Description

The Neighborhood Leadership Academy connects resources at the University - Creating Whole Communities and University of Missouri Extension - with neighborhood leaders from across the state of Missouri to learn together through a virtual or in-person project-based curriculum, developing the skills and building the networks necessary to create healthy, vibrant and whole communities.

The Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA) provides in-depth and multifaceted leadership training that emphasizes community building principles and strategies, project planning, organizational leadership and management practices, and personal leadership skills. Participants are actively involved in their neighborhoods and represent communities throughout Missouri.

Academy participants may be neighborhood association members, community leaders, resident volunteers, community-based organization staff, business owners, local government staff, and municipal elected officials. More than 400 neighborhood and organization leaders have participated in NLA, learning the skills and building the networks necessary to create whole communities. Through virtual seminars, discussion, and personal community projects that apply tools and principles, participants will learn: - Community building principles and strategies - Personal leadership skills - Project planning and implementation tools - Organizational leadership and management practices.

During the NLA, participants share and work on a community improvement project for their neighborhood. The following is a sample of their projects: - Forming a neighborhood association to encourage more community involvement - Proposing and implementing a community garden - Developing a church-based community assets assessment - Planning and obtaining funding for a neighborhood park - Raising funds to endow a school-based youth cultural enrichment program. Participants who successfully complete the program will receive a Certificate in Neighborhood Leadership from the Chancellor of the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Continuing Education Units are also available.

FORMAT: Residents from across Missouri will attend the program in a hybrid format where sessions will be held virtually with some in-person sessions and events. St. Louis residents may choose to attend the program in the hybrid format with statewide participants OR fully in-person with other St. Louis residents. 

HYBRID (virtual + some in-person) - Any Missouri resident (50-person max. capacity) 

IN-PERSON - St. Louis residents only (20 person-max. capacity) REGISTRATION FEES: EARLY BIRD - $290.00 (deadline: Saturday, July 15 at 11:59pm) REGULAR - $325.00 (deadline: Thursday, August 31 at 11:59pm) 

Full & Partial Scholarships available! SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE: Monday, August 7 at 11:59 pm Click here to apply: https://forms.gle/WeXpEi6oAaXVsBS97(opens in new window) 

Missouri residents, including St. Louis residents, who would like to attend NLA in the virtual/hybrid format, please register here: - Hybrid sessions will be held September 13th - November 15th on Wednesdays, 6:00 - 9:00 PM. St. Louis residents who would like to attend NLA fully in-person, please register here (20-person max. capacity): - St. Louis in-person sessions will be held Sept 12th - November 14th, on Tuesdays, 6:00 - 9:00 PM. Learn more here: http://cwc.umsl.edu/nla/(opens in new window) For questions, contact Tasnim Haq at TFHKTB@umsl.edu(opens in new window). Partners: UMSL CWC - Creating Whole Communities.