Award-winning TEDx speaker DeAmon Harges is a highly sought-after speaker and trainer for the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute of DePaul University, who became nationally and internationally recognized after his ten-minute TEDx Indianapolis speech, “Making the Invisible Visible.” DeAmon emphasizes that sustainable communities are built not only on financial resources, but on trust, relationships, reciprocity, and collective action. This training explores how Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and social currencies can intentionally cultivate and mobilize social capital as the foundation for long-term sustainability. Rooted in the work of John L. McKnight and Jody Kretzmann at the Asset-Based Community Development Institute, ABCD emphasizes the power of relationships, local leadership, and community assets. This training deepens that framework by examining how bonding, bridging, and linking social capital can be strengthened through intentional community strategies.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Apply Asset-Based Community Development principles to strengthen relational networks rather than focusing solely on service delivery.
- Analyze community development through a social capital lens, identifying gaps in trust, networks, and participation.
- Conduct asset mapping that prioritizes relationship-building and uncovers hidden social capital within communities.
- Define and differentiate forms of social capital (bonding, bridging, and linking) and explain their relevance to sustainable development.
- Explain how social currencies build structured reciprocity, increase inclusion, and activate underutilized human capacities.