Towards a More Connected Field of Community Development Education: Encouraging Community Well-Being Through an Engaged Symposium.

As society continues to shift and progress, the field of community development becomes more salient to the well-being and sustainability of rural and urban communities. Globalization, global pandemics, technological change, and devolution are among several issues impacting the well-being of rural townships and urban neighborhoods nationally and globally. Post-secondary community development degree programs may be vital in developing individuals to address these unique issues. However, due to the multidisciplinary nature of the field, there has been a lack of communication and consensus among educators regarding the necessary skills, theories, and practices to teach in these programs. In 2017, a foundational initiative was implemented to examine community development education higher education programs across the United States. A unique component of this initiative was the inaugural Community Development Education Symposium. This innovative symposium engaged many community development educators from a variety of fields in an intense, purposeful three day event. This article captures the synergy of bringing together community development educators in a uniquely structured symposium, to network, share expertise, and ultimately build a Community of Practice (CoP) towards a more connected field of community development education and ultimately enhancing the well-being of communities through their student graduates.