The University of St. Thomas is now offering an exciting new learning opportunity for community volunteers and staff members of neighborhood organizations that will kick off in April, 2001. Created in partnership with the NRP and the Metropolitan Alliance for Community Centers (MACC), the Community Leadership Institute is a new certificate program designed by the Center for Nonprofit Management at the University of St. Thomas specifically for neighborhood people engaged in NRP activities. The Institute begins with 10 sessions (Block 1) addressing the topics neighborhood leaders have ranked as their highest learning priorities: understanding the structure of organizations; fiscal responsibility; increasing and maintaining participation; the dynamics of change; volunteer management; leadership; and planning.

Block 1 will run twice this spring: one series will begin on Thursday, April 5 and the other on Tuesday, April 10. One set of classes will run on the Minneapolis campus of St. Thomas University in downtown Minneapolis and the other on the St. Paul campus. Classes will run from 6 to 9 PM with dinner served from 5:30 to 6 PM. Generous financial support for neighborhood volunteers/staff is available.

For more information about the Community Leadership Institute, contact Doroth Mayer at 612-722-0869 or by email at doroth@earthlink.net. Or, call Barbara Ritter at the Center for Nonprofit Management at 651-962-4300. Space is limited so fill out your application today!

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