The Community Development Leadership Program (CDLP) is an interdisciplinary academic program that requires extensive collaboration with chairs and faculty members of different departments and the recruitment of student participants. The CDLP consists of two interrelated components—the University-Wide Committee on Community Development in the Curriculum, and the Undergraduate Minor in Community Development and Community Development Internship Program.

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UNIVERSITY-WIDE COMMITTEE ON
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE CURRICULUM

The University-wide Committee on Community Development in the Curriculum (UCCDC) was constituted under the leadership of the Provost in March 1998 for the purpose of developing proposals for academic programs in community development at the undergraduate, graduate, and certificate levels. A twenty-member committee representing all relevant units of the University was constituted under the chairmanship of the Provost for carrying out the task. The committee was staffed by the Center for Urban Progress (CUP). The UCCDC organized a two-day mini-conference on urban research in 1998 and created a committee to develop proposals for academic programs in community development. The first such program, approved in 1999 and implemented in 2000, was the undergraduate minor in Community Development with the associated Community Development Internship Program (CDIP). Based on the actual experience with the minor for three years and with the support of the Fund for Academic Excellence, proposals for an undergraduate major, an MA program, a Ph.D. Program, and certificate programs are under development.

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THE MINOR IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

OVERVIEW

The minor is an interdisciplinary program intended to provide the student with the knowledge, tools, and practical experience to play a proactive role in community revitalization processes in cities throughout the world. Students take five courses (fifteen hours) from the program's listing. Three of these courses are required, specifically the Seminar in Community Development (POLS 138), the Economics of Black Community Development (ECON 188), and one of the approved Internship courses (ECON 095, POLS 150, or SOCI 079). The internship requirement includes placement in a local Community Development Corporation or other appropriate entity for at least one semester. Two electives from the approved list of courses satisfy the remainder of the requirements. Students should normally declare this minor during the second semester of their sophomore year.

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HISTORY OF THE MINOR

Since its inception in 1995, the Howard University Center for Urban Progress (CUP) has worked closely with many community-based partners in the area near Howard University to strengthen the holistic revitalization process in these neighborhoods. To this end, CUP has implemented programs in literacy, workforce development, business development, computer access, and youth mentoring; and it has conducted “brick and mortar” projects, applied urban research evaluation activities, and undertaken curricular initiatives. During the period of these collaborations, our partners have told us that one of the greatest benefits we could provide to the community development community would be to enhance the pipeline of community development professionals through academic programs in community development. Accordingly, with foundation support, we began to develop the outline of such a program through the good offices of the Provost who convened the University-wide Committee for Community Development in the Curriculum (UCCDC) to evaluate this suggestion and make proposals based on this work. With the help of national experts in the field and several site visits, the UCCDC evaluated a range of options and decided to first offer the proposal for the community development minor based in the College of Arts and Sciences. This proposal was finalized through the collaboration of faculty members from the Departments of Political Science, Economics, and Sociology and Anthropology as well as with the support from many units throughout the university. It was presented to the College faculty and approved in 1999.

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THE INTERDISCIPLINARY MINOR IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY

A DEFINITION

The field of community development encompasses in a holistic manner a broad range of human development activities and an equally extensive array of economic development activities centered on disadvantaged areas. Community development consists of activities carried out under the leadership of community-based non-profit groups for the purpose of enhancing the physical, economic, educational, and social assets of specific low-asset areas and in so doing empower residents to gain greater control over the future of their neighborhoods and enhance family and individual capacities . . . . [including] affordable housing, business development, job creation, employment training and job placement, work support, commercial revitalization, child and elder care, social services, health care, and other related activities. [SEEDCO, Request for Proposals to Establish Community Development Leadership Programs at HBCUs, 1996, p. 3.]

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STRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MINOR

The Community Development Leadership Program Director administers the Community Development minor with support and information from College of Arts and Sciences departments and from other participating university units. The program is reviewed periodically and assisted by a Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB), made up of the Director of the Community Development Leadership Program, faculty representatives from participating university units, student representatives, and representatives from the community development professions. The Educational Advisory Center (EAC) tracks the progress of students enrolled in the minor in the usual manner.

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PROCEDURES FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT UNIVERSITY-WIDE MINOR CURRICULUM

Interested students discuss their intent to pursue the minor with the Director of the Community Development Leadership Program and sign up for it at that time. This information is conveyed to the EAC for their records. The Director provides the basic documentation to the student concerning the regulations and the required and elective courses for the minor. The Director of the CDLP assigns the student to a faculty advisor for the minor. The faculty advisor meets with the student to devise the optimal sequence of courses for the student's particular interest in community development. The student then completes the first course in community development. By the end of the first course, the student is assigned to a community-based community development advisor who further assists the student in deciding what type of course work and internship is most appropriate, given the student's interests in the field of community development.

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THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STUDENT CLUSTER

The students participating in the minor are encouraged to join a student organization, the Community Development Student Cluster (CDSC). The Director of the CDLP and/or his/her designee serves as advisor to the club. The CDSC develops its own set of activities, which may include sponsoring seminars, carrying out CD projects consistent with the mission of Howard University, social events, and recruitment of members of the CDSC and for the CD minor.

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REQUIREMENTS

Community Development minors are required to complete five, three-credit courses from the list of approved community development courses (see attached list). The course entitled "Seminar in Community Development" is required of all minors and is their first course in the field. It is offered by the Department of Political Science. The course "Economics of Black Community Development" is required as the final or capstone course in the minor. It is offered by the Department of Economics. One of the five courses will be a three credit (or more) internship course approved for the minor by the faculty advisor and/or CDLP Director. The student may select the internship course from any of the participating units, subject to the approval of the department offering the internship course. The two remaining courses are electives drawn from the list of approved community development courses. The elective courses are selected as a result of consultations between the student and the faculty advisor and, where possible, with input from the community advisor as well. Approval of the advisor is required.

In rendering academic advice, the faculty advisor takes into account the particular formal and informal preparation of the student for each of his/her desired courses to assure that all relevant university and student needs are accommodated.

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THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The CDLP Director, the CDLP Community Director, and the Community Development Internship Program Director coordinate the internship program of the CD Minor with the assistance of the CDAB. They systematically develop internships with community development corporations, other community-based organizations, and selected, relevant, local government placements in such offices as the Office of Planning and the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development. Such internship development insures that the internship experience contributes significantly to the deepening of the student's knowledge of community development through exposure to real community development problems.

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THE EVOLUTION OF THE CD CURRICULUM

As the minor matures, requirements may need to be modified as a result of the experiences of students, faculty, and community associates. These issues will be addressed by the CDAB. The list of CD courses will be reviewed annually by the committee. Proposed modifications in the program will be forwarded for review and action to the Dean and faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences.
The primary criterion to be used by the CDAB for adding courses to the list of approved courses for the minor is relevancy to community development based on definition of community development stated above.

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OUTCOMES CRITERIA

At the end of the program of study, the student with a minor in community development will be able to perform the following tasks:

1. Define and describe community leadership, community development, and community economic development as measured on written examinations administered by Howard University faculty.
2. Compare and contrast theories of community from an economic, political, and at least one other perspective, as measured on written examinations administered by Howard University faculty.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the structure, institutional processes, and array of projects and products of at least one community-based organization, as reflected in a written report on a project undertaken with the organization while an intern.
4. Use academic knowledge in analyzing community problems and in participating in community-based efforts to address challenges facing a community development organization, as reflected in a written report.
5. Prepare a reaction paper following a community meeting in which he/she has participated, using appropriate language and terminology for a given technical area (e.g., a housing project, a community health project, or a literacy program).
6. Demonstrate a knowledge of the nature of, and the rules and regulations for, community-based programs of the federal, state, and local government relevant to a specific area of community development.

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LIST OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MINOR COURSES

REQUIRED COURSES (three courses)

POLS 138 Seminar in Community Development
ECON 188 The Economics of Black Community Development
ECON 095, POLS 150, or SOCI 079: Internship

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ELECTIVE COURSES (choose two)

College of Arts and Sciences

Economics:
ECON 172 Industrial Relations
ECON 199 Introduction to Urban Economics

Political Science:
POLS 165 Urban Political Economy
POLS 180 Urban Government and Politics
POLS 187 Urban Black Politics

Sociology:
SOCI 140 Urban Sociology
SOCI 151 Sociology of Poverty
SOCI 161 Problems of the Black Community

Health, Human Performance and Leisure Studies:
PHED 158 Environmental and Community Health
PHED 171 Community Organization for Health
PHED 221 Budget and Financial Management for Leisure Studies
PHED 299 Seminar in Non-Profit Leadership

School of Business

ACCT 360 Not for Profit Accounting
FINA 110 Real Estate and Housing Finance
MGMT 301 Management and Organizational Behavior
MGMT 350 Management of Small Business
MGMT 351 Entrepreneurship

College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Health Sciences

AHCC 201 Community Health
NUTR 183 Community Nutrition
NUTR 514 Problems in Community Nutrition

School of Education

SEED 039 Social Foundations of Urban Education

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

The Howard University Center for Urban Progress (CUP) launched the Community Development Internship Program (CDIP) as a pilot in spring 1998 with one student at the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development. In January 1999, the first group of interns began their appointments. The CDIP is a crucial component of the Community Development undergraduate minor because it exposes several students each year to community development work through hands-on experience at local Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs).

Students wishing to participate are required to enroll in the internship course the semester they do their internship. The CDIP coordinator matches students with CDCs and CBOs based on an application process from both the students and the organizations. Usually, the student works 15-20 hours per week at the organization’s site during the spring semester and then full-time for 8-10 weeks in the summer.

The CDIP has grown each year and is a model program in experiential education. Since the inception of the internship in spring semester 1999, CUP has placed 50 students in internships at 17 different CDC and CBO partners. Through these community partnerships, CUP has been able to provide community development interns with placement options that best fit their community development interests, including affordable housing development, community organizing, youth development programs, economic development, business development, and human and social services.

Originally supported by a three-year grant from the Washington Community Development Support Collaborative/CDSC (a program of the Local Initiative Support Collaborative), and then in combination with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program grant funds, the CDIP has continued to thrive. The CDIP began with 7 placements in 1999 and in years has reached as high as 9 placements. CUP estimates that of the 50 students that have participated in the internship program, 22 have graduated with the minor in Community Development.

The program continues today with the generous support of the CDSC. Beginning in 2004, a cost-share match from each host organization was required to help offset program cost.

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TESTIMONIALS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INTERNS

As part of the end-of-term evaluation process, interns are asked to comment about their experiences in the program. They are specifically asked to express their thoughts about the value of the program and how the program has helped prepare them for future work in the Community Development field. Here is a sampling of intern “testimonials” spanning the period from 2001 to 2006.

“My internship has equipped me with knowledge, skills, and experience which will make me more marketable for jobs in the community development field. I have had a first hand look at the atmosphere and project development of LEDC. The experience cannot be duplicated and what I have learned is invaluable.”
- Latori Patton, Intern, Latino Economic Development Corporation (2001)

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“I am not sure if I thanked you for the internship, so thank you very much. The internship was one of the best experiences, the courses in the minor were quite interesting, and I am not sure my academic experience would have been complete without them. Thanks again.”
- Asia Timmons, Intern, Manna, Inc.(2001)

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“The internship provided hands-on experience with some of the issues involving planning and executing community development projects. It also provided excellent opportunities to develop critical/analytical thinking skills for problem solving.”
- Corletha Carry, Intern, Manna, Inc. (2001)

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“I have honed skills required to design/implement/analyze a community led project. With these skills, I feel confident about the work I can do in my community or abroad and how my skills can be useful to those I may assist.”
- Jennifer Brown, Intern, Manna CDC (2002)

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“I came into this internship with no clear career goals but this internship has given me focus. It has allowed me to see the benefit of my journalism background in community development. It is now my desire to pursue a master’s degree in international community development and use my skills as a writer and organizer to implement community development initiatives overseas.”
- Andrea Corey, Intern, DC Habitat for Humanity(2003)

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“The internship experience has given me a wake up call of the reality I face in the future. I did not know just how much dedication and determination was needed to combat, not the government or policymakers, but instead the doubtful people who would actually benefit from the change in the community. The internship has given definition to my goals in community development, also. I eventually want to start my own community-based non-profit.”
- Jasmine Wilson, Intern, Manna CDC (2003)

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“This internship was one of the most rewarding experiences of my LIFE! It was absolutely wonderful and I feel so privileged having been a part of it. . . I was a little uneasy going into the internship because I did not know much about community development, but slowly but surely, I learned. I had a great support system in CUP and Habitat. I would gladly recommend this internship to anyone. It was awesome!!”
- Andrea Corey, Intern, DC Habitat for Humanity(2003)

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“My internship experience has really prepared me well for future work in the field of community development. I have become more cognizant of the broad scope of work that community development entails. It has exposed me to a huge network of community development organizations/ corporations both on the local and national level. It has even exposed me to organizations of other sectors . . . government, corporate, and private, that are affiliated with the community development world.”
- Massah Bundu, Intern, MHCDO (2005)

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“I am very happy I was introduced to the CD minor. I enjoy the fact that the minor encourages hands-on/field experience, and not just the acquisition of knowledge in a traditional classroom setting. The further I go within the minor, the more confident I am that I will become involved in the non-profit sector.”
- Andrena Sawyer, Intern, Manna CDC (2005)

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COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Here is a listing of the Community Development Internship Program’s past and present Community Development Corporation and community-based organization partner organizations.

• Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development
• Community Development Support Collaborative*
• Development Corporation of Columbia Heights
• District of Columbia Habitat for Humanity
• 14th & U Main Street Initiative
• Georgia Avenue Gateway Revitalization Corporation
• H Street Community Development Corporation
• Jubilee Enterprise of Greater Washington
• Justice & Sustainability Associates, LLC
• Latino Economic Development Corporation
• Manna, Inc.
• Marshall Heights Community Development Organization
• New Columbia Community Land Trust, Inc.
• North Capitol Neighborhood Development, Inc.
• ONE DC (formerly Manna Community Development Corporation)
• Peoples Involvement Corporation
• Washington Area Community Investment Fund
• Wheeler Creek Estates Community Development Corporation

*Funding agency