The world, and North America in particular, is entering a period of unprecedented change. There is mounting evidence of the potential for (and pressure for action to avoid) runaway climate change, unprecedented species extinctions and environmental degradation, the persistence (and growth) of alarming inequities in health, and accelerated resource depletion. By many estimates we currently possess most of the technological know-how to solve the world’s fiscal, economic, environmental, social justice, and climatological crises. Consensus is emerging that building resilience at three nested levels (psychological/personal, community, systems level) is or must be at the centre of convergent social justice and environmental social change movements. This course is designed to assist students working in the area of public health, environment, social work, adult education, community development, public health, and/or cognate fields (in research, practice, and policy) to understand and apply concepts of resilience (from systems theory and complexity science) to building the capacity of communities to: a) successfully weather predicted disruptions/shocks associated with climate change, global pandemics, interruptions in global trade and food supply, sharp increases in the cost of energy, and environmental degradation; and b) nurture the development of alternative spaces (economic arrangements, networks, etc.) that support the emergence of life — sustaining structures and practices (economic, social, etc.) to replace the unsustainable industrial growth society whose accelerated unravelling we are currently witnessing on many levels.