Each year, Leadership SouthCoast (LSC) class members complete a self-directed project as an element of their program experience. Class members work in small teams to assist local nonprofit and public organizations in developing new projects or implementing existing ones to address important community and organizational needs.
Jessica Silva from the City of New Bedford’s Energy Office talks about working with the New Bedford Economic Development Council on the Regeneration Project. The rest of the Project Team included Paula Popeo from Bristol Community College, Tonya Johnson from Southcoast Health, and Charlie Murphy from MOLIFE, Inc.
LSC accepts proposals from area nonprofit and public organizations that would benefit from hands-on assistance from LSC class members in designing, implementing, or course-correcting their community-based initiatives. LSC’s Community Action Projects seek to provide class members with a meaningful leadership development experience and local organizations with added capacity, hands-on assistance, new skills, and valuable connections.
If your organization would benefit from added problem-solving, program development, creative thinking, and new perspectives, we encourage you to apply! Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but are assigned to the classes in October/November each year.
Who Should Apply? Organizations that…
- Have designed, are in the process of designing, or have an idea for, a project that aims to address an important community and/or organizational need.
- Have designed, are in the process of designing, or have an idea for, A project that would benefit from additional capacity, external input, problem-solving, program development, and other types of assistance.
- Demonstrate innovation, leadership, and are led by inspired and committed professionals.
- Value collaboration with diverse organizations and stakeholders in planning and executing projects.
- Will consider this an opportunity to gain 5-6 new partners, rather than volunteers in the strategy and execution of their project.
- Can commit to assigning at least one staff member (an organizational lead) to work with the project team on overall coordination and implementation. This person should be able to commit to being available to the team periodically throughout the class year. The role of this staff member is to observe, guide, inquire, interject, or suggest redirections if necessary, not supervise or assume the role of manager or team lead. If you are unable to commit this staff time to the team, please do not apply at this time.
- Can commit to attending the team’s final community presentations scheduled for an afternoon in June (SouthCoast location TBD).
Selection Process
LSC will review all applications received from the community and select which proposals will become formal class projects. Class members will work in small groups of 5-6 over the course of the ten-month program to accomplish the project’s goals.
Questions?
Contact LSC’s Executive Director at executivedirector@leadershipsouthcoast.org!