadership Courses in Spring 2026
Build practical skills with these one-credit courses
Community Leadership courses offer practical leadership skills for UMBC undergraduates with 60+ credits!
Are you thinking about generating change on campus or off, before or after graduation? Do you want to build the skills that will help you become an effective changemaker? In just 5 weeks you can take a one-credit Community Leadership Skills Course taught by subject matter experts. Upcoming Spring 2026 skills courses include (1) Events & Programming for Inclusive Practice, (2) Asset Based Community Development, and (3) Budgeting for Community Impact. See below for detailed descriptions of each course! You can take one, two, or all three of these courses, which meet once a week for 5 weeks, on Wednesday nights from 4:30 - 7:00pm in the UMBC classroom at the Lion Brothers Building in southwest Baltimore City (on the UMBC Shuttle route). You will learn from your classmates -- undergraduates, graduate students, and community learners -- as well as your instructors! If you have any questions, please contact Community Leadership Graduate Program Director Sally J. Scott at sjscott@umbc.edu.
CLDR 410-01, Events & Programming as Inclusive Process with Ashley Bush (Baltimore City Parks & Recreation) and Katie Long (Friends of Patterson Park).
Course Description: This course will guide students through the steps of program development and implementation that reflects community culture and priorities. "Events and Programming as Inclusive Process" seeks to help students develop programming which connects multiple communities through shared activities and spaces, and addresses the importance of creating programs and events which respond to community needs, feedback, and assets. The course will equip students with an understanding of the concept of inclusive programming and the value of community engagement to create sustainable community programs and events.
CLDR 410-02, Asset Based Community Development with Jess Wyatt (UMBC Alumni Relations and Asset-Based Community Development Institute)
When/Where: Wednesday nights, 4:30 - 7:00pm, 3/4/26 - 4/8/26 at the Lion Brothers Building classroom in Southwest Baltimore City (on the UMBC shuttle route).
Course Description: This course will address the fundamentals of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), how to practically implement ABCD in students' daily professional practice while developing a community of practice using ABCD, as well as, becoming ABCD practitioners in the field. Working through an ABCD process, participants can move towards whole-community mobilization through mapping the capacities assets of individuals, associations, and institutions while building relationships.
When/Where: Wednesday nights, 4:30 - 7:00pm, 3/4/26 - 4/8/26 at the Lion Brothers Building classroom in Southwest Baltimore City (on the UMBC shuttle route).
Course Description: This course will address the fundamentals of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), how to practically implement ABCD in students' daily professional practice while developing a community of practice using ABCD, as well as, becoming ABCD practitioners in the field. Working through an ABCD process, participants can move towards whole-community mobilization through mapping the capacities assets of individuals, associations, and institutions while building relationships.
CLDR 410-03, Budgeting for Community Impact with Candace Chance (Baltimore Nonprofit Strategist and Director of the Vision, Performance & Impact Firm)
When/Where: Wednesday nights, 4:30 - 7:00pm, 4/15/26 - 513/26 at the Lion Brothers Building classroom in Southwest Baltimore City (on the UMBC shuttle route).
When/Where: Wednesday nights, 4:30 - 7:00pm, 4/15/26 - 513/26 at the Lion Brothers Building classroom in Southwest Baltimore City (on the UMBC shuttle route).
Course Description: Have you heard the saying, Put your money where your mouth is? If not, it is a saying that means to follow through on something you said. Organizations say a lot through their marketing, their grant proposals, and ultimately through their vision, mission, and values. But there's one major way to see if they're really walking the walk or just talking: their BUDGET! An organization's budget is their accountability to the things that they say. This course will teach students how to align their values and their intended impact with their budgets so that they can stand in integrity.
Posted: January 9, 2026, 1:24 PM