Rural Leaders Initiative

Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College's Rural Leaders Initiative leadership incubator has proven to be an effective tool for addressing the both leadership development and social conditions of our region. Through the provision of a safe environment, technical assistance, and ongoing mentoring nontraditional adults and youth can move beyond their comfort zone to address real life issues. West Virginia's future is dependent on individuals and institutions willing to invest their resources to ensure that a greater number of our citizens are equipped to take on leadership roles. Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Rural Leaders Initiative is the foundation from which to foster new leaders and increase opportunities for the regions's rural population to become civically engaged.

Recognizing that poor educational attainment, poverty, a declining population base, and isolation are barriers local citizens face when approaching community capacity building, the Rural Leaders Initiative serves as the foundation from which new leaders can increase their skills and confidence while providing opportunities for the region's rural population to become civically engaged. Rural Leaders is a leadership development incubator, where small community teams of 5-8 individuals can take the skills they learn in the classroom and apply them in a safe, holistic, and inclusive environment-their community. Participants enrolled in the program engage in 35 hours of leadership development training on Southern's campus. Teams are then awarded mini-grants to go out and make their project a reality.

Southern utilizes the LeadershipPlenty curriculum, designed by the Pew Center for Civic Change. LeadershipPlenty is made up of nine interactive modules that each build on the other and is guided by a core set of values.

• People working together can solve problems in their communities.
• Effective long-term solutions to community problems demand that people with diverse perspectives of the problem, especially those people most affected by the problem, be involved in developing and implementing the solution.
• By working together on meaningful problem-solving activities, people build relationships that benefit the long-term health of the community.
• Community problem-solving efforts should be inclusive. They are strengthened by engaging people of different backgrounds and life experiences.
• Learning is a life-long activity. All individuals can learn new skills that will enhance their ability to participate in community problem solving.

Participants enroll in the program as a community-based team. Each team works through the process of identifying needs, recruiting stakeholders, writing a strategic plan, and utilizing volunteers to help implement the plan. Working together these teams will identify a community need, develop an action plan, and implement the plan. Because of their efforts, the participants receive "real life" experience in community capacity building, the community and/or site will receive a much-needed service, and the foundation for future capacity building is laid between stakeholders, volunteers, and community members.

Participants were asked at the conclusion of the 2007 class what they found most beneficial about Southern's Rural Leaders program.

• Sometimes when we are the ones doing‚ we forget to look for helpers. This program gave concrete ways of changing that. It doesn't have to be the same 10 people if others feel welcome and needed.
• The practical, common sense approach to planning. That it could be applied to our group's project and not something imaginary.
• Group interactions, relevant content, planning, variety of activities.
• It brought out the hidden parts of my leadership skills.
• The organized way that all sessions were planned and followed through a role model.
• How to stay in touch with reality. Your vision doesn't come to pass overnight, but each step you take is a learning experience for your next project. How to better organize and devise a plan of action and appoint specific jobs to specific people according to their skills and abilities.
• Getting on their agenda when necessary. Attending meetings, keeping up on what's going on in the community and the local towns and county.
• We need to work together as a unit working towards our goals. We can use what we have learned as problem solving.