The full Community Accelerator program includes seven courses, each covering a vital area of economic and community development. They describe why each area matters and the opportunities it offers. Through case studies of cities, counties and regions, they show how to build enduring prosperity, social inclusion and a supportive culture for your people. Download a list of the topics you will learn and the competencies you will gain from the courses.

Thriving in Binary

Your community’s present and future are being shaped by the digital innovations unleashed over the past 40 years – with the explosive disruptions of AI just over the horizon. Learn how we got here and how one small city has turned the continuing digital revolution to its advantage, reversing decades of decline. It’s an entertaining and informative introduction to ICF’s unique framework for economic and community development, based on the best practices of more than 200 cities, counties and regions around the world. Free on our learning platform – no strings attached! 

Connectivity: Foundation for Digital Opportunity

Second edition with all-new content! Learn how communities like yours have built municipal or county-wide networks, expanded them to serve the entire community and turned broadband into economic opportunity for residents, entrepreneurs and employers. Use cases from cities and counties in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe and the US share principles and specific steps you can adapt in your own community. 12-month subscription: US$99.95. Try before you buy: Take a free mini-course.

Creating the Workforce Your Future Demands

Second edition with all-new content! Today, knowledge and skills are the only route to personal and community prosperity. But unless you connect education to employment, you are exporting your best talent to some other place. A local ladder of opportunity can make all the difference. Learn how to build one in this  online course, which shares the best practices of communities in the US, Canada, Europe and Taiwan. 12-month subscription: US$99.95. Try before you buy: Take a free mini-course.

Innovation: Building an Ecosystem for Growth

Second edition with all-new content! Innovation from existing and new businesses is the prime driver of economic growth. But how do you help them innovate? It takes an ecosystem of partners working in concert, and it can happen in small cities and rural counties as well as big cities. Learn how in this online course, which shares the best practices of communities in Asia, Latin America, Europe and the US. 12-month subscription: US$99.95. Try before you buy: Take a free mini-course.

Engaging the Community in Positive Change

Second edition with all-new content! Community development has more to do with economic development than you might think. From business innovation to envisioning the future, community engagement can be a powerful driver of economic growth. Learn how in this online course, which shares the best practices of communities in Australia, Europe and South America. 12-month subscription: US$99.95. Try before you buy: Take a free mini-course.

Inclusion: Overcoming the Digital Divide

Digital inclusion is more than a social concern. It is a barrier to full participation in your economy, whether for an individual or a small business. Learn what has worked for hundreds of communities in this online course, which shares the best practices of communities in Australia, Europe and the US. 12-month subscription: US$99.95. Try before you buy: Take a free mini-course.

Sustainability: Quality of Life, Engagement & Growth

Sustainability practices are about more than EV charging stations and LEED-certified buildings. They are a path to better quality of life, greater resilience in the future – and the biggest economic opportunity of the next half century. Learn how you can get your share in this online course, which shares the best practices of communities in Australia, Canada and the US. 12-month subscription: US$99.95. Try before you buy: Take a free mini-course.

US President Biden has proposed a $109 billion, 10-year American Families Plan that seeks to build an economy that does more for working people and less for people who live on the returns from their investments. One part of the plan would fund free 2-year community college tuition for all students. In response, a recent article in The New York Times sets out to answer the question, “Does Free College Work?”

It’s a very American question, by the way, because our friends in Europe and other regions have been receiving largely free higher education for decades. Setting that aside, the article is worth reading for two reasons.

Coding for IoT applications is just like building blocks. Webduino has developed a platform for students in schools to step in technology programs, easy as 123. Adopted by Education Bureau in Kaohsiung city in 2019 and has expanded to 22 cities, 400+ schools and 300k users in Taiwan.

On December 10, President Obama signed a reform of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, which had been passed by Congress the day before. It preserves standardized testing but eliminates any consequences to states and school districts that perform poorly. It also bars the Federal government from imposing academic requirements like the Common Core, America’s first serious attempt at a national curriculum for elementary and secondary school students.