Integrated Community Sustainability Planning Course (ICSP)

Integrated Community Sustainability Planning Course:
Embed sustainability throughout your community's planning, decision-making, and operations

How long is it?

• 5 months on online and in-person workshops
• 1-hour eLearning module

How much does it cost?

• Regular course fee: $2,499-$3,799 CDN + tax, depending on sector
• An exclusive discounted price of $2,200 CDN+tax is available for participants from outside of Canada to help offset increased travel costs

For details, please contact us at info(at)naturalstep.ca or +1-613-748-3001.

What's the format?
Mostly online with in-person workshops.

When and where?

• The course has begun with an online introductory session that was recorded
• Registrations will continue to be accepted until August 31, 2010
• New registrants will be brought up to speed to catch up with current registrants
• The course runs until January 2011
• In-person workshops will be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with the first face-to-face session taking place on October 27-28, 2010

Who is it for?
This course is aimed at those who are leading and facilitating long-term planning efforts in their communities; in particular, the following individuals should consider taking this course:

• Municipal staff and community leaders tasked with leading ICSP initiatives for their communities.
• Consultants looking to improve their ability to support and facilitate ICSP efforts with clients.
• Community leaders looking to learn and apply a sustainability planning process to engage other leaders in exploring and realizing long-term success in their communities.

What's this course all about?
Community sustainability is about creating the kind of world we want for ourselves, our neighbours, and future generations. It involves living our lives and making decisions as individuals, organizations and societies so that we make sure that future generations have access to the same - or even better - opportunities and quality of life that we do. Thousands of Canadian communities are embracing the challenge of becoming sustainable by creating healthy, vibrant and safe places to live for today and tomorrow. Their successes and challenges offer many insights into effective sustainable community planning.

This 5-month course is designed around the lessons and experiences of The Natural Step and its partner organizations in community sustainability planning. Via a mixture of online seminars, in-person workshops and applied project work, it is designed to provide community leaders, and those supporting them, with the practical knowledge, skills and tools to lead long-term, participatory planning efforts toward sustainability. These are often referred to as an “integrated community sustainability plan” (ICSP).

What will you receive?
The course fee includes:

• A 1-year license for our award-winning, Sustainability 101 eLearning course.
• A customized, 5-month workshop facilitated by our experienced advisors.
• A follow-up webinar with Bob Willard, author of the Sustainability Champions Guidebook.
• A one–year membership in The Natural Step Exchange, an exclusive network of sustainability professionals from across Canada.

Want more info?
Download our course brochure and outline:

• English

Questions?
Please contact us at info(at)naturalstep.ca or +1-613-748-3001.

What do graduates have to say?
"The Natural Step’s Integrated Community Sustainability Planning Course is excellent for anyone who is working on community sustainability. Whether convenient webinar conference calls, face-to face workshops, videos, documents, forums, special guest speakers–there are enough tools and resources offered to educate, inspire, and implement. The ICSP process can be complicated–this course helps untangle it."
--Christine Upton, Sustainable Halton Hills, course graduate

"This course gave me a deep understanding of sustainability issues and an effective process by which to deal with environmental and governance challenges and maximise community development opportunities. It also helped me to see how various sustainability initiatives and standards can fit together and contribute toward a cohesive sustainability strategy. The training gave me the structure, discipline, and confidence to effectively conduct a comprehensive ICSP process. Most importantly the work has been a transformative experience and had a positive impact on both my professional and private life."
--Carolyn Frances Lair, Sustainable Strategies, Vancouver, course graduate

"The ICSP course provided me with the background and framework which empowered me to move forward in working with my community on sustainability issues."
--Anonymous, course graduate