Community building is the process of developing and sustaining partnerships between citizens and practitioners to bring about social change for the common good in a caring society. Emphasis in the course is given to theories, models, and action principles as well as skill development in community building. Key organizing concepts include leadership, social change, social capital, civil society, democracy, and social justice. Since social change usually emerges from the bottom, through small groups of people working together to improve quality of life in their community, the course trains students to acquire the skills needed to assist vulnerable or disadvantaged populations to develop their communities and, thereby, affect social change.