Live Well San Diego
Home MenuHeader Search Box - Custom Content
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
Promises2Kids Camp Connect Reunites Siblings Separated in Foster Care for Fun Filled Summer Camp
Margo Fudge, County of San Diego Child Welfare Services
At the start of the inaugural 2008 Camp Connect session, as the kids lined up to board the bus, one young boy refused to go to camp if his brother was not going to be there. As it turned out, the boy’s brother was standing less than five feet away from him, but because they hadn’t seen each other in several years, he no longer recognized him.
That was the moment that solidified the need for Camp Connect.
Through a partnership between Promises2Kids and the County of San Diego, Camp Connect reunites siblings in foster care, who have been placed in separate homes, and gives them the opportunity to reconnect through a four-day summer camp, as well as recreational and educational day camp activities throughout the year.
The annual summer camp is held in the mountains of Julian and helps siblings connect through activities such as horseback riding, swimming, music therapy and zip lining, among others. Camp provides these children with an environment of fun and safety, allowing them to experience the joy of being a kid while spending much-needed time with their brothers or sisters.
There are approximately 300 foster youth at any given time across San Diego County separated from one or more siblings. Camp Connect ensures they have the opportunity to visit and maintain their relationships with each other.
This year, camp was held August 4-7, with 51 youth in attendance.
On the final night, one young camper began to sob, saying he was not ready to leave his siblings. He implored the organizers to make camp longer to maximize time with his brother and sister.
Another boy, who had been to camp several times over the years, said this was his "best summer memory" and the "best camp he had ever been to.”
In addition to offering an incredible experience for the kids, the 2022 session solidified an ongoing partnership between Promises2Kids and the County of San Diego Child Welfare Services, Medical Care Services, and Public Health Services. The County teams provided nursing staff, pharmacists, and on-call medical doctors to assist with medication administration, first aid, and COVID testing.
To learn more about the Camp Connect program, or to donate or volunteer, please visit:
https://promises2kids.org/camp-connect/.