Learning from community Leadership Development education (CLDE): Challenges for Educators

1. Learning from community Leadership Development education (CLDE): Challenges for Educators Presented by members of a NCRCRD Small Grant-funded Think Tank Evaluating Impacts of Community Leadership Programs Ken Pigg, University of Missouri Scott Chazdon, University of Minnesota Lena Etuk, Oregon State University

2. Thanks to participants of the NCRCRD Impacts of Community Leadership Development Think Tank • Mary Emery, South Dakota State University • Scott Chazdon, University of Minnesota • Steven Deller, University of Wisconsin • Lena Etuk, Oregon State University • Stephen Gasteyer, Michigan State University • Ken Martin, Ohio State University • Deborah Meehan, Leadership Learning Community • Dan Otto, Iowa State University • Ken Pigg, University of Missouri • Claire Reinelt, Leadership Learning Community • Milan Wall, Heartland Center for Leadership Development

3. Objectives of Webinar • Review what we have learned from recently completed research/evaluation of community leadership development programs • Learning presented in form of five challenges to present practice • Discussion of challenges raised

4. Community Effects of Community Leadership Development Education • Research design • Participant survey • Civic engagement/social cohesion • Community effects • Organizational effects • Time on task

5. Community Leadership Evaluation in Minnesota • Leadership competencies • Leadership competencies (retro pre-post) • Organizational affiliation data (pre-post) • Phase 1 • Phase 2 • Phase 3

6. Ford Institute Leadership Program • Oregon-based rural community effort • Theory of change • Evaluation of: • Individual outcomes • Network outcomes • Community outcomes

7. Challenge #1:Leadership Development for What? • Challenges: Leader Development or Leadership Development • Leadership for what: Civic Engagement or Capacity Building or Resolving Specific issue or Community Development

8. Challenge #2: Who Participates? • Diversity of ideas – we often use skin color, gender, etc. as indicators • Recruitment challenges • Integration issues • Demographics don’t affect individual level outcomes

9. Challenge #3:How to Design the Process? • How to cultivate an “acceptable state of disequilibrium” • Projects – maximizing the effect • Active Learning/experiential learning/anticipatory learning • Relationship building

10. Challenge #4:What Should We Teach? • 3 Principles for curriculum development: Direction, alignment, & commitment • Navigating the three levels of content: skills for facilitation, communication/ collaboration, systems thinking • Civic education

11. Challenge #5:How Do We Know If It’s Working? • Formative vs. Summative Approaches • Community Capitals Framework • Identifying best sources of data • Constructing moveable dials

12. Next Steps for Educators and Researchers • Critically examine existing CLDE program purpose/theory of change and learning strategies • Design new evaluation approaches to address challenges • Create research efforts to support program learning and accountability

13. Discussion • Challenge #1: Leadership Development for What? • Challenge #2: Who Participates? • Challenge #3: How to Design the Process? • Challenge #4: What Should We Teach? • Challenge #5: How Do We Know If It’s Working?