ABC and BOCEP to offer three online courses in arts and community and economic development in Spring 2010

Arts Build Communities, in partnership with the Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program, will offer at three online continuing education courses that explore the connection between arts and community and economic development.

The courses are Cultural Community Development Studio, Cultural Economic Development Studio and Programming Cultural Uses.  More information about the Community Development Studio can be found through the course listings on the BOCEP site.  Information about the other two courses will be available shortly.

As their names imply, the studio courses will give learners the opportunity to work on real projects for real clients.  In the case of the community development studio, learners will work with a Native American community in Arizona.  For the economic development studio, learners will explore the feasibility of turning a downtown in New Jersey into an arts destination.  Learners in the Programming Cultural Uses class will learn what kind of space and design issues have to be addressed to create cultural uses such as theaters. 

Learners can do all of this from the comfort of their own computers and at their convenience.  How could that be?  Learn more about the Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program.

Although these courses are geared toward professional planners, you do not have to have professional experience in planning to participate.  However, if you are new to planning, we recommend your reading an introductory book on the subject, such as Community Planning by Becker and Kelly, to be prepared to contribute to class conversations.