For the first time since the Community Leadership Conference began, the UGA J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development will offer two pre-conference sessions that will provide additional leadership development opportunities to participants.

“Youth Leadership in Action Facilitator and Curriculum Training” and “The Nuts and Bolts of Facilitating Adult Community Leadership Development Programs” will be offered in advance of this year’s main conference.

“We are delighted to add a new experience to the Community Leadership Conference,” said Matt Bishop, director of the Fanning Institute. “Attending either of these sessions will provide participants an immersive professional development opportunity that they will be able to apply in their communities to strengthen their adult or youth leadership programs.”

In “Youth Leadership in Action Facilitator and Curriculum Training,” attendees will learn how to facilitate the Fanning Institute’s Youth Leadership in Action curriculum and become familiar with principles of youth development.

“By completing this pre-conference session, attendees will not only leave with the certification to facilitate the YLIA curriculum, they will own the license to use it in their youth leadership programs,” said Lauren Healey, a public service faculty member at the Fanning Institute. “This research-based curriculum emphasizes youth development through building individual leadership skills in youth and fostering positive group dynamics.”

“The Nuts and Bolts of Facilitating Adult Community Leadership Programs” is designed for those who plan, coordinate, and implement community leadership programs geared toward adult learners. This pre-conference session will present the latest research, trends, and best practices of community leadership development.

“It will cover a number of topics such as program design, volunteer management, and alumni involvement,” said Brendan Leahy, a public service faculty member at the Fanning Institute. “These areas all play a significant role in the success and sustainability of adult community leadership programs.”

Participants in this session will learn about Fanning’s new initiative, a credential program for practitioners within the field of adult community leadership development. This session will count as the first step in that credentialing process.

“We look forward to introducing this credentialing process, which will identify someone as highly qualified to coordinate and plan adult community leadership programs,” said Bishop.

The pre-conference sessions will take place concurrently, on Wednesday, Feb. 21 from 1-5 p.m. and on Thursday, Feb. 22 from 8 a.m.-noon.