Helping Small Towns Succeed

The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is pleased to announce that this year's Helping Small Towns Succeed Institute will be held June 6-8, 2011 in South Haven, Michigan.


Helping Small Towns Succeed is the longest running program of the Heartland Center for Leadership Development and covers the range of the Center's focus and expertise with small communities. It has been attended by more than 1,000 people since its introduction in 1992. The content is updated annually and the conference is offered once a year for the Center's national audience. The full institute brochure can be downloaded here.

Monday June 6, 2011

Clues to Community Survival (Afternoon Session)
Bring citizens together to help identify community strengths and opportunities, and create strategies for long- and short-term aspirations and results.

* Explore the characteristics of thriving small towns· Learn techniques for applying this information to back home situations
* Gain a tested, conceptual framework for community development
* Share ideas about community projects within that framework

Appreciative Inquiry (Evening Session)
This positive approach to revitalization is gaining worldwide recognition as a powerful tool for moving communities forward by examining past success.

* Understand the theory of appreciative inquiry
* Explore the techniques and applications of appreciative inquiry as a planning tool
* Learn about the Center's model for a Town Hall meeting using appreciative inquiry
* Practice the four elements of appreciative inquiry
* Consider back home applications of the Town Hall meeting model

Tuesday June 7, 2011

Building Social Capital (Morning Session)
Unleash the power of social capital in your community. The techniques in this session will help you strengthen your community through place-based and virtual networks.

* Learn ways to utilize social media to benefit your community
* Problem-solve on how to change projects to address building social capital
* Analyze back home projects that do or do not address building social capital
* Learn about a survey designed to measure social capital and other community capacities



Branding Your Community (Afternoon Session)
Is your community marketing its attractions to its fullest potential? This workshop will familiarize you with the concept of branding your community and offer tools for effective marketing.

* Use a brand creation approach to community identity
* Apply your brand creation to community identity
* Explore tips for creating community brands
* Market your community



Leadership Styles and Practices (Evening Session)
Features strategies for recruiting and motivating leaders. Personal assessment instrument on leadership skills and styles.

* Review the historical theories of leadership
* Learn a model for practical leadership development
* Test the model within a self-assessment on your leadership skills
* Discuss case studies of community leadership challenges
* Focus on the recruitment of new leaders in a community setting

Wednesday June 8, 2011

HomeTown Competitiveness (HTC) (Concurrent Morning Session)
HTC is rapidly becoming a fixture in community development theory and practice throughout the U.S. This framework relies on four key pillars that can be found or nurtured in every community. This session will be held concurrently with the session on Strengthening Group Effectiveness.

* Build local leadership to mobilize and organize diverse community capacity that can sustain community and economic development
* Expand community philanthropy to use charitable giving and endowment building as a tool for sustaining homegrown community economic development
* Energize entrepreneurs to nurture and network residents who want to start or expand a business
* Engage youth and young people to cultivate a sense of belonging, investment and community involvement so that remaining or returning home is seen as an attractive option


Strengthening Group Effectiveness (Concurrent Morning Session)
Managing effective meetings may seem simple, yet it's often a challenging job for community development practitioners, whose role includes leading diverse groups to consensus and beyond. This session will be held concurrently with the session on HomeTown Competitiveness.

* Review elements of group effectiveness
* Understand the stages of group development
* Learn two major group functions and how they are played out
* Review the characteristics of effective groups


Registration Information
Register either as an individual or as a team online by mail, phone or fax. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis, with limited seating available. As the number of participants is limited, registrations accompanied by full payment will receive priority. Full payment is required before training begins.

Workshop Registration Fee $650 per attendee. Community Team rates of $1,800 for three attendees and $2,300 for four attendees will be applied. Additional registrations beyond four from a community are $475 per attendee due by May 9, 2011.

Late Registrations - Add $100 per attendee to the registration fee if received after May 9, 2011.
Cancellation Policy - The registration fee less a $50 service charge is refundable if the cancellation is received by May 9, 2011. Paid participants may substitute another person in their place with advanced notice.

Online Registration opens April 18, 2011

http://web2.msue.msu.edu/hsts/registration.cfm

Credit card payments must be made through the online registration system

To register by phone call (517) 353-3175

Helping Small Towns Succeed: Tools for Community Survival


About the Heartland Center

The Heartland Center for Leadership Development is an independent nonprofit organization developing local leadership that responds to the challenges of the future. The Heartland Center is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska with a field office in Kerrville, Texas.



Heartland Center for Leadership Development

3110 N. 40th St. Suite A

Lincoln, NE 68504

(402) 474-7667

www.heartlandcenter.info