Leadership Institute

What's at Stake?

There are many vibrant community organizations and policy makers working to bring about environmental justice in the Bay Area. Many of them are working very hard day in and day out to address the challenges facing our communities. The reality of these on-the-ground struggles keeps even the best equipped organizations and activists supremely busy. As a result, the space for structured reflection and critical analysis is constrained. Urban Habitat’s Leadership Institute believes that a dynamic relationship between action and reflection is vital in the effort to bring about positive social change.

Vision
The Leadership Institute offers grassroots leaders and activists, new and old, a space in which to sharpen their critical thinking and develop a collective vision of what a community transformed looks like. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, the Institute aims to promote a reflective process which leads to more effective and powerful forms of community organizing and action. The format of the Leadership Institute roots group discussion and analysis within each individual’s personal experience. In doing so, the relevance of the subject matter becomes real for all participants. The success of the Institute hinges in large part on the belief that those present in the room are already experts on many of the topics discussed. Fostering the confidence and space to articulate this wisdom is part of the Institute’s vision of Leadership Development. We believe that Leadership is not individual – so we always work with organizations – building leaders within organizations and building leaders who teach others.

Mission:
1) To provide community leaders and activists with an in-depth look at the complex economic, political and social forces shaping our region and the dynamics of institutionalized racism in the region.

2) To create a space where participants link their personal visions of social change with others’ in order to create a collective vision of community transformation.

3) To assist participants in their efforts to recognize opportunities for action and aid them in mapping out the goals, objectives and tactics for effective action.

4) To support and strengthen the skills and capacity of a newer tier of grassroots leaders and activists.

Methodology
Founded in 1998 as a core component of Urban Habitat’s regional strategy, Leadership Institutes explore transportation, housing, economic development and environmental health issues through the lens of equity toward low-income communities and communities of color. Leadership Institutes build the capacity of community, government and business leaders to understand and advocate for the connectedness of local planning issues through interactive workshops on best practices, policy tools and joint strategies for equitable planning.

UH has a commitment to developing leaders who approach issues and problems with a three-dimensional vision of economic, environmental, and social justice and who facilitate democratic, participatory decision making of low-income communities and communities of color. We believe that Leadership is not individual – so we work with organizations – building leaders within organizations and building leaders who teach others. Urban Habitat typically offers Leadership Institutes in partnership with one organization or one group of leaders. To date, approximately 500 participants from a range of organizations throughout the Bay Area have graduated from the Leadership Institute.

Richmond Equitable Development Institutes

Residents look at zoning maps of their city In this unique project, the Richmond Equitable Development Initiative (REDI) is an effort to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders across sectors, governmental departments, community borders, and cultures to create and realize a common vision for an equitable Richmond. Urban Habitat staff working with the REDI team to coordinate two simultaneous tracks of workshops during the city's General Plan update process: one for decision makers (such as elected officials and city and county staff) and one for organized community groups. The two tracks of trainings will intersect throughout the General Plan update in order to build a set of equitable development principles which will help guide the city holistically to promote equity and health throughout all planning and implementation processes. Click here for more information about the campaign and institutes.

Base Building Partners in the REDI collaborative: