Competency-based education (CBE) is a curriculum model that emphasizes demonstrated abilities, skills, reasoning, and professional behaviors, that are fundamentally oriented to outcomes derived from societal needs. This model is gaining momentum across higher education as programs seek curricular designs that more clearly align graduate abilities with workforce, and community needs. Despite its growing adoption, transitioning students and faculty into a CBE framework requires more than structural redesign. It calls for cultivating a learning culture where belonging, collaboration, and productive struggle are normalized. This session introduces the foundational principles of CBE and shares how the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Doctor of Physical Therapy program has implemented CBE through intentional community-building strategies.