What if I don't live in the St. Louis Promise Zone?
The NLF program is for individuals residing in the Promise Zone (North STL City and parts of North STL County) and for individuals serving the Promise Zone through their work and/or volunteer efforts.
Neighborhood Leadership Fellows is strongly geared towards participation from individuals living or serving within the St. Louis Promise Zone. Many program sessions will include foundational informational training and collaborative learning that is beneficial to this specific geographic location. A specific program outcome for NLF is to prepare individuals to engage in the civic-decision making process within the region of the St. Louis Promise Zone. Creating Whole Communities also offers another leadership program, Neighborhood Leadership Academy.
Am I required to attend Friday, Saturday and Wednesday sessions for the Neighborhood Leadership Program?
Yes. Attendance is important and NLF expects a high level of commitment to program sessions in order to establish a successful foundational knowledge of learning outcomes. Any issues with program sessions should be communicated to Dwayne James, Program Facilitator, as early as the interview process.
Are there additional time commitments I should consider beyond Friday, Saturday & Wednesday sessions?
Yes. Participants should expect to spend 10 hours a month, in addition to scheduled sessions, attending community events, and homework assignments. In addition to the one weekend (Friday & Saturday) sessions a month, there will be one Wednesday evening session each month.
Is there a registration fee for the Neighborhood Leadership Fellows program?
No. Neighborhood Leadership Fellows participants will receive an UMSL Chancellors Certificate and a stipend to participate in the program. This is another reason why attendance is crucial to program guidelines and expectations. The schedule will be updated consistently when community events are announced and is subject to change.
Does Creating Whole Communities offer another leadership program for regions outside of the St. Louis Promise Zone?
Yes. Creating Whole Communities also conducts community leadership training through Neighborhood Leadership Academy. The Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA) provides hands-on leadership training that emphasizes community building principles and strategies, project planning, organizational leadership and management practices, and personal leadership skills. If you would like to be notified of the NLA program in the future (applications go live in the summer; programming begins each fall), please contact Tasnim Haq at tfhktb@umsl.edu.
I have applied to the program. When will I receive notification for my interview?
Due to a very high application rate for the Neighborhood Leadership Program, only a limited number of interviews will be held and qualifications will be based off of completed applications and references. Those selected for an interview will be contacted through email.
