This micro-credential equips aspiring helping professionals to integrate research on problems that are endemic to modern caregiving and collaborative problem solving practices. Being able to apply collaborative problem solving to specific caregiving challenges is one of the most in-demand skills in the helping professions today.

Eligibility

  • CU Boulder students (including nondegree/ACCESS)
  • CU Boulder students (degree seeking only)
  • CU Boulder employees

Delivery Mode

Hybrid of in-person and online delivery.


Credit Status

For credit.

Academic Level

Undergraduate

Requirements

Students must take the required course SOCY 4160 of the Social Innovation certificate program and one of the core courses of the Care, Health and Resilience Certificate program (SOCY 1022, SOCY 2080, SOCY 3045,SOCY 3052, SOCY 4052, SOCY 4062),

Criteria

Students must enroll in the required course SOCY 4160 of the Social Innovation certificate program, in which their mastery of the design thinking process (see below) will be assessed using their prototype solution to a problem related to good health and well-being.  Prototype solutions will be presented to a panel of experts who will evaluate their promise and provide written feedback. 

Students must also enroll in one of the core courses of the Care, Health, and Resilience certificate program (SOCY 1022, SOCY 2080, SOCY 3045,SOCY 3052, SOCY 4052, SOCY 4062), in which their mastery of academic research on  problems that are endemic to modern caregiving will be assessed using a variety of methods, including reflection exercises. Learners'  progress will be monitored using Canvas course shells.

The design thinking process consists of the following: empathizing (deeply understanding the clients you are trying to solve a problem for), defining (clarifying the question you are attempting to answer), ideating (brainstorming possible answers to one's question), prototyping (transforming answers/ideas into tangible artifacts that clients can interact with) and testing (getting feedback from clients about the viability of one's proposed solution).  

Skills

  • Collaboration
  • Design thinking
  • Empathy
  • Human-centered design
  • Participatory design
  • Problem solving