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Logo Connections for Community Leadership Engaging People in the Adventure of Leadership

Newsletter 3-1
October-December 2006

 

Welcome | New Name | What is CCL | Last Quarter Highlights | New this Quarter | Featured Leader | Join CCL | Subscribe

Welcome

Welcome to Connections for Community Leadership’s first newsletter. These newsletters will be published quarterly and will be used to update the community on developments within CCL, as well as feature individuals, groups, and organizations that are taking leadership to a new definition. Subscription information can be found at the end of this newsletter and all issues will also be available on our website.

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Our New Name

As you may have noticed, the Center for Creative Leadership is now known as Connections for Community Leadership. Although our mission and goals have remained the same, we feel our new name more closely resembles our purpose of engaging and supporting people with disabilities in the leadership development process.

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What is Connections for Community Leadership?

Connections for Community Leadership (CCL) is a program funded by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC). CCL supports people with disabilities in becoming leaders in their communities. CCL believes each person should have the opportunities and supports to be a leader in both the disability rights community and her/his home community.

Currently, CCL has 5 project areas:

1. LeaderLinks

CCL has a database to connect people with disabilities to leadership opportunities, supports, and organizations throughout Michigan.

2. Leadership Development Training

CCL finds and evaluates existing trainings; identifies gaps; creates trainings where they do not exist; and helps local groups organize leadership development opportunities.

3. College Organizations Networking Now Each Creating Ties (CONNECT)

CCL has created a statewide network connecting college students with disabilities involved with their student disability organizations on their campuses to each other and the resources available to them in their communities. CCL also provides support to existing student disability organizations and to students who wish to start a student disability organization.

4. Informed Communities

CCL assists people with disabilities, their families, and their allies understand national, state, and local disability issues; participate in pubic policy discussions; and take action on issues that affect their lives. CCL holds 2-4 forums a year throughout Michigan regarding public policy issues.

5. Supports and Connections

CCL assists leaders to fully participate in leadership opportunities; identifies scholarship funds; helps local groups provide accommodations; provides ongoing supports and follow-up after leadership opportunities; and offers people with disabilities networking and growth.

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Last Quarter Highlights

Summer Programs

This past summer, CCL provided funding for 8 summer leadership development programs, including:

  • Social Justice Retreats – Leaven (www.leaven.org) – conduct outreach and provide scholarships to people with disabilities to attend four social justice retreats.
  • We Lead! Kent – ARC of Kent County (www.arckent.org) – Used the We Lead! Curriculum and tweaked it into a ten week program for adults.
  • We Lead! Oakland-Macomb – Disability Network: Oakland/Macomb (www.omcil.org) – Used the We Lead! Curriculum as written.
  • Camp Central – Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District (www.tbaisd.k12.mi.us) – a teen summer camp with local community service.

Participants of Camp Central

  • FUNtastic Youth Council – Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living (www.aacil.org) – youth program where seven youth with disabilities created community events.
  • Youth Leadership Summit – Disability Network Lakeshore (www.lcil.org) – youth leadership program.
  • Annual Youth Leadership Training – Blue Water Center for Independent Living (www.bwcil.org) – leadership program using the Tiger Woods curriculum.
  • Project COOL – Disability Advocates of Kent County (www.disabilityadvocates.us) – a youth leadership and mentoring program in conjunction with an African American church.

CONNECT Interns

Over the summer, CCL was honored to hire five wonderful interns to conduct outreach activities and promote the CONNECT program. Through their efforts, the CONNECT program now has contacts with 116 of 117 colleges and universities in Michigan. These include private and public universities, as well as community colleges. Thanks to the work of the interns, the CONNECT program was also able to present to incoming freshman, with and without disabilities, at several freshman orientation sessions around the state.

Susie D’Mello

Susie is a Sophomore at Michigan State University
"Before this internship I never realized how powerful the movement has been and the things I have taken for granted which disabled people in the past had to fight for. It's amazing how people can make an impact when they join forces and work together. "

Joanne Johnson

Joanne is a Sophomore at Michigan State University
"When I arrived, I discovered one of the most interesting aspects of our group.  Everybody there had a disability.  Some were visible, some were invisible, but just the same, nobody looked at me strangely for using a cane or tripping over my own two feet.  I also felt that this was one rare time where I was not immediately judged because of my disability."

Mark Ewing

Mark is a Junior at Oakland University
"This internship has been a truly life changing experience. As I look back over the last several months, I see changes in myself that will allow me to continue developing into a leader of tomorrow. Not only was I able to work for great people, on an important program; but I was able to develop from that same program. CONNECT will be an instrument of great change for the disability community, and I am pleased to have had an opportunity to be a part it."

Shana Holet

Shana is a Junior at Saginaw Valley State University
"I have to say that I learned that I did have prejudice against people who have cognitive impairments due to the negative connotation that is associated with this and what society has tried to lead me to think of myself. I did not even realize this until the first day of the internship while having a discussion about the hierarchy that is even found among people with disabilities."

Ruth Ashley

Ruth recently graduated from Governor’s State University
"I hope to one day become a clinical psychologist... I wish to help people learn about their disabilities so they can take that knowledge and empower them to learn how to live with it, and become members of society where your disability doesn’t fully define you.... Being able to help them become a member of the disability community may help people with a psychological diagnosis feel less alone and relieve the social stigma that comes with it. "

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New This Quarter

We Lead! Curriculum

CCL has created a leadership development curriculum entitled “We Lead!” This curriculum offers information about disability history, pride and leadership skills. Participants practice this knowledge as they work together to identify, organize, and deliver a community service project. It was first implemented by Theresa Squires and Tai Martin-Blow in Kent County in 2005, and since then several organizations throughout the state have replicated We Lead or adapted it to fit the needs of a specific community. The curriculum is currently being revised based on feedback from the agencies that have implemented the program. The updated version of the curriculum will be available by request and on our website by the end of November.

Starting a Student Organization Handbook

CCL is creating a handbook on starting a student disability organization. The handbook covers topics such as developing a group purpose and mission statement, deciding on group structure, coalition building, roles of an advisor, planning an event, fundraising, and much more. This handbook will be available by request and on our website in November.

Online Membership

There are several benefits of becoming a participant of CCL including access to the database of leadership opportunities, receiving the newsletters, connecting with other leaders with disabilities, and receiving support to participate in leadership opportunities. By the end of the quarter, you will be able to register to become a CCL participant on our website. In the meantime, if you would like to be a participant, please send an email to leadership@prosynergy.org or call 1-866-532-2669.

On the Road

Staff of CCL has begun the statewide outreach campaign. We are looking to expand our network of partner organizations, learn about more leadership opportunities, and find more people with disabilities who want to be leaders. Melinda Haus-Johnson recently visited several organizations in the Upper Peninsula and the summer interns visited 116 of 117 colleges and universities throughout the state. We would love for you to join us in our outreach efforts. There are several ways that you can help get the word out:

  • Distribute brochures to emerging leaders and/or organizations interested in becoming partners
  • Put information about CCL in your organization’s newsletter
  • Place a link to CCL’s website on your organization’s website
  • Notify CCL of leadership opportunities and organizations in your community
  • Tell people with disabilities with leadership skills about CCL

Another Way to Access Leadership Opportunities

Our database of leadership opportunities throughout the state is growing. Currently, the only way to access the database is by calling our toll-free number. However, by the end of the quarter, you will be able to search the database on our website.

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Featured Leader

Laura Hall

This quarter we would like to feature the developing leadership of CCL participant Laura Hall. Laura is 25 years-old and has a Masters in Social Work from Michigan State University. She became a participant of CCL in May 2006 when the Cookie Gant Scholarship Fund provided financial resources for her to attend the Disability Activists Retreat at the Leaven Center in Lyons, Michigan. Since the retreat, Laura’s leadership has blossomed. She has joined the Long-Term Care Taskforce and now sits on the CCL Steering Committee. Laura is currently working part-time as an assistant at Disability Network Michigan.

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Join CCL

You can join CCL as a participant or as a partner organization.

Participant: People with disabilities who want to be leaders.

  • Improve your leadership skills.
  • Connect with other people with disabilities in your community.
  • Learn about leadership opportunities in your community.
  • Receive support to take part in leadership opportunities.
  • Make a difference in your community.
  • Learn about disability organizations in your community.
  • Attend leadership events.
  • Receive information about your leadership interests.
  • Become an active leader.

Partner: Organizations that support and create disability leadership.

  • Advertise your leadership programs to numerous leaders throughout Michigan.
  • Increase the diversity of participants in your programs.
  • Invest in a collaboration to improve results for emerging leaders.
  • Use our network to connect with the community and emerging leaders.
  • Gain the capacity and skills for supporting people with disabilities.
  • Receive technical assistance and support in creating inclusive programs.
  • Become part of a network of allies creating system changes and building inclusive communities.

Joining the CCL is easy. All we need is:

  • Name
  • Organization (if joining as a partner organization)
  • Address
  • County
  • Phone
  • Email
  • Alternative Formats Needed

Just send us the information by:

  • Email: leadership@prosynergy.org
  • Fax: (517) 333-2677
  • Phone: 1-866-532-2669

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Subscribe

To subscribe to the CCL newsletter, please send an email to leadership@prosynergy.org with "Subscribe" in the subject line. If you need to receive the newsletter in an alternative format such as large print or plain text, please note that in the email or call 1-866-532-2669.

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Connections for Community Leadership is funded by the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council.

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