Abstract
Whether one views a community in poverty as needy, a community that can only be fixed though outside help, or a community with assets that can be used to better itself depends on one’s perception or framing of the problem. In this community development exercise, students are presented with accurate but differently framed descriptions of one community. When the issues are framed pessimistically, students find the problems unsolvable; when the community is painted optimistically, with well-defined assets, students have a base on which to build solutions. The community is La Laguna in Nicaragua, aided by Opportunity International’s Community Economic Development program in Opportunity Nicaragua. This exercise can be used in management classes, entrepreneurship classes, or a unit of a class that discusses developing economies.
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