START is launching a new online course that will teach community members how to build public engagement programs and initiatives to counter violent extremism, by using the design thinking process – a five-pronged creative problem solving technique.
The six-week facilitator-led course, “Designing Effective Community Responses to Radicalization to Violence (DECRRV),” (FEMA Course Number: MGT-463-W) combines an interactive, hands-on opportunity to apply design thinking methodologies with community focused, rigorously researched and academically-informed instruction on countering violent extremism (CVE). The development and delivery of DECRRV is funded by the Department of Homeland Security, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Training and Education Division, and the course is made available at no cost to learners.
"I'm particularly excited about the release of this course because it is a unique opportunity to consider how a whole community approach is used in the context of CVE,” said Liberty Day, assistant director of START training and education. “DECRRV asks learners to apply the design thinking process developed by Stanford University to the issue of violent extremism, in order to develop a CVE program to help address a complex fictional community conflict.”
Upon completing the course, participants will have the ability to:
- Explain how whole community approaches to CVE can build resilience to hazards, including the threat of violent extremism;
- Identify the five phases of the design thinking process and associated techniques;
- Describe how design thinking methods can be used to develop a community-based program to counter violent extremism; and,
- Utilize design thinking methodologies to develop a community engagement program or initiative to counter violent extremism.
“The goal of this course is to provide learners with the tools they need to consider how best to formulate responsive programs that are tailored to their own community needs,” Day said. “It’s our hope that by participating in a training course like this, people can begin to build programs that create more resilient communities.”
The course is open to U.S. citizens and Legal Residents representing state, local, tribal and territorial entities. This includes representatives from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. More details on enrollment requirements can be found on the course page.
While many of START’s online training opportunities are asynchronous, DECRRV will be offered during the following schedule. Please note: Enrollment is only open during the dates listed below, and students will go through the instructor-facilitated course as a cohort, allowing for greater levels of interaction.
- Session 1
- Enrollment: June 10 - July 1, 2019
- Start/end date: July 8 - August 19, 2019
- Session 2
- Enrollment: July 15 - August 12, 2019
- Start/end date: August 19 - September 30, 2019
- Session 3
- Enrollment: September 3 - October 1, 2019 CLOSED
- Start/end date: October 7 - November 18, 2019
- Session 4
- Enrollment: October 14 - November 4, 2019
- Start/end date: November 11 - December 23, 2019
- Session 5
- Enrollment: December 2 - December 30, 2019
- Start/end date: January 6 - February 17, 2020
- Session 6
- Enrollment: January 6 - January 27, 2020
- Start/end date: February 3 - March 16, 202