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Resident Leadership Academies
Resident Leadership Academies (RLAs) are multi-week training programs for San Diego County residents who want to learn how to improve their local communities. Training sessions focus on topics such as community leadership, crime prevention and safety, land use and active transportation, and healthy food systems.
Residents learn skills and best practices to address the issues that most affect their communities, and they work alongside their neighbors to help improve quality of life where they live. Upon graduation, attendees have new knowledge and access to a support network to help them lead community improvement projects.
RLA Updates and Opportunities
Many individuals and organizations are involved in Resident Leadership Academies across the County. The latest updates can be found on social media.
RLA Curriculum
Those who would like to facilitate an RLA can find the Facilitator/Train the Trainer and Participant materials below. The RLA Curriculum consists of a Participant Manual, modifiable PowerPoints, and various templates and handouts. The curriculum covers subjects such as Community Building Principles, Social Determinants of Health, Land Use and Community Planning, and more.
The County of San Diego currently has two approved RLA curriculums available. For groups funded for a particular RLA session or project, the version of the curriculum to be used will be determined by your funder (see links below). For all other groups, either version, or elements from both, may be used for the trainings.
- 1st Edition Curriculum
1st edition curriculum covers resident-driven community improvement efforts, including community building principles, neighborhood assessment activities and strategies for stakeholder engagement. - 2nd Edition Curriculum
2nd edition curriculum expands on the 1st edition to include embedded activities, reflection questions and content on smoke-free environments and climate change.
Additional RLA Curriculum
- Heat Risk Education Curriculum
The Heat Risk Education Curriculum is a set of PowerPoints and facilitator guides meant to support community leaders and residents involved in community engagement work. The curriculum covers strategies for communicating about global warming and heat risk to the community to motivate behavior change, and covers topics such as global warming, heat illnesses, at-risk groups, prevention, and taking action.
RLA Resources & Opportunities
View the Community Health Improvement Partner's Resident Leadership Academy page for the latest on meetings and trainings.
Bi-Monthly RLA Council Meetings
Meetings to provide additional training, discuss RLA updates, and to engage with other RLA practitioners. Anyone in the RLA network (graduates/residents, facilitators, CBOs and agencies supporting RLA) is welcome and encouraged to attend.
Technical Assistance (TA) for RLA Practitioners
TA is provided by the County to any RLA Practitioner involved with RLAs. TA may consist of assistance with planning of future RLAs, and development, refining, and implementation of Community Improvement Projects (CIPs), for example. For groups funded for a particular RLA session or project, the TA provider will be determined by your funder.
RLA Network Supplemental Training Workshops for Current RLA Practitioners
Supplemental trainings are available to anyone in the RLA network (graduates/residents, facilitators). These trainings focus on expanding leadership skills and offering opportunities for current RLA practitioners to engage with one another. The supplemental trainings may cover, but are not limited to, such topics as: Presentation Skills, Meeting Facilitation, and/or Applying for Resources.
New Facilitator Training/Train the Trainer Seminars
Seminar participants attend 3-4 full days of training, which consist of a detailed review of the curriculum, facilitation practice and tips for RLA planning and coordination. One or more new facilitator trainings per year will be offered through 2019.
Contact us for additional information on any of the resources listed above, or to learn about RLAs happening in your community.
RLA Success Stories
Healthy Food Is 'Pay-What-You-Can' at Coastal Roots Farm
By Malaya Cilley, Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities
Coastal Roots Farm is a nonprofit Jewish community farm and education center that seeks to create healthy and connected communities through sustainable agriculture, food justice, and ancient Jewish wisdom. To do so, Coastal Roots Farm supports and pursues four main initiatives: equitable food access, regenerative agriculture, environmental education, and Jewish life. However, it largely focuses on equitable food access, and has created several approaches to meet the needs of the community.
The “Pay-What-You-Can Farm Stand,” established in 2015, is a program that promotes the farm’s mission to ensure that community members of all identities and backgrounds have equitable access to local, fresh, organic foods. In 2022, it helped 33,303 individuals, with 67% utilizing the pay-what-you-can feature.
The sad reality is that one in four San Diegans is food insecure. Coastal Roots offers a range of certified organic and sustainably grown foods, such as vegetables, herbs, and fruits, all available to the public. The beauty of this farm stand is that it's "pay what you can." The way it works is that Coastal Roots Farm offers up to $30 worth of free produce, then people pay whatever they can afford through a private check-out system that accepts all types of payments. Most importantly, no one is turned away if they are unable to pay.
Here is what a few customers of the Pay-What-You-Can Farm Stand have told us:
- “Coastal Roots Farm helps with access to fresh produce and educates customers on how to use and store it.
- “The Pay-What-You-Can Farm Stand is very helpful to me, especially since I am a college student. Organic foods can be expensive and Coastal Roots helps me stay within my financial means.”
- “We come because we are happy to help support this important and generous program. It also sets a valuable, almost invaluable, example of community supporting each other!”
Coastal Roots Farm’s Pay-What-You-Can Farm Stand is open every Sunday except holidays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m. at 441 Saxony Road in Encinitas. What’s more, this organization has a variety of events and programs, including garden workshops, live music and dance.
If you're interested in learning more about how you can get involved, visit Coastal Roots Farm at https://coastalrootsfarm.org/.