The Concept
Community Leadership Programs promote and encourage outstanding community leadership, by developing the leadership capabilities of citizens who care about the community, who understand its strengths and weaknesses, and who are willing to make a personal investment to improve a community's quality of life.
Each year, community leaders from all sectors of Canadian society, and reflecting the diverse nature of our communities, take part in community leadership training. The training is designed to expand the number of individuals who accept leadership roles in business, government, and social profit organizations to meet future challenges in our communities.
Tailored for the busy, working professional, Community Leadership Programs also develop networks of people with a sense of community trusteeship who can work together to build and sustain community.
Common Goals
The Canadian community leadership programs linked to this site collaborate to share best-practices and to mentor new programs.
They also share four core characteristics:
They identify rising decision-makers/leaders from all sectors of the community;
They function as an initiative owned by the broader community;
They involve a balance among all sectors of the community in their governances bodies, and program content/perspectives;
They follow similar formats: a six to ten month timeframe that may include opening and closing workshops, monthly training days, a community project and on-going inclusion of alumni.
Internationally there are over 1500 similar community leadership programs, and in Canada alone, the number of graduates is increasing annually by approximately 500 people each year.
The Canadian Community Leadership Network (CCLNet)
In October 2004, the network of programs formed a Canadian Community Leadership Network Steering Committee with a mandate to strengthen the network.
CCLNet goals include:
Strengthening and enhancing the capacity and effectiveness of local programs by sharing and exchanging resources, ideas and best practices;
Enhancing financial sustainability by planning and coordinating access to funders, sponsors and partners, which may be pan-Canadian, regional and local in nature;
Providing an opportunity for local programs to lead regional and national development by hosting a network function;
Increasing the presence, visibility, voice and reputation of Community Leadership Development programs at the national, regional and local levels;
Promoting the liaison between community leadership programs across Canada.