Neighborhood Leadership Development Program Seeks 2016 Applicants

Are you a passionate, committed Clevelander dedicated to taking an active role in improving your community?  Could you use help enhancing your leadership skills?
The Neighborhood Leadership Development Program is a free community engagement training program for residents of Cleveland, and its inner ring suburbs, who are working on projects within the City of Cleveland.

NLDP was established in 2006 by the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and is directed by former Cleveland mayor, Michael White.

Each year 20 committed individuals are chosen for the program.  NLDP participants and graduates are from diverse backgrounds and their interests and pursuits are similarly diverse.  NLDP currently has 166 graduates who are actively working to improve life in their communities.

NLDP graduates come from all different backgrounds and work on a variety of issues.  They build and maintain community gardens and work in community development organizations; they support homeowners through financial literacy programs, teach computer skills to residents and build playgrounds for children. NLDP graduates are community activists, they work with youth; work on environmental issues and work with the homeless and those facing re-entry.  They enrich their communities through arts and culture and advocate for housing rights.

Graduates have access to a network of community leaders and can join efforts with others in their project work.

As one NLDP graduate put it …

 “Not only did NLDP provide me with really important capacity building opportunities, but it connected me more deeply to the Cleveland community in ways that I don't think many other programs could. It exposed me to issues and efforts that I was not aware of and really made me think a little more comprehensively about how the initiatives I was working on connected to the larger community. NLDP was definitely an important knowledge, character, friendship, network and capacity building experience that made me much more aware of our community and the issues we face and opportunities for positive change.”

                                                                                                                         

NLDP presenters and facilitators are practitioners in areas such as nonprofit management, marketing, program planning, fundraising and organizational leadership.

Every NLDP participant and NLDP graduate has ongoing access to the services of a Program Coach. NLDP coaches give advice and support tailored to the needs of the participant.

The 15 sessions take place on Saturdays at Trinity Commons at 2230 Euclid Avenue beginning August 27.  For more information and an application, visit www.nldpcleveland.com or call 216-776-6172.  The deadline for applications is August 1.

Think you have what it takes? Apply to make a difference!

Sandra Kluk

Resident of neighborhood since 1956. Worked on East 185th street since 1970.

Read More on Community
Volume 8, Issue 7, Posted 12:36 PM, 07.10.2016