Program Concept

The Program

Accelerate Civic Leadership (formerly the Community Leadership Program) encourages civic leadership and positive change within the Niagara region by developing the capabilities of aspiring leaders who care about the community; who understand its strengths and weaknesses, and who are willing to make a personal investment to improve the community’s quality of life.

Leadership Niagara’s program invests in the current and future leaders of Niagara by providing an opportunity for program participants to explore their leadership style and practice leadership skills in a group setting; all while unlocking their intrinsic desires to becoming an active community leader.

Each year, our program brings together individuals from all sectors and geographical areas of Niagara for a 9-month experiential leadership development program. Through our series of tailored workshops (Learning Days) participants learn more about their own leadership styles and identify the skill areas they wish to hone. Through project work with local non-profit organizations’ participant teams can reinforce the skills acquired through Learning Days while providing organizational support for the local non-profit in a “dynamic learning laboratory” context.

This training is designed to expand the number of individuals who accept leadership roles in business, government, and social organizations to meet future challenges in the region. Like all other community leadership programs, Accelerate Civic Leadership strengthens the bonds within the region and serves as a retention and engagement tool for our Niagara businesses and non-profits.

Our approach

• Experiential and skills-based learning, community involvement, personal reflection and practical engagement
• Learning Days are facilitated by a broad range leading local academic, business and community experts
• Introduction to current community leaders
• Diverse perspectives from the public, private and non-profit sectors

What you can expect to gain

Since our first cohort in 2007, our graduates have consistently found:

• Increased capabilities to be effective change leaders
• An increased understanding of Niagara’s communities, peoples and sectors
• A deeper network of community leaders and influencers
• Organizational leaders and champions of community-facing business initiatives
• Increased engagement in Niagara initiatives
• Career advancement
• Improved communication and team-building skills
• A chance to tangibly give back to our community