Community Worker Program (Accelerated) (C131)

The Community Worker (Accelerated) program prepares students to work for progressive social change with organizations, communities and individuals across a range of issues such as poverty, housing, legal rights, discrimination, food justice, immigration and refugee settlement.

This accelerated program stream is designed for college and university graduates and is a condensed version of the two-year Community Worker (C101) program.

Full Description

If you apply to the 2024/25 intake for this program, you will start in May 2025. To begin your studies in May 2024, apply to the 2023/24 academic year.

The one-year Community Worker (Accelerated) (C131) diploma program, designed for college and university graduates, is a dynamic, fast-track program grounded in the principles of and respect for social justice, human rights and anti-oppressive practice.

If you are passionate about human rights and social justice, committed to working with diverse communities, bring a mature and professional approach to your education and fieldwork, and are prepared to take on a full-time course load, this program is for you. Community Worker (Accelerated) students are a diverse group with a range of social and community experiences.

This is an approved education program by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). Graduates of this program may apply to receive the additional designation of RSSW (Registered Social Service Worker). Extra fees may apply.

You will learn to work with urban-centred, diverse communities across a range of issues, including poverty, housing, food justice, immigration, and settlement, and develop the skills you need to be responsive to community needs as they change and evolve.

Community partners play a key role in networking events, guest panels, teaching many of the program specializations and offering field experiences. You will develop relationships with our partners as you build your professional network in the classroom and offsite during fieldwork. This program combines classroom instruction and supervised field placements, allowing you to apply what you’ve learned in class to a community setting. Students can expect to participate in highly engaged classes of dialogue, debate, interactive lectures, guest panels, and group activities.

Community Worker (Accelerated) Program Features

• The School of Social and Community Services has partnerships with over 350 agencies across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and beyond.
• The Tommy Douglas Institute, founded by the Community Worker program faculty, is an annual event and home to the Courage My Friends podcast. Episodes are hosted on rabble.ca and explore community, education, and social justice issues in the 21st century

Key Skills Taught in the Community Worker (Accelerated) Program

Throughout the program, students will have the opportunity to develop a variety of important and high-demand skills, including:

• anti-oppressive practice in working with diverse populations (including immigrant and refugee communities, marginalized populations, and Indigenous peoples)
• critical analysis, research, and writing
• group facilitation and leadership
• individual and group counselling
• conflict mediation and restorative justice
• community organizing, activism, and advocacy
• community development, project design, and proposal writing
• policy analysis and rights-based advocacy

Community Worker (Accelerated) Core Areas of Study

• community work theory and practice
• social and political analysis
• group skills and counselling
• field placement and seminar

Community Worker (Accelerated) Faculty

Faculty are experienced educators who bring their passion for education and change to create a highly engaging and dynamic learning environment. The faculty have local, national, and global activism backgrounds, and they remain active on social issues and maintain close ties to communities, activists, and organizations.

Your Field Education Options

Community Worker students have the opportunity to develop practical skills and gain valuable work experience by completing approximately 420 hours of field placement in the final two semesters of the program.

Through our strong ties to more than 350 field agencies across the GTA and beyond, students can find placements suited to their interests in a variety of settings, from immigration and settlement services to community food centres, multi-service and government agencies.

Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities

Career Options

Attain Additional Designation of Registered Social Service Worker (RSSW)

Graduates of this program can apply and may receive the additional designation of RSSW (Registered Social Service Worker). Extra fees will apply.

This program is proud to continue a long tradition of graduating Community Workers into a range of professions such as:

• community agencies and neighbourhood hubs
• government agencies
• international development agencies
• shelters and community food centres
• immigration and settlement services
• health-care centres and harm reduction agencies
• rights and advocacy groups (e.g., anti-poverty, settlement services, housing, violence, education, HIV/AIDS community)
• education and arts organizations