Leadership Academy

A six-part advocacy workshop for Committees By Cities members

The Leadership Academy brings Committees By Cities (CBC) members even deeper into grassroots advocacy through six focused training sessions with Lift to Rise staff, local leaders, and regional housing experts.

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Why the Leadership Academy exists

A new way for residents to lead

After learning the fundamentals of leadership and advocacy through Committees By Cities, the Leadership Academy gives members the chance to take their training to the next level.

15 – 20

Resident leaders per cohort

In tight cohorts over six months, emerging resident leaders practice community organizing, public speaking, and civic engagement alongside familiar faces from the Lift to Rise team and experienced leaders in regional housing advocacy.

By the end, graduates leave with a clearer sense of the types of leaders they want to be, the problems they want to help solve, and the steps they’ll take to make an impact at home and beyond.

“I am very grateful for everything I learned in the leadership training. I know Lift to Rise still has so, so much to teach us and will continue helping and doing so much for our community.”

Dayanara Galindo

What the Leadership Academy builds

What it looks like to be part of the Leadership Academy

Leadership

Get clearer on the kind of leader you are

Explore your personal leadership style, unique strengths, and how you can take charge and work with others in a way that feels natural for you.

Power

Find the right levers

Learn how organizing, relationships, and civic systems work together, so you can understand where residents have power and how to use it.

Story

Discover how to move people

Practice public speaking and turning your lived experience into a story that moves people to act on issues that matter.

Strategy

Map your next steps

Bring all your new skills together into a local action plan you can bring back to your community, laying out the problems you want to solve and the steps to make it happen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Things to know before you enroll

Who can enroll?

The Leadership Academy is for Committees By Cities members. It’s a next step for resident leaders who are already showing up in our coalition—not a separate open-enrollment program. Interested in getting involved? We’ll help you get started.

Let us know you’re interested

How much does it cost?

It’s free! All of the materials and recordings are yours once you enroll.

What does the course cover?

The academy goes deeper on the skills Committees By Cities members are already practicing with us—like grassroots organizing, collaborative leadership, and action planning.

Check out the curriculum

Where and when are classes?

Classes meet once a month over six months. They’re scheduled around the same time and place as your local Committees By Cities meetings, so you don’t have to change your routine.

Each session is an hour, except for the last course, which is two hours. You’ll get more details after you enroll.

What do I need to do to complete the program?

You’ll need to attend at least 80% of the sessions. We offer virtual makeup sessions if several people miss a month because of something unexpected, like bad weather or traffic.

But if you miss more than one month and don’t do a makeup session, you’ll receive a participation certificate at the end of the course instead of a completion certificate.

Can I apply again if I wasn’t accepted before?

Yes!

Can I take the course again?

We appreciate your enthusiasm, but unfortunately once you’ve participated in the Leadership Academy, you can’t retake it. We want to make room for other Committees By Cities members to have the experience too.

When does the Leadership Academy happen?

There’s one cohort each year. It usually begins in winter and wraps up in early summer—about six months total.

Get in touch

Interested?

Tell us a little about yourself and what you’re interested in. Whether you’re ready to jump in or just want to ask a few questions, we look forward to hearing from you.