Community Navigators

Introduction to Community Development

Overview

Working with communities to achieve social outcomes can be challenging work. Communities have complex landscapes that can be difficult to navigate even for the most seasoned professionals. This course takes a deep dive into the complex dynamics of community, equipping participants with strategies and tools that help them to better understand, engage with, and influence communities to achieve positive social change.

Who should attend

Community development workers and other community-focussed professionals who need to navigate complex dynamics to achieve positive social outcomes. Local government professionals can attend our tailored version of this course with Local Government Professionals WA.

Learning Outcomes

  • Achieve improved social outcomes through a deeper understanding of community

  • Apply community development principles and practice to their work context

  • Identify their role in strengthening community

  • Identify community resources and build capacity through a strengths-based approach

  • Nurture strong and purposeful relationships that can be leveraged to drive change

Meet your Facilitator

Our course delivery is led by Founder and Principal, Sarah Janali. Sarah combines theory and practice to create fun, engaging learning experiences, practical tools, and frameworks. She has a reputation for fostering environments that enable practitioners to learn from each other.

Sarah has played a pivotal role in developing, delivering, and managing community development strategies, programs, and projects across various portfolio areas. Her work spans the NFP sector, where she worked with newly arrived refugees and multicultural communities, and 15 years in local government.

As a Churchill Fellow, Sarah brings international insights from her research on strategies that promote the participation and inclusion of newcomers. Sarah's approach to coaching, training, facilitation, and strategic support helps organisations work more effectively with stakeholders and create community-led solutions to complex challenges.