Leadership wisconsin

Wisconsin Community Leadership Intensive Experience

WELCOME TO LEADERSHIP WISCONSIN

Leadership Wisconsin is pleased to introduce its new advanced statewide leadership development program designed to catapult motivated, high-potential leaders from across the state into solution-based collaboration that will have significant impact on issues that matter.

The “Community Leadership 2.0” program is available exclusively to those thousands of individuals across the state who have benefited from one of several esteemed local community development programs. These alumni have the skills, awareness and demonstrated commitment to roll up their sleeves and make a difference. They’re ready for advanced leadership training and opportunities and this program will inspire and prepare them even further to engage.

The 2.0 program provides participants the opportunity to work collectively with a cohort of peers from across the state to engage in deep learning and exploration on a single, critical issue. The issue serves as the “learning lab” through which they will hone their skills and connect their own local communities to a network of better practices, valuable resources and collaborative thinking/doing.

EXCLUSIVE TO LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM ALUM

It will be offered to and comprised exclusively of alum of current local community leadership programs in Wisconsin, including such programs as Leadership Kenosha, Leadership Greater Madison, Leadership Green Bay and many others across the state.

LEADERSHIP LEARNING LAB FORMAT FOCUSED ON ONE TOPIC

The cohort will develop advanced leadership skills via an intensive focus on a single issue of importance and impact that is affecting all areas of the state to varying degrees. The Community Leadership 2.0 program’s “leadership learning lab” will utilize subject-matter experts related to the “focus topic,” along with other experts who will deliver content that provides a framework for understanding, collaboration, problem-solving exploration, and action.

COLLECTIVE IMPACT WILL BE MADE ON THE FOCUS TOPIC

Together, the cohort will practice the skills in real time as they engage with local partners who are striving to make progress on the focus topic. The leadership learning lab will create a hands-on opportunity for developing, practicing, and applying practical and transferrable leadership skills, while helping to advance the issue in their own community AND collectively at the state level.

2024 FOCUS TOPIC

The WCLI pilot class will launch in fall of 2024 around the focus topic* of: EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION. They will meet both in person and virtually over the course of a year to learn, engage and lead.

*“Focus topic” = the umbrella issue that will be examined in depth in each community and about which data will be collected and shared, leadership opportunities will be tested, and best practices will be explored.

EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION CONTEXT

Wisconsin loses $4.2-$6.4 billion per year from the loss of workforce participation alone due to the lack of available early childhood education seats in our state (approx. 117,000 seats short of demand.)

There isn’t one specific cause of the challenges facing the ECE industry in Wisconsin, or across the country, but a combination of the facts that: Parents are staying out of the workforce due to the financial impact of ECE; There simply isn’t an ECE Workforce …especially in rural communities; The funding model for ECE is a significant barrier to current and future ECE operations; Regulatory and policy issues present a barrier for current ECE operations around the state, and present a barrier to innovative ideas that may provide immediate relief.

Additionally, the private sector, the public sector, and the education system (k-12 & Higher Ed), have been slow to understand, emphasize and prioritize the importance of ECE in Wisconsin. The same can be said about the public’s understanding of the value of ECE and its positive economic impact on our state.

IMPACT SUMMARY (STARTING POINTS):

Many families in Wisconsin can’t afford the costs associated with ECE. If families in Wisconsin can find available ECE seats in their local communities, they are still spending 20% of their income on ONE child. These families are choosing to stay at home and out of the workforce due to these financial pressures.
The ECE workforce in Wisconsin is almost non-existent due to a lack of individuals moving into the ECE workforce pipeline and the fact that the average pay for ECE workers is $11-$14/hr.
While k-12 education is largely funded through state dollars, ECE operations do not receive the same level of public per-pupil funding. The lack of adequate per-child funding for ECE results in a lack of necessary seats to meet demand, childcare deserts (only one slot for every 3 children under the age of 5), businesses that can’t find workers, and significant economic losses for Wisconsin.
ECE is a heavily regulated industry – probably more heavily regulated than the k- 12 system. The costs associated with these barriers translate into razor thin margins for ECE operators and limit the ability of operators to attract a high- quality workforce to engage life-long learners. They also inhibit ‘out-of-the-box thinking’ that may help address key issues facing the industry, our businesses, and our state.

Click Here for the Community Leadership 2.0 Application Form

PARTICIPATION DETAILS

WHAT: The curriculum for the Community Leadership 2.0 program will focus heavily on advanced leadership skill development in areas such as collaborative decision making; issue analysis and assessment; advocacy and persuasion, etc. in the context of the focus topic – Early Care and Education. Experts and practitioners from across the state will provide valuable content, offer insights, and prompt deep thinking, planning and action.

WHEN: Second Thursday of the month, February 2025 – October 2025. The format for monthly session days will include a combination of in-person gatherings, virtual meetings, small group sessions, and local community research days through the course of the 10-month program. The program will launch with a mandatory 1.5 day, in-person retreat in Madison and other in-person sessions will take place in Green Bay and La Crosse. See sample schedule below.

Sept. 2024 Pre-session	Applications open	May 8, 2025 Session 03	Virtual
Oct. 2024 Pre-session	– Virtual info sessions – Phone interviews	June 12-13, 2025 Session 04*	In Person – Green Bay. – Begins at noon, Wed, Feb. 12 – Ends at 4:00 p.m. Thurs. Feb. 13
Nov. 2024 – Jan. 2025 Pre-session	-Application period closes (12/1/24) – Selection process complete (12/15/24) – Class material distribution & prep	*July 17, 2025 Session 05*	Virtual **note: only session not on the 2^nd Thursday.
Feb. 12-13, 2025 Opening Retreat*	In-person – Madison – Begins at noon, Wed, Feb. 12 – Ends at 4:00 p.m. Thurs. Feb. 13	Aug. 14, 2025 Session 06	Virtual
March 13, 2025 Session 01	Virtual	Sept. 11, 2025 Session 07	Virtual
April 10, 2025 Session 02	Virtual	Oct. 8-9, 2025 Closing Retreat & Graduation*	In-person – La Crosse – Begins at noon, Wed, Oct. 8 – Ends at 4:00 p.m., Thurs. Oct.

TIME COMMITMENT: Class time for regular sessions is 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., opening and closing retreat days will have extended hours. The February, June, and October sessions will be held in-person, as noted below. All remaining sessions will be held virtually using the Zoom platform. Additional work in your local community between sessions will be required as part of the group learning lab/hands-on element of the program. Program participants much commit to not missing more than 1.5 sessions for successful completion of the program.

COST: $1950/person. This special tuition pricing for the Pilot Cohort of the Wisconsin Community Leadership Intensive includes accommodations and meals for opening retreat, meals for January and March in-person sessions, and mileage reimbursement for attending the graduation event. All other expenses will be covered by participant.

Click here for Community Leadership 2.0 Application Form.