The Community Leadership Development Program: A Step-by-Step Guide
Our flagship Community Leadership Development Program has developed hundreds of leaders through our intensive programming since 2001. This program is a transformative experience for developing leaders in the Greater Victoria region who want to stand out and change the world, starting here. Take a look at the 2019-2020 program details below for more information!
Step 1: Leadership Orientation Session
Our participants met their learning colleagues and the facilitators and coaches who will guide their Community Leadership Development experience! We explored what it means to have a 'healthy community' and what our participants are most passionate about.
At the orientation session, we introduce you to our community and provide you with the resources and information you need to prepare for the months ahead.
Leadership Launch and Retreat
At the Leadership Launch and Retreat, you'll have an opportunity to get to know your fellow participants. Ultimately, leadership is about teamwork and collaboration. The Launch sets the stage with activities that build on this important dynamic, and to ensure you are positioned for success over the following months. It's intense, but also a great deal of fun!
October - February: Community Learning Days
Over the five month period from October to February, the program unfolds in a series of day-long learning sessions called Community Learning Days. In each Community Learning Day we will focus on a particular aspect o the community in Victoria, as well as on the fundamental skills of community leadership.
A variety of guest speakers and local leaders participate in the Community Learning Days, voluntarily sharing their wealth of knowledge, insight, skills, and experience with learners. These activities reflect the diversity of our community.
During Community Learning Days, you'll gain knowledge and build skills in support of the four pillars of Community Leadership, which you'll then put to work in your Community Action Project.
ONLINE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM
You will be provided with an online gateway to resources, agendas, assignments, group discussion forums, videos, webinars, and online collaboration tools that will enrich your learning journey and help you communicate with your peers, facilitators, and coaches.
On occasion, your team will also meet online for one hour in the evening to discuss successes and challenges with the other teams. This regular collaboration is essential to your process because it can reveal issues or problems that are common to everyone and that can be resolved quickly. Teams from previous years have found this collaboration to be vital to their success.
COMMUNITY ACTION PROJECT
You'll expand your learning by putting your new skills into action. Learners are organized into teams of 5-6 people, matched with a pair of coaches who will act as their liaison with Leadership Victoria and support the team's process and development.
Each team is provided with a Community Action Project, which serves as a 'learning lab; for leadership development and delivers a direct benefit to the community. Teams partner with out community partner and other organizations or agencies to resolve real-life challenging projects that will have a present-day impact and deliver future benefits to our partner.
Community Action Project teams and their team coaches meet regularly throughout the program, on a schedule set up by each team at a mutually convenient time. Most teams meet weekly, either face-to-face or online through the online collaboration tool.
TIME COMMITMENT
While this is not an academic program requiring a great deal of study and paper-writing, we do expect learners to participate in activities that deepen their understanding of leadership concepts and community issues.
In addition to participating in the orientation, retreat, and five learning days, you can expect to spend 6-8 hours per week collaborating with your team on the Community Learning Days and Community Action Project. This time is spend reading short articles, watching online videos, participating in webinars, collaborating with your peers and participating in reflective thinking.
COMMUNITY SHARING
We encourage all participants to set up a group of colleagues in their workplace or where they volunteer to "share out" or report to throughout the Community Leadership Development Program. By sharing your learning, you'll solidify the concepts of leadership for yourself and spread the positive impact of your experience with others!
EVALUATION
New in 2019-2020, candidates must satisfactorily meet the following criteria in order to complete the program.
Attendance at the Leadership retreat and Community Learning Days. Attendance at the retreat is mandatory. Attendance at all Community Learning Days is expected. If you are unable to attend due to an illness or emergency, they are responsible for working with a peer to ensure that they have received all of the key learning. If a participant misses more than one Community Learning Day, they will be asked to demonstrate an understanding of the missed material.
Completion of all online modules and assignments. This will include reading articles, watching videos and webinars, and answering reflective questions to integrate the learning and ensure an understanding of the material presented. At times, this may include a quiz or short essay questions.
Contribution to the team and the Community Action Project. This will include attendance at team meetings and timely completion of expected tasks. This will be evaluated through self-assessment, peer assessment and coach evaluation.
Participant will demonstrate key competencies. Throughout the program, there will be opportunities for participants to demonstrate the leadership competencies that are learned in the program. Each participant is required to adequately demonstrate an understanding of these competencies. Competencies may include public speaking, technical writing, accessing community resources, etc. A list of competencies required will be provided to participants during the orientation.