“DO IT! It's amazing, and I think everyone can take something out of this program.”

These times call for courageous and resilient leaders who can lead from a different, more sustainable, leadership model. The Community Leadership Accelerator (CLA) is a program designed to develop diverse leaders who are grounded in their own leadership, can sustain themselves as leaders, value human connection and relationships, and can drive community change. 

Program Goals: 

• To share the wisdom and strengths in the room and build a peer community
• To build the emotional and social intelligence necessary for effective leadership
• To encourage and support practices that restore, inspire, sustain, and empower leaders
• To explore power dynamics and engage with power to elevate relationship building and leadership sharing
• To connect individual growth with systems and institutional change
• To put learning into practice
• To develop a pool (or pipeline) of community leaders who can drive change towards healthy, equitable, and resilient organizations and communities.

Program Components:

The program is 8-months with around 20 participants from Southern Arizona, Phoenix and all the communities between and around. Participants engage in three-day in-person retreats at the beginning and end of the program. Between those retreats, they grow through assignments (readings, videos, podcasts, exercises, etc.), 4 virtual workshops, 5 peer group meetings, an EQ assessment and debrief, and an individual coaching session. Throughout the program, participants apply what they are learning through experiments and reflect on practices that support their leadership.

The Teaching Team:

Our goal is that all participants will find opportunities to elevate and share their wisdom, experiences, and insights. Hence, everyone is considered a teacher. More formally, Bryn Jones and Sarah Griffiths lead the program with the help of a Teaching Team—three members from prior cohorts who return as co-facilitators. Program costs of the Teaching Team are fully covered, and they are paid a generous stipend. 

Criteria for CLA Participation: 

• A leader/agent of change who envisions taking a greater leadership role, and 
• Is forward thinking, open to questioning convention, and open to possibility
• Is ready to be more intentional and take a deeper dive into their own authentic leadership
• Wants to connect to their own power and agency, and balance that with awareness/interruption of oppressive systemic imbalances
• Has the capacity to commit to the program
• Is energized by transformational learning and growth
• Is interested in and/or already driving community change

Organization Cohort: We also welcome multiple members from a single organization to attend. Each individual in the cohort must meet the criteria above and have the intention to stay with their organization throughout the duration of the program. 

Cost: 

The cost of the program is $4,000 per person. This amount does not cover lodging costs or meals during the retreats. The EQ assessment, all curricula and materials, and snacks and refreshments during the retreats are included. 

Scholarships:

This program was designed with equity, accessibility, and inclusion in mind. We actively seek community partners each year to support scholarships and opportunities vary from year to year. Inquiries are welcome.