A Community Leadership Program: Reflections on Civic Engagement, Leadership Development, and Democracy Education

Abstract

This study is about a community leadership program (CLP), pseudo-named Leadership Greater Promisetown (LGP), located in the heartland of the United States. The study's purpose is to describe program outcomes and impact in terms of civic engagement, leadership development, and democracy education. The study's problem statement identifies lack of civic trust among citizens within the community. Using qualitative analysis, the researcher observed the LGP Class of 2012 from orientation through a retreat and seven daylong sessions and graduation, conducted a series of interviews with 11 class members, and followed up with the class using an Internet survey one year after the class ended. In addition, a comparable Internet survey was used to gather data from alumni who graduated from the program throughout its 30-year history. Although the word "democracy" was not included in the formal class curriculum, the study examines democracy education within the program according to the study's conceptual framework. The study suggests implications for future research and practice in civic leadership education. Program impact is described by analyzing participants' civic engagement attitudes and activities and their responses to study questions about the impact of the program on their leadership development and workplace or career and greater good of the community. Analysis of the data suggests an increase in trust across five areas: (a) trust in self, (b) trust in others, (c) trust in lifelong learning, (d) trust in the community good, and (e) trust in the process of civic engagement.