Unit rationale, description and aim
Community development is an essential component of creating sustainable, equitable, and inclusive societies. Youth workers play a pivotal role in empowering young people to engage with their communities, enable active citizenship, foster change, and address social issues.
This unit focuses on the theory, practice, and skills necessary for effective community development, specifically within the context of youth work. This unit explores key concepts in community development, emphasising the importance of participatory, asset-based approaches, and youth-led initiatives. Students will be exposed to understandings of the diverse needs of communities and be given the opportunity to apply practical tools and strategies to support sustainable development, all while respecting cultural diversity and ethical considerations.
Through a combination of theoretical learning and practical application, students will be able to develop the competencies necessary to recognise, assess and mobilise community strengths and opportunities, design inclusive and sustainable youth-led initiatives, and build strong, collaborative relationships within communities.
The aim of this unit is to equip students with the knowledge and practical skills required to engage effectively in community development. It instils a deep understanding of the social, cultural, and ethical considerations in community work, while emphasising the empowerment of young people as active participants in their community’s development.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain key concepts and definitions in community ...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse the role of youth workers in community dev...
Learning Outcome 02
Assess community needs and strengths in order to u...
Learning Outcome 03
Design and plan community projects, facilitating y...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Values and Principles of Community Development: Participatory approaches, empowerment, social justice and Human Rights, sustainability, and inclusivity
- Role of youth workers in community development
- Youth led community development
- Practical skills facilitating community development activities
- Asset based community development
- Collaboration and partnerships
- Local and international community development networks and contexts
Assessment strategy and rationale
To successfully complete this unit, students must meet all learning outcomes and achieve a final grade of at least 50%. The assessments are designed to evaluate students' understanding and application of community development practice, theory, and skills. These tasks align with the unit’s objectives and focus on fostering critical thinking, communication, practical application, and reflection. They also help students develop graduate attributes such as problem-solving, collaboration, and effective communication.
For the Community Development Workshop Facilitation task, students will plan and lead a workshop centred on youth engagement. This task allows students to demonstrate practical skills in community engagement and youth participation, applying theoretical knowledge to real-world contexts. The workshop fosters direct interaction with young people, a crucial element of community development.
In the Pitch task, students will design and present a community development project that incorporates course theories and principles. This assessment helps students develop project planning, communication, and community mobilisation skills while focusing on youth-led initiatives.
The Test will assess students’ comprehension of the unit's key content, including readings, lectures, and class discussions. It provides a structured opportunity to evaluate students' theoretical understanding and ability to synthesise and apply core concepts in community development.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Workshop Facilitation I...
Assessment Task 1: Workshop Facilitation
In this assignment, students will plan and lead a workshop centred on youth engagement. This task allows students to demonstrate practical skills in community engagement and youth participation, applying theoretical knowledge to real-world contexts. The workshop fosters direct interaction with young people, a crucial element of community development.
30%
Assessment Task 2: Group Project – The Pitch ...
Assessment Task 2: Group Project – The Pitch
In the Pitch task, students will design and present a community development project that incorporates course theories and principles. This assessment helps students develop project planning, communication, and community mobilisation skills while focusing on youth-led initiatives.
40%
Assessment Task 3: Test The test will asse...
Assessment Task 3: Test
The test will assess students’ comprehension of the unit's key content, including readings, lectures, and class discussions. It provides a structured opportunity to evaluate students' theoretical understanding and ability to synthesise and apply core concepts in community development.
The test may include a combination of multiple-choice questions, short answer responses, and/or scenario-based questions that require students to apply their knowledge to real-world youth work contexts.
30%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is grounded in an experiential learning approach, supporting the development of practical, reflective, and collaborative skills essential for community development practice. The unit emphasises participatory learning experiences through which students actively engage with key concepts, theories, and real-world applications. Learning activities include group discussions, collaborative projects, critical reading and writing tasks, sourcing scholarly materials, and structured problem-solving exercises, all of which mirror the dynamic and interpersonal nature of community development work. Interactive lectures introduce foundational content and analytical frameworks, which are then integrated with applied learning tasks that enable students to synthesise theory with practice. This approach fosters the development of interpersonal, reflective, and collaborative skills in a supportive environment, preparing students for professional practice in community development contexts.