Free to Grow
 
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Note: As of April 17, 2007, the Free to Grow program has closed.  [close window]   


July 2005 Volume 3, Number 4


Building Leadership in Your Communities

In this edition, we look at innovative strategies to build leadership in communities. Residents can benefit from leadership development activities that introduce them to a public health and environmentally focused community change approach. This focus opens up a broad range of research-based policy strategies shown to be effective in reducing alcohol and drug abuse, as well as the violence and crime often associated with it. Having resident leaders from within a community working to better their neighborhood contributes to an overall environment critical for helping children be "free to grow."

For those interested in learning more about Free To Grow's work, please contact us


Free To Grow Leadership Approach
One key component to create healthy environments for children and their families is building a cadre of leaders trained to carry out substance abuse prevention aimed at reducing risk and strengthening protective factors within their communities. Building Leadership for Community Development is a training program is designed to serve four main purposes. The training introduces the core principles of Free To Grow and explores the concepts of risk and protective factors, key strategies to facilitate community action and environmental approaches to community change. It gives participants opportunities to practice some of the primary skills critical to carrying out the program approach, including community relationship building, group facilitation, community assessment, and action planning.  Read more>>
Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI)
COFI helps parents build leadership skills that will enable them to become more involved in their children's education and to work toward bringing change to their schools and communities. Parents who participate in COFI training, develop their leadership capacity in three ways: at the personal level, as family leaders and as community members.  Read more>>
Parent Leadership Training Institute
The Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) is designed to enable parents to become leading advocates for children. Parents are offered a leadership training that includes a retreat to develop group communication, 10 weeks of classes on self and perception of leadership, 10 weeks on practicing democracy skills building with a corresponding project to practice civic skills, and a graduation at the State Capitol.  Read more>>
Building Leadership in Faith and Urban Communities
Building Leadership in Faith and Urban Communities
Craig Mathews, Free To Grow Program Monitor, St. Mary Community Action Agency in Franklin, LA and Elena Trueworthy, Community Development Coordinator at Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Connecticut discuss building leadership in faith and urban communities.  Read more>>


 
Take Our Survey
Tell us some of the ways you are building leadership in your community to support families in your community.

Respond




Leadership and team effectiveness in community coalitions for the prevention of alcohol and other drug abuse
 Read more>>
Collaborative leadership: How citizens and civic leaders can make a difference
 Read more>>
A Democracy Toolkit for Parents
http://www.cga.ct.gov/coc/Democracy%2...
 Read more>>
Partners for Success: Linking Communities, Families, and Schools
http://www.yale.edu/bushcenter/21C/co...
July 18-20,2005 in New Haven, CT. ' Read more>>
Tying it All Together: Comprehensive Strategies for Safe and Drug-free Schools
http://www.osdfsnationalconference.or...
August 15-17, 2005 in Washington, DC. ' Read more>>
Community Toolbox
http://ctb.ku.edu/
Read more>>