Developing a New Generation of Leaders

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Why is Leadership Important?

Leadership underlies the ability of a community to shape its own future, to create positive change. When we think of leadership, many people may think first of elected leaders or people in positions of power. While effective leadership at that level is important, strong communities are built by many people with effective leadership skills making a difference in our families, our schools, our businesses and organizations. HCI focuses on developing community leadership capacity. It broadens and deepens our view of leadership, in which people with the desire, skills, and knowledge to lead are broadly diffused throughout all segments of the community.

View Leadership Flyer

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Key Objectives

• Engage more residents in civic activities
• Increase capacity to accomplish community goals
• Develop pool of youth and young adult leaders needed to build quality places
• Assess needs of current boards and committees
• Build or grow a Community Leadership program for adults and/or youth
• Carry out a community project, employing leadership skills and relationships
• Engage youth and young adults in a community visioning process

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Investing in Your Place

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How Can Placemaking Transform My Community?

Talent, or human capital, is the single most important element of local community economic development. To remain viable in a rapidly changing economy, communities must invest in holistic efforts to improve quality of place—a precursor to developing, attracting and retaining human capital. The success of Indiana’s cities and towns depends, in part, on effectively embracing placemaking opportunities related to arts and cultural integration, community design and central city revitalization, community well-being, educational excellence, municipal governance and readiness for change.

View Placemaking Flyer

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Key Objectives

• Learn more about the importance of investing in place, gaining historical perspective, examining research and discovering best practices
• Align community capitals assets identified during the Foundation Phase with the six key areas of placemaking
• Identify a placemaking path, selecting a program track to address specific needs or opportunities

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Growing Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs

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How Are Existing Economic Resources Key to a Stable and Growing Economy?

One of the best economic development strategies that all communities can pursue is to focus on the resources that are already present in their hometown. The key ingredients to economic stability and growth include:

• Connecting your cities and towns for the purpose of building a coordinated economic development plan
• Discovering the key assets already in place in your hometown, such as small businesses, industries, and proprietors
• Incorporating a diversity of economic development strategies, such as entrepreneurship and the retention and growth of existing enterprises

View Economy Flyer

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Key Objectives

• Examine the economic resources and opportunities that exist in your community and region
• Highlight retention, expansion and entrepreneurship as important aspects of your economic development strategies
• Identify ways you can cultivate retention, expansion and entrepreneurship in your community and region

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