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CAC Community Leadership Training Opportunity

Community Leadership is a CAC sponsored leadership program that brings together people from diverse backgrounds that live, work, or volunteer in low to moderate income neighborhoods and who have demonstrated community commitment through service.  These classes strengthen leadership at grassroots levels and challenge individuals to get involved in community improvement. 

The upcoming year will mark 22 years of CAC Community Leadership in Knoxville.  We have worked with close to 600 leaders over these years.  Mothers, fathers, police officers, politicians, community activists, non profit staff, and many other citizens have brought their own experiences to share with other class members while also learning more about community organizing through the class.  Our goal is to familiarize community leaders with a wealth of information and contacts that will facilitate their own neighborhood improvement.  Each year class members participate in a variety of classes that build their skills and network. 

Training Content:

CAC Day, where you will learn more about CAC’s role in serving the community, its history, and contacts within the agency;

Media Day, where class members learn more about the operation of our daily newspapers, television, and radio stations, how to work effectively with the media, and how to provide information on ways to publicize special activities or concerns;

Business Economic Day, where class members learn more about the Knoxville-Knox County economy, its makeup, history and uniqueness, changing economic development opportunities, and economic development as it relates to our wider communities and our neighborhoods;

Social Issues Day, where class members learn more about mental illness, lack of affordable housing, and drug & alcohol addiction and how they relate to the goal of self-sufficiency and what community resources are available to address domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault and street violence;

Education Day, where class members learn more about the Knox County School System’s role in creating and maintaining a quality system of education in our community, how education is financed, how the school system is organized, and how priorities are set;

Local Government Day, where class members learn more about the responsibilities of City and County Government, how our government is financed, and how elected officials interact and best receive information from their constituents;

Neighborhood Issues Day, where class members learn more about law enforcement services as they relate to neighborhoods, how the different courts relate to citizens and the community, and what resources and services are available to neighborhoods.

New class members are accepted each August; however, we will accept applications all year.  Priority for class selection is given to individuals who have demonstrated community involvement in their own neighborhood or in the community outside of the responsibilities of their paid employment.  For more info, call 546-3500 or email: communityleadership@knoxcac.org.