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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
ElderHelp Keeps Seniors Active and Moving
Gretchen Veihl, Director of Philanthropy of ElderHelp
“Nobody believes I have a problem with my knees,” smiles, Edna. “I totally forget about pain when I’m doing Zumba, and I think I’m motivating a lot of other people to try it. I figure my knee will hurt whether I’m sitting or moving, so I might as well move! I tell people, ‘C’mon, if I can do it, you can too.’”
Edna attends the Zumba class held every Tuesday at Mission Cove, a North County housing complex offering affordable senior housing. ElderHelp volunteer, Christy, hosts these Zumba classes.
“Dance has always been a passion of mine,” Christy states. “Zumba is such a fun way to stay healthy, and the class just brings a sense of community to these seniors.”
Edna moved from Los Angeles to Oceanside to be closer to her daughter.
“When I first moved here it was kind of sad,” Edna shares. “It was the beginning of COVID and nobody would be out walking. Now with all of the activities ElderHelp brings, it’s like I’ve been brought back to life.”
Edna is also grateful for the other services coordinated by ElderHelp—deliveries from the food bank and help applying for benefits. “Sometimes when you’re older, you feel lost, like what are you going to do now? You give us hope, and it feels good. Thank you for thinking about us.” Enda stated.
As a Community Housing Works partner, ElderHelp provides an on-site social worker to assist residents with advocacy, food insecurity, and healthy living.
“Every day’s a different day here,” shares Eric, a Housing Coordinator for ElderHelp. “Sometimes people swing by for a quick hello, and sometimes they need help with more serious issues like transportation or medical benefits. Anything that can raise the quality of their life is what I’m here to do.”
ElderHelp’s mission is to provide personalized services that help seniors live independently with dignity in their own homes. For more information, please visit www.elderhelpofsandiego.org