Center for Civic Engagement and Service Learning

For more information contact: Sarah Merranko, CC 101,
sarahm@csmd.edu or (301) 934-2251, ext. 7367
 

• SEMINAR ONE: FINDING LEADERS WITHIN
  This seminar introduces the theme that the plenty in community leadership comes from recognizing the wealth of capacities that people in the community possess. Reinvigorating civic leadership with new energy and diverse experience strengthens communities. The purpose of this seminar is to help participants begin the exploration of leadership development by uncovering their own unique skills and reflecting on their experiences of community. It explores the questions: What experiences have we had with community involvement? How can we creatively use our individual skills to build community leadership? What techniques help us balance personal reflection and community action? Where do we go from here?





• SEMINAR TWO: IDENTIFYING COMMUNITY ASSETS
  What difference will it make to look at our community though its assets rather than its deficits? How can we go about discovering undervalued assets in our community? The purpose of Seminar Two is to develop in participants an understanding and appreciation of the assets model for community change. The activities in the second seminar give participants an opportunity to train their eyes on the leadership assets in their community and brainstorm about how these assets can be mobilized for change.





• SEMINAR THREE: MANAGING GROUPS FOR RESULTS
  What happens when people come together to solve community problems? The ability of a group to take action and accomplish results can be thwarted by the fact that it is difficult to work together effectively as a team. These tensions are a natural part of group work. All groups that endure the test of time experience fairly predictable stages of development. The purpose of this seminar is to increase participants’ understanding of group dynamics and familiarize them with issues and tensions that most groups experience. The session explores the questions: How do our different backgrounds and experiences affect our participation in groups? Are the dynamics and tensions in our group normal? How can team members communicate more effectively with each other?





• SEMINAR FOUR: MAKING MEETINGS WORK BETTER
  Effective meeting-management skills are essential for leaders as they negotiate the complex interests of the community. Well-managed meetings actually help motivate people to stay involved in community-change efforts and reserve group energy for substantive issues. The purpose of seminar four is to provide participants with the organizational strategies and tools for achieving group purposes in community meetings. It explores the questions: For what purposes do we hold group meetings? How do conflict and tension play an integral role in group work? What are some techniques for facilitating productive meetings that accomplish specific goals?





• SEMINAR FIVE: MANAGING CONFLICT
  Communities are groups of people who may not know each other and have had different life experiences, but who live in proximity to each other and have interests in common. Our vision of the world and how it operates is influenced by our culture, our parents, our age, our personality, and a whole range of other factors. Seminar five addresses the inevitable fact of life: Individuals do not always agree. The challenge and opportunity for a community leader is to learn how to manage conflict and to channel its energy in a positive way. The purpose of seminar five is to explore the necessity of conflict in group work and its role in the consensus-building process. It explores the questions: How can we better understand conflict and its role in community work? Can we make conflict work for us instead of against us? What strategies will help us work through conflict? What if we can’t reach consensus?





• SEMINAR SIX: BUILDING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
  Building partnerships between diverse organizations and individuals marshals the community’s resources, talents, and assets for change. By identifying their own self-interests and understanding and acknowledging the interests of others, organizations are able to build and sustain strategic partnerships. The purpose of seminar six is to help community leaders understand partnerships better and engage in them more effectively as they strive to solve complex community problems. It explores the questions: Why work with partners to solve complex community problems? Who do we need to help us find solutions to community problems? How can we minimize the risks that come with partnerships? How can we organize an effective partnership?





• SEMINAR SEVEN: MOVING FROM TALK TO ACTION
  Ambitious visions are not realized in a day. Seminar seven examines the strategies that help leaders chart the journey from community vision to concrete action. This seminar takes a bird’s-eye view of the tough terrain to travel from talk to results. The purpose of seminar seven is to enable a group to get started, to make measurable progress, to celebrate accomplishments, and to revise plans if necessary. It explores the questions: How do leaders go about planning and actually getting started on a community change project? How can we achieve measurable outcomes along the way? How do we know if our action plan is working and how can we change our plan?





• SEMINAR EIGHT: VALUING EVALUATION
  Many of us think the word “evaluation” means being tested—that someone is going to tell us everything we’re doing wrong. Seminar eight introduces evaluation as an opportunity for groups to reflect on the results of their work. Developing project goals and strategies to reach these goals, as well as anticipating a project’s outcomes are primary steps in planning or conducting a program evaluation. The purpose of seminar eight is to help participants understand and value program evaluation and learn the main steps for determining the effectiveness of a program. It explores the questions: What is evaluation and why should we evaluate? What has to be in place before we’re ready to evaluate? How do we go about evaluating our projects or programs?





• SEMINAR NINE: SERVICE PROJECT/REFLECTION
  When we will be performing our service project as well as having a final celebration and evaluation.