Building Community Capacity in Southwest Virginia

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD), a guide for building healthier communities, was used to promote positive change in a rural southwest Virginia community.This paper illustrates how community assets Paw were recognized and social capital increased as children painted a mural depicting the history of the community.A literature review of successful KONJAC SPONGE community building partnership models is provided and implications for nursing education are discussed, including suggestions for teaching collaboration skills for effective community partnering.