CSET

Community Leadership Institute Seeks Participants

Community Services Employment Training (CSET) is seeking community members from southern Tulare County to participate in the Smart Valley Places Community Leadership Institute.  The grassroots community leadership program will be held in Porterville and Tulare for anyone interested in learning more about local government and opportunities to get involved in their communities.  The free six week Smart Valley Places Community Leadership Institute workshops begin October 6 in Tulare and October 13 in Porterville.

Community members will learn topics such as decision making in local government, land use planning, local and regional transportation, affordable housing, city and regional water issues, and environmental quality.  The purpose of the Community Leadership Institute is to create an increased understanding of healthy planning and develop future community leaders.

“Having grassroots community leaders involved in the Community Leadership Institutes will have a profound effect on our communities,” said Raquel Gomez, CSET’s Director of Community Initiatives.  “The Institute will increase understanding of planning policies, which will lead to healthy, sustainable communities in the Central Valley.”

The Community Leadership Institute is one component of a much larger effort funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  HUD awarded the Smart Valley Places San Joaquin Valley Initiative $4 million to support more liveable and sustainable communities in an 8-county region.  Four regional nonprofit organizations, including the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program (CCROPP), are working with CSET and other lead agencies to coordinate the Community Leadership Institutes in 14 communities throughout the Valley.

The Community Leadership Institute courses begin October 6 in Tulare and October 13 in Porterville.  The Tulare courses will be held at the Tulare Employment Connection (115 E. Tulare Ave.) and the Porterville courses will be held at the Porterville Public Library (41 W. Thurman Ave.).  For more information or to register, contact Frank Ruiz at (559) 741-4667 or frank.ruiz@cset.org.