The Front Range Economic Strategy Center was launched in January 2002 by Denver area labor leaders who believed unions should mobilize to address community problems.

With the assistance of Building Partnerships, FRESC conducted its first Community Leadership Institute in 2005. Its success gave impetus to FRESC's Campaign for Responsible Development to "high-road" economic growth strategies. With the active involvement of its supporters in Denver's faith community, Latino leaders, African American activists and organized labor, FRESC is now planning its second Community Leadership Network Institute with a specific emphasis on immigration policy.

FRESC recently convened a leadership institute focusing on immigration, which consisted of the following objectives, methodologies and modules:

Course Objectives:

• To understand immigration in CO and build a toolkit to integrate into your work on its impacts to global economy, exclusion, labor, political and civic participation.
• To create the opportunity for leaders working across constituencies (faith, labor, community) to share alliances and find common ground to envision alternatives and move forward with a community centered progressive vision for immigrant rights.
• Build a space to dialogue, strengthen initiatives, and create political agreements for common action to conduct grassroots outreach with your members and to support local efforts of political and educational work around this struggle.

Module Topics:
Module 1 -- Immigration and the New Global Economy
Module 2 -- Colorado History and Economic affects of immigration
Module 3 -- Civics 101
Module 4 -- Finding common ground and strategies for win

Course Methodologies:

• The Course will be highly interactive, providing opportunities for participants to network with and learn from each other, and to discuss information and resources in the class.
• Local experts and university faculty will make guest presentations.
• Break-Out sessions, ice breakers and role-play exercises will support content on most topics.
• Key readings, research and case-studies of successful innovations elsewhere will be discussed.
• Spanish interpretation will be available.