Leading With and Through: Effective Public Engagement for More Resilient Communities
- OnlineMay 9, 2025
This course will take place online via Zoom from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.
CPLG is proud to offer discounts to groups. Many courses in the One-Day Public Leadership Series benefit not just individuals but rather entire groups. Members of groups of five or more can each receive 20% off the registration fee. To take advantage of this discount, please visit the course web page or contact registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414 with questions.
This course is open to professionals and elected officials.
Building strong, collaborative relationships within communities is essential for effective local governance. Evolving social dynamics and shifts in civic participation present challenges for community engagement. This course offers practical strategies for navigating these complexities and fostering meaningful connections. Participants will learn how leading "with and through" creates opportunities for authentic dialogue, collaborative problem-solving, and shared ownership. Discover how to move beyond traditional engagement models and create a foundation for respectful exchange and shared visioning, supporting a sense of belonging and shared purpose within your community.
This course offers valuable insights and practical tools for local government staff and officials seeking to build stronger relationships with their communities. Participants will explore collaborative approaches to foster trust, improve communication, and create a greater sense of shared purpose. They will learn how to more effectively involve others in projects and initiatives, leading to greater engagement and more meaningful impact. These skills in collaboration and communication will also prove valuable in other professional and even personal aspects of their lives.
In this engaging workshop, we will:
- Acknowledge common pitfalls in public participation
- Imagine benefits of more collaborative, authentic engagement
- Discuss a "with and through" approach to public engagement
- Explore strategies for overcoming barriers to participation
- Review practical tools to support different types of engagement
- Consider the roles of attunement and empathy in building authentic engagement
Participants will leave with:
- A toolkit of resources and templates for supporting better community engagement
- Connections with other professionals who care about stronger communities
- A personal action plan for implementing new skills
Meet Your Instructors
This course will be taught by Christy Shi Day, Terry Willie-Surratt and Kimalee Dickerson.
Members of Civic Federal Credit Union (Civic) and Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU), who are local government employees, are eligible to apply for a scholarship towards tuition for conferences, classes, and seminars offered by the School of Government. There are four deadlines to submit applications:
- March 1 (for courses starting between April 1 and June 30)
- June 1 (for courses starting between July 1 and September 30)
- September 1 (for courses starting between October 1 and December 31)
- December 1 (for courses starting between January 1 and March 31)
- OnlineMay 9View Scholarship Information
Members of Civic Federal Credit Union (Civic) and Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU), who are local government employees, are eligible to apply for a scholarship towards tuition for conferences, classes, and seminars offered by the School of Government. There are four deadlines to submit applications:
- March 1 (for courses starting between April 1 and June 30)
- June 1 (for courses starting between July 1 and September 30)
- September 1 (for courses starting between October 1 and December 31)
- December 1 (for courses starting between January 1 and March 31)
View Cancellation PolicyCourse participants who cancel their registration on or before May 01, 2025 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after May 02, 2025, but you will receive a transferrable credit to be used within 12 months. Click here to view the School’s full cancellation and refund policy.$495.00Registration and payment for this course grants access for a single attendee. In order to register a group of attendees, please register each person individually. If you have questions, please contact our registration office at registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414.
Leslie Rich
