GCST 2320 — Leadership through Social Change
Building on the foundational local work of GCST 1320, this project and research based course will focus on further developing leadership skills and community connections at a local, national and global level to create student change agents. This course provides essential information for grassroots organizing and coalition building, and incorporates research on successful models locally and globally that have supported oppressed populations to create social and environmental change. Students will understand the importance of power theory and dynamics and then identify a local or global issue, creating strategies for collective action and developing and implementing these strategies into practice. Formerly: Community Organizing II Through analysis of media, culture, government policies, social movements, systemic racism and marginalization of groups, and participating in practical social change activities, students will learn to explore and synthesize multiple points of view and individual and collective responsibilities to create a more just, ethical and sustainable future. Activities could include research projects on campus, with City of Brooklyn Park, and other area, national and international organizations, data collection and analysis, research papers, presentations, creation of documentaries
Prerequisites: GCST 1320