Coulter Leadership Program for
WNC Residents Is Taking Shape
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Zane Huskey, David Belcher, Don Tomas, Mike Murray, Laura Lindsay and Amy Grimes participate in the Jackson County listening session. |
Over the past three months, Cherokee Preservation Foundation and leaders on the Qualla Boundary and the surrounding seven counties have been laying the groundwork for a regional leadership development program that is being established in honor of the late Dr. Myron "Barney" Coulter, the founding chair of Cherokee Preservation Foundation's Board and former Chancellor of Western Carolina University who helped make many collaborations in the region successful.
The Coulter Leadership Program will complement the array of leadership programs already developed by Cherokee Preservation Foundation, including the Costa Rica Eco-Study Tour program open to middle and high school students in the region, the eight youth councils across the seven counties and the Qualla Boundary, the Jones-Bowman Leadership Award program for college students, and The Right Path, a program for adult members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
A series of listening sessions were convened throughout the region in recent months to talk with community members about the Foundation's interest in creating the Coulter Leadership Program whose purpose is to inspire people across the Qualla Boundary and seven surrounding counties to work across cultures, governments and other differences to identify and understand mutual challenges and gain leadership skills to address challenges and turn them into opportunities. At these sessions, community members were asked about leadership issues in their communities, what leadership skills are needed and what residents in the region should be doing to ensure that emerging leaders have the skills and tools they need. Several themes emerged from the community discussions:
- Young people and others in the region need skills in public speaking, relationship-building, project management, entrepreneurship, and readiness for 21st century jobs and business.
- Emerging leaders would benefit from hands-on learning experiences and group service projects that teach selfless service.
- Mentoring, with an emphasis on connecting Coulter Leadership Program participants with members of the established youth councils in the region, will be important.
- A regional approach, with networks across counties, will be needed to effectively address problems and create opportunities.
Regional residents repeatedly expressed concern about the flow of young people away from westernmost North Carolina after they graduate from high school because of the scarcity of economic opportunities for them in the region at present. There was a sense of urgency about fostering entrepreneurship in the region so that young people can stay and create new businesses that afford opportunities for them and others they hire.
Additional listening sessions will be scheduled in early 2013. When these are complete, the Foundation with form an advisory group, with members drawn from listening session participants who want to contribute further to the planning process. Also in early 2013, planners will convene discussions among staff and faculty at the three community colleges in the region and Western Carolina University to identify resources to support program development. Then the Foundation will engage professional assistance to plan and develop the curriculum for the Coulter Leadership Program. It is currently anticipated that a pilot program will be launched in the fall of 2013.
The Foundation's Board has authorized funding of the work necessary to create and administer the program. Local governments and other organizations will be expected to fund the participation of individual leaders that take part in the Coulter Leadership Program. |