Make Change Happen (FutureLearn)

Make Change Happen (FutureLearn)

Strengthen the skills you need to work with others to tackle injustice. Learn what drives positive social change in your role as a changemaker. If we want to make lasting social and political change we must understand power dynamics, systems and influencing strategies that can shift the status quo. This course will help you understand the context of the issues you’re passionate about and your existing sources of power and influence.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

You’ll be guided by examples of successful international movements and community action, and connect with changemakers worldwide. Ultimately, you’ll finish this course with the skills you need to spot and act upon opportunities, and contribute to the change you want to see in your community and the world.

What topics will you cover?

Week 1 - What kind of change are we talking about, understanding change, changemakers and their stories, and different forms of change.
Week 2 - Understanding the context of change, looking at what context is, and the change you would like to see.
Week 3 - Taking a power and systems approach, defining power, the tools for analysing power, and understanding systems.
Week 4 - The power of collective action, working in partnership with others, and what drives a changemaker.
Week 5 - Spheres of influence, understanding influence, and where the power lies.
Week 6 - Developing strong stories for change, influencing strategies, and developing messages.
Week 7 - Taking action to make change happen, strategy and tactics, developing your action plan, and the steps to implement your plan.
Week 8 - Tackling challenges and taking your next steps, reflecting on change, overcoming challenges, and staying inspired and focused.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Explain key ideas about systems, power and how change happens
  • Explore where the potential for change lies
  • Identify key openings and opportunities to bring about change
  • Apply and understand a broad range of ways to bring about change
  • Contribute, connect and collaborate with other change makers around the globe
  • Develop and increase confidence to organise and lead others to take action for social justice
  • Engage in a personal change action
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Transformational Leadership for Inclusive Innovation (Coursera) Coursera
University of Toronto

Transformational Leadership for Inclusive Innovation (Coursera)

Gender Analytics underpins inclusive innovation, and inclusive innovation will require organizational transformation. The missing link between insights and actions is change leadership. How can you get people to collaborate? How can you overcome resistance to change? How can you embed intersectional, gender-based insights in everything an organization does? In this course, you will learn to be an inspiring and effective change agent by developing a toolbox of leadership skills for building and managing diverse teams.

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
Creating Change through Social Entrepreneurship (Coursera) Coursera
Yale University

Creating Change through Social Entrepreneurship (Coursera)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to create real change? You don't have to start your own organization to make a difference in the world. Everyone can learn the social entrepreneurship mindset and skillset to build social impact. In this course, you will immerse yourself in a social or environmental challenge you want to tackle.

Nov 9th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Storytelling for Social Change (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Michigan

Storytelling for Social Change (FutureLearn)

Discover how crafting an engaging story can deliver a message that inspires audiences and effects real change. Harness the power of storytelling and improve your communication skills. On this course, you’ll discover the secrets of storytelling from expert performers and artists. Stories are a powerful way to engage an audience and deliver impact. Using characters creates empathy, and makes people more open-minded to hearing something new or engaging with a complex topic.

Feb 1st 2021
5-12 Weeks
Utilising Social Science and Behaviour Change in Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes: Improving Healthcare (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy - BSAC

Utilising Social Science and Behaviour Change in Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes: Improving Healthcare (FutureLearn)

How can social science and behaviour change techniques be used within antimicrobial stewardship projects to bring about change. Hospital healthcare delivery is complex with changing priorities and demands. Improvements are required but how can we ensure they are delivered. Understanding behaviour is essential for change.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles (edX) EdX
HarvardX,Harvard University

Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles (edX)

Mobilize people to tackle tough problems and build the capacity to thrive through the dangers of change. The crises of our time generate enormous adaptive challenges for our families, organizations, communities, and societies. The need for leadership that can mobilize people to meet these challenges and improve life is critical.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Storytelling for Social Change (edX) EdX
University of Michigan,MichiganX

Storytelling for Social Change (edX)

Use stories to deliver messages that affect people. Learn how to craft a story that develops empathy and delivers impact. How can storytelling promote social change? This course develops skills for using stories to deliver messages that affect audiences and shape attitudes for social change. Learn how building empathy and developing characters can offer multiple perspectives on complex problems.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Social Work Practice: Advocating Social Justice and Change (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Social Work Practice: Advocating Social Justice and Change (Coursera)

In this course, you will learn how social workers in the United States engage in creating change and supporting the resilience of individuals, families and communities in this new era. Learners will have an opportunity to explore the social work profession, the different roles of social workers in a range of settings, the cross cutting themes that guide social work practice, the history of social work, and current challenges.

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks
Network Dynamics of Social Behavior (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

Network Dynamics of Social Behavior (Coursera)

How do revolutions emerge without anyone expecting them? How did social norms about same sex marriage change more rapidly than anyone anticipated? Why do some social innovations take off with relative ease, while others struggle for years without spreading? More generally, what are the forces that control the process of social evolution –from the fashions that we wear, to our beliefs about religious tolerance, to our ideas about the process of scientific discovery and the best ways to manage complex research organizations?

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Digital Transformation: Change & Disruption (Coursera) Coursera
London Business School

Introduction to Digital Transformation: Change & Disruption (Coursera)

Digital transformation is an incredible opportunity for both individuals and for organisations because it's an opportunity to personalise, to customise, to serve customers in new ways, to help them to achieve new things that matter to the world in which we live. Whatever level you are in your organisation, you have some mandate for taking digital transformation seriously within your own area of responsibility.

Nov 2nd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Conversations that Inspire: Coaching Learning, Leadership and Change (Coursera) Coursera
Case Western Reserve University

Conversations that Inspire: Coaching Learning, Leadership and Change (Coursera)

Coaching can inspire and motivate people to learn, change and be effective leaders, among other roles in life. Although most attempts are “coaching for compliance” (coaching someone to your wishes or expectations), decades of behavioral and neuroscience research show us that “coaching with compassion” (coaching someone to their dreams and desires) is more effective.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Serious Gaming (Coursera) Coursera
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Serious Gaming (Coursera)

Have you ever wondered how playing games can help us to train people, deal with societal challenges or raise awareness of contemporary social issues? In this MOOC you will learn the ins and outs of games that are designed with exactly those purposes in mind: serious games. We will define serious games and discuss the different types that have been developed. We will explain why people like to play them and what impact they may have.

Nov 23rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Life After COVID-19: Get Ready for our Post-Pandemic Future (Coursera) Coursera
Institute for the Future

Life After COVID-19: Get Ready for our Post-Pandemic Future (Coursera)

The pandemic will create long-lasting and surprising ripple effects, even after vaccines are widely available. Are you ready for what's next? This course will give you a clear forecast of the challenges and opportunities you’re most likely to encounter over the next 3-5 years, as a direct result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Find out what risks still lie ahead; Make a plan for resilience; Play future forecasting games to stretch your imagination about what's possible; Build your post-pandemic confidence; Envision the world you want to live in when we’re all finally on the other side of COVID-19. How can you take advantage of this unprecedented moment of disruption to make positive change in your community, company or other organization?

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks