Course Descriptions
Foundational Sessions
Session 1: A Leadership Orientation: Identify leadership goals and vision for your community
Session 2: We Got Skills: Mapping Community Assets
After this training, you will:
- Recognize the many types of assets – people, places and things – located in your neighborhoods.
- Be able to make a simple asset map and use it to move your work forward.
- Understand the difference between a needs assessment and an asset map, and how you can use them together.
Session 3: Building Winning Teams
After this training, you will:
- Know ten keys to effective team building
- Be better able to identify and address barriers to effective teams
- Know each other better as teammates
Group Dynamics Sessions
Session 4: Leadership in Real Life
After this training, you will:
- Recognize leadership skills in yourself and others
- Have ideas for how to grow leaders in your community
- Understand why it’s important to apply your leadership skills to situations at work, home, school, etc.
Session 5: Tips for Effective Communication
After this training, you will:
- Have concrete practice with communication skills one on one, in small groups and in front of large groups
- Have a strong understanding of verbal and nonverbal forms of communication
- Strengthen your listening skills as a way to support strong communication
Session 6: Keeping Cool in Conflict
After this training, you will:
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Have concrete strategies for de-escalating conflict in a group.
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Understand the positive impact that conflict can have on a group.
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Understand the stages of conflict and how to intervene in them.
Community Challenge Sessions
Session 7: Using Community Building to Create Change
After this training, you will:
- Understand the four core elements of community organizing: Leadership Development/Political Education, Base Building/Member Recruitment & Retention, Organizational Development & Campaign Development
- Know concrete examples of community organizers who made a difference in their community and in the world
- Practice using each of the four core elements of community organizing
Session 8: Mapping Power for Community Change
After this training, you will:
- Understand what power is and how it works
- Know 8 steps to creating a power map
- Be able to create a power map that can be used to address a community problem
Session 9: Planning Campaigns that Work
After this training, you will:
- Understand that many community problems can be tackled with a collective plan of action
- Know what a campaign is and have some examples of campaigns that have improved the lives of residents
- Have concrete strategies and tools for planning an effective campaign
Session 10: Staying Strong through Recruitment and Retention
After this training, you will:
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Have developed an effective ‘pitch’ to engage new members
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Understand the importance of investing in members
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Have simple strategies for recruiting and engaging members
Community Leadership Skill Building Sessions
Session 11: Leading Great Meetings
After this training, you will:
- Know ten facilitation skills that help meetings go well
- Be able to make adjustments in challenging meeting situations
- Know ten strategies for helping to get meetings back on track
- Have experience using a meeting planning tool
Session 12: The Quick Dirt on Evaluation
After this training, you will:
- Have a basic understanding of different evaluation tools and how to use them
- Have an increased commitment to using evaluation to make your community work more effective
- Be able to create your own survey tools
Session 13: Using Planning to Create Action
After this training, you will:
- Know 5 steps for creating a strong work or action plan
- Be able to use a work or action plan to organize the work of a group
- Understand the importance of having a shared work plan for community organizing