In March 2010, Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven launched its Resident Leadership Program, “Building Leaders, Building Communities.” The program was an essential element of the training and education component of our Neighborhood Revitalization Institute.

Based on a curriculum developed in conjunction with our national partner, NeighborWorks^® America, the program consisted of five units. The primary goals of this program were to transfer concrete leadership skills to New Haven residents, create a space for participants to share their experiences with one another and increase their sense of being agents of change. One key to achieving these goals was starting with the fundamental belief that participants and the communities they represent are assets. Oftentimes leadership programs are built to fill in the “missing gaps” in emerging leaders rather than to hone the strengths they already possess or allow time to build confidence and skills. This program aimed to change that paradigm.

The following sessions comprised our initial curriculum:

Unit One: The Art and Science of Leadership

Unit Two: Mapping Community Assets

Unit Three: Understanding Power for Community Change

Unit Four: Planning Successful Campaigns

Unit Five: Leading Great Meetings

Please check back again or contact Stephen Cremin-Endes, 203-562-0598 ext. 22, to find out when the next round of workshops will be offered.