Feel like you could contribute more towards your community but aren't sure how? The answer could be as easy as joining a province-wide capacity building initiative called Becoming a Community Builder that is launching in the Bow Valley this month.
Feel like you could contribute more towards your community but aren't sure how?
The answer could be as easy as joining a province-wide capacity building initiative called Becoming a Community Builder that is launching in the Bow Valley this month.
The 90-day competency based community and professional leadership development program began in 2012 by founder Ian Hill, who will be in the Bow Valley on Sept. 15 to help launch it.
“We believe rural communities are relevant in the 21st century and that community success always boils down to leadership, ” Hill said. “Community leadership capacity is the key. Community leadership capacity is leadership excellence of both formal and informal leaders within all sectors, silos, and corners of a comunity. ”
One of the great aspects of the program, according to BanffLife's Christine LaRocque, is that it is free for every participant, no matter how many sign up.
“All the member (organizations) that participated took the financial burden of it so that makes it free for everyone in the community to participate, ” LaRocque said.
The $8,500 program has contributions from the municipalities of Canmore and Banff, the MD of Bighorn, Banff Community Foundation, Bow Valley Learning Council, YWCA, Bow Valley Immigration Partnership, Bow Valley College and the Pacific Centre for Leadership.
LaRoque said key outcomes for the local communities include having residents that are better prepared, committed and inspired to contribute to their individual community and the Bow Valley in general.
“For me, what is really important is just that this is a broader Bow Valley project, ” she said. “I think this program could potentially bring the Bow Valley to a higher level. ”
The Changing Point is Hill's private company that offers the program based on an application process. Yvonne Fizer, director of the initiative, said the application process is to ensure the program is delivered in communities that are in alignment with its vision.
“We are trying to prove that if you equip informal leaders with tools to take care of their communities, the communities will be better off in the long run, ” Fizer said. “Because we are testing a methodology, we knew it would increase the probability (of success) with good quality stakeholders that rally around it. ”
It is the third iteration of the program in rural Alberta communities and 4,000 people so far have completed the training. The 90-day program includes workshops via live streaming video, four coaching sessions, weekly reinforcement exercises and motivational emails, a learning portal with archived videos and materials that are available to the community after the program and a concluding survey to identify in what ways the program has influenced participants.
“We have designed four leadership competencies that have proven to build confidence and capacity for individuals to be more involved and more effective in the workplace, in volunteer activities or whatever role they might be playing in the community, ” Fizer said.
Go to www.register14f.becomingacommunitybuilder.ca for more information or to sign up. Hill will be in the valley on Sept. 15 to help launch the program and provide more information for community members.
