The Community and Nonprofit Leadership Capstone Certificate embraces a multi-disciplinary, ecological, community-centered approach that focuses on community dynamics and community-led efforts in addition to organizational management approaches. It encourages critical thinking and skill-building which acknowledges and addresses root causes, alongside the development of tactical, operational, and management skills typically associated with nonprofit leadership.
Community partner relationships and community-wisdom-centered teaching are a central feature to this program. Students can expect to benefit from the contributions of a network of local, regional, statewide, tribal, national and international guest contributors, and in-the-field observations and experiences while learning from UWMadison-based instructional faculty. Students also benefit from a rich learning community of fellow learners who are engaged with and interested in a broad range of interest areas across different communities and types of nonprofit organizations.
Through this community-engaged program, students will also have the opportunity to customize their learning experience pairing universal nonprofit and community leadership skills development with explorations in their own area of interest (i.e. food systems, human services, youth organizations, the arts, advocacy or environmental efforts).