A community of practice design for capacity-building programs: The Chicago Peace Fellows

ABSTRACT While much has been written about the curricular content and outcomes of capacity-building programs in community development, we know less about how theories of learning inform program design. This article presents a descriptive case study of the Chicago Peace Fellows, a capacity-building program for community leaders that was guided by a community of practice approach to learning. The case highlights four priorities to guide design of the tools, spaces, activities, and social arrangements of capacity building: 1) nurture participants’ identification as members of a community of practice; 2) offer participants opportunities to jointly negotiate meaning and expand their knowledgeability; 3) provide avenues for communities to persist and expand; and 4) commit to equity. The analysis describes how each priority was enacted in the Chicago Peace Fellows program and how participants responded, with an aim to provide useful guidance for designers of capacity-building programs.