Growing Leaders Short Course & Community Impressions

A five week leadership course to help participants strengthen leadership skills, gain confidence and work together on a local community development project.  

Who Individuals who want to continue to learn about themselves, their organizations and communities. Individuals who are open to broadening their perspectives. Individuals who want to create the conditions for their organization and community to grow and prosper. The course is for anyone who is willing to learn, grow and wants to make their community a better place.

What Effective Leadership attributes and communication skills Understanding and managing conflict Understanding the importance of service /volunteerism Planning for the future

What your community needs Creating effective community conversations Understanding behavioral styles of individuals Understanding the seven capitals of healthy communities

Where Participants attend five five-hour sessions, every two, three or four weeks. Sessions will take place at a single location or rotate locations within a region.

How The local committee will work to set the agenda for the course. Participants will work on a project. Class size may range from 10 to 30 participants. Participants will commit to the 5 week course and pay the $250.00 registration fee.

Results “The short course helped to motivate me to become more involved in my community.” Many great projects throughout the state. Leadership Groups Building Projects Career Fairs City and County Commissioners Community Events More leadership opportunities

We become immune to our everyday perfection and imperfections

Match Similar Communities Consider: population, business community, and location. Community Impressions provides an unbiased assessment of a community from volunteers who then receive the same unbiased assessment from the exchange community’s volunteers. The information that communities provide and receive will: Help identify positive attributes and weaknesses in the community (Ex: community services, housing, business, industry, customer service, public infrastructure, health care, social services, education) Provide a basis for a community vision or plan Identify issues needed for downtown revitalization Identify tourism strengths and weaknesses Provide a sense of how a potential new entrepreneur or business investor might view your community n Provide information about services and infrastructure available to local businesses n Assess customer service in the community

Team Ensure team readiness and commitment Orientation with team Plan the visit Make it happen

Visit the exchange community and record first impressions. What do you see when you drive into the community from each direction?

Documenting the experience 10 minute impression Downtown/Central Business District Retail, Tourism, Housing, Business & Economy More than does it just look pretty

Digging Deeper Education, Health, Social & Emergency Services Government Infrastructure and Land Use Recreation, Faith, Culture Some research will be needed to learn more about the services provided.

Report Out Sometimes an outside perspective helps get community buy in to make change happen.

Community Action Plan Improve Specific Areas Improve add, upgrade tourist attractions Improve the quality of local private and public services Increase Investments in the local economy Revitalize your downtown Draw new business to the area

Andrea Bowman www.ag.ndsu.edu/ccv NDSU Extension Program Coordinator, Leadership and Community Development cell 701-523-6239 andrea.bowman@ndsu.edu