Nonprofit Leadership and Community Engagement

How do emerging leaders build their capacity for the current reality of mission-driven work? In a world marked by growing disparities and interconnected challenges, the need for innovative leadership and community engagement practices has never been more urgent.

This course offers a focused, experiential pathway for students to develop adaptive, collaborative, and network-centered leadership skills that translate across nonprofit, public, and social-impact settings.

Students take on a semester-long community engagement project that serves as a real-world laboratory, applying frameworks to navigate complexity, build relationships, and design equitable approaches to community work.

Guided by David Ehrlichman's Impact Networks and Ifeoma Ike's The Equity Mindset , other thought leaders, and insights from guest practitioners, students gain practical tools in facilitation, network building, and systems thinking.

By blending theory with hands-on practice, the course equips students with the mindset and skill set needed to lead with clarity, purpose, and a commitment to belonging and justice in any community or organization.