2013 RLP #1

Resident Leaders

Stephen discusses the art of leadership.

What a great first class! This past Tuesday evening marked the first of five sessions that kick-started our spring 2013 Resident Leadership Program. With 21 present attendees and two more set to join in, we have a great group of participants.

Krikko drew the group's ideas of what a thriving community should look like.

NHS of New Haven Executive Director, Jim Paley, set the stage for a night of engaging discussion by introducing the “Art and Science of Leadership” seminar. He provided some of his own insight on the importance and necessity for resident engagement. The rest of the evening was led by our Community Building Specialist, Stephen Cremin-Endes, whose facilitation generated a range of captivating exercises and discussions. Participants shared their own experiences of community engagement with each other and with the whole group. Some very interesting stories were exchanged, including the story of Rosa Parks’ own participation in a citizen-focused education program through the Highlander Center.

Members of this year’s Resident Leadership Program call all sorts of Connecticut neighborhoods home. We loved learning some of the reasons why these residents decided to participate in this program, including: the desire to better lead in all neighborhoods, not just one’s own; the urge to practice speaking up; and the drive to develop better community interactions. During one exercise, participants discussed key leadership skills: positive influence, engagement, effective delegation, the ability to spearhead a collaborative effort, listening to the needs of others, innovative ways to engage a community, improved speaking skills, taking initiative, and harmonizing the various skills of a group. Another recurring topic of discussion was how to discover other people’s talents and how to help them hone and develop those talents.

The bar has certainly been set high for the remaining classes! Session two will take place on Tuesday, April 2nd and will explore the topic of “Mapping Community Assets”. Participants will have the opportunity to meet Leslie Radcliffe, a homeowner and resident of The Hill, along with two of our VISTA members, Kelsey and Daniella, who will facilitate activities and discussion.

We can't wait to see everyone for the next round of our workshop series!