The Civic Leadership Institute facilitates the growth of community-labor coalitions that can shift the political debate and have a real impact on policy-making for working families. The purpose of the CLI is to support a long-term strategy for coalitions to build the power to govern, based on a common political agenda that reflects the values and interests of coalition members. Curriculum Overview

The Civic Leadership Institute is designed to help local leaders: Key Messages by Module

• Build strategic relationships with new coalition partners;
• Develop a shared understanding of the economic and political landscape;
• Recognize how regional economic trends underlie shared interests;
  
• Commit to a specific, long-term agenda for progressive social change;
• Learn and practice skills in organizing, base-building and political advocacy.

CLI participants are key senior leaders from local grass-roots organizations, and can include
representatives from:

• labor groups,
• community or neighborhood groups,
• faith-based organizations,
  
• environmental or other policy advocacy groups,
• ethnic chambers of commerce,
• community development corporations,
• elected bodies and government agencies, and
• social service agencies and advocates.

The Civic Leadership Institute is designed to support a broader, long-term strategy for building power on a regional basis--one that connects a range of interests within a comprehensive agenda and a lasting community-labor partnership. In other words, it is intended to help prepare participants to lead a regional movement for social justice.