Through this program you will learn what it takes to be a more effective leader by learning new skills while networking with other community leaders on both sides of the bay, city and county government contacts, and the University of South Florida.
Using a specialized curriculum developed by the University of South Florida Organization Development & Training Division, we offer Hillsborough and Pinellas County neighborhood leaders a leadership development workshop series that includes:

• Leadership, Community Assets, and Goals
• Strategic Partnerships
• Project Management and Resource Development
• Communication Skills for Leaders
• Interacting with Your Local Government Leaders

The training is fun, exciting, interactive and extremely useful. Not only does it give you skills to improve your community, it also will enhance relationship skills in your life and your family. Our trainers are the best in the Tampa Bay area. By the end of the training, the participants do not want it to end. They maintain the relationships they have formed not only with their fellow classmates, but also with the staff of the Jim Walter Partnership Center and others within the university and community. Please read the descriptions of each curriculum session.

During the program you will put what you are learning into practice by working with a group of leaders who share the same goals for their communities. Your project team will further their own community’s goals while sharing resources, ideas, and expertise with one another. The project issues include but are not limited to:

• Neighborhood Enhancement (parks, sidewalks, cleanup, etc.)
• Resident involvement (strategies to involve neighbors in community efforts)
• Development and Zoning (strategies to become involved in the processes that govern development and zoning issues in your community)
• Information and Communication (developing effective ways to communicate with your community, ie. Website, newsletters, or city/county access directory)
• Board Development (how to grow your board both in quality and quantity)

Commitment to the entire program is paramount, as class size is limited. We encourage neighborhoods to involve at least two leaders so that if one person cannot attend a session, the neighborhood does not miss out on the training. Completing this program may increase the possibility of funding for community-based efforts.