Help Build a Better Future
Thank you to everyone who applied to the Fall 2022 Conservation Leadership Institute! Applications are now CLOSED. Check our blog for updates on this year’s CLI program.
The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance is excited to once again host an in-person CLI course, offered, as always, at no cost to participants, to support the current and future civic leaders of Jackson Hole.
This year’s course will be held on Wednesday evenings, September 21 to November 16, from 6:00-8:00pm in Jackson.
Please contact Grant Gallaher, Civic Engagement Coordinator, at grant@jhalliance.org with any questions.
Add to Your Toolbox
The Conservation Leadership Institute (CLI) is a rigorous, nine-week, leadership development program offered at no charge by the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. Graduates of CLI have the skills and knowledge to effectively organize, advocate, and hold local decision-makers accountable for building a better future. CLI starts with the basics of organizing and progresses each week as participants learn and practice new skills to become grassroots leaders in our community. The course includes a range of topics that participants will explore through group discussion, guest speakers, panel presentations, group projects, readings and real-world applications.
By the end of the course, you’ll have the know-how—as well as the encouragement and support—to effectively:
- Communicate your position to others, including elected representatives;
- Identify, recruit, and lead a grassroots team;
- Develop a campaign plan to achieve a specific goal;
- Empower others to engage in the civic process;
- Incorporate JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion) principles into your work;
- Use storytelling to inspire action;
- Connect advocacy in Jackson Hole to larger movements such as the fight for climate justice;
- Approach governmental and policy making processes with confidence;
- Identify and execute the best strategies and tactics to reach your goal.
Workshop Schedule
CLI will be held every Wednesday evening from 6:00-8:00pm over the course of 9 weeks, from September 21 to November 16. The schedule for the 13th round of CLI is below. Specific topic/speaker(s) of each workshop subject to change.
- Topic: Telling your Story
- Skill: Public narrative
- Guest Speaker: Luther Propst (former Executive Director, Sonoran Institute)
- Topic: Intro to Campaign Planning
- Skill: Issues, goals, and levers
- Guest Speaker: SPET campaign community partners
Workshop #1
Workshop #2
- Topic: Political Systems and Local Government
- Skill: Identifying decisionmakers and power mapping
- Guest Speaker: SPET campaign community partners
- Topic: Reaching your Community with the Right Message
- Skill: Communications
- Guest Speaker: TBA
Workshop #3
Workshop #4
- Topic: Taking Action
- Skill: Strategy and tactics
- Guest Speaker: TBA
- Topic: Building Power
- Skill: Grassroots organizing, recruiting, and teambuilding
- Guest Speaker: TBA
Workshop #5
Workshop #6
- Topic: Get Out The Vote
- Skill: Canvassing
- Guest Speaker: TBA
- Topic: Election Debrief
- Skill: Learning from our wins and losses
- Guest Speaker: Kristin Combs (Executive Director, Wyoming Wildlife Advocates)
Workshop #7
Workshop #8
- Topic: Local to Global: Next Steps to Stay Involved
- Skill: A lifetime of civic engagement
- Guest Speaker: TBA
- Graduation: CLI Project Presentations
Workshop #9
Special Event
Finally, CLI features a hands-on project to practice leadership and make a difference in Jackson Hole. For this round of CLI, participants will have the opportunity to design and engage with real campaigns for SPET (Specific Purpose Excise Tax) items on the November 8 ballot, around issues such as land conservation, water quality, transportation, renewable energy, and more.
This project is a great way to get real-life practice with recruiting, leadership, and communication skills. It requires a few meetings with your team, on your own time, outside of class. Please contact us for more information.
What do graduates of the first twelve rounds of CLI have to say about the program?
Over the past decade, almost 200 community members have graduated from the CLI program and gone on to make a real difference in Jackson Hole and beyond.
To understand our local political process, and to understand the importance we have in this political process, is empowering, inspiring, and enjoyable.
— Abbie Bilotta
From the first week to the last, I was able to network with like-minded individuals in a fun and engaging setting. Every one in the class was unique, and inspirational in their own way. For once, I felt connected to community members with a common vision.
— Trevor Bloom
It is an incredible opportunity to gain such a focused understanding of how to become an advocate.
— Aaron Hamby
CLI reconnected me to my passion for conservation. During the eight weeks of CLI, I found a confidence and excitement in my inner being I thought died a long time ago.
— Suzanne Knighton
What the Alliance is doing for our collective future is revolutionary. From personal experience, I know that while many youth may have a vested interest in creating beneficial changes for the future, often times we do not know where and how to plugin. The Alliance has now set up the foundation for us, providing the tools, assets, and network needed to be the change.
— Ali Dunford
The course is great for people just starting out in the conservation community because it introduces them to the local issues and the skills needed to run a successful campaign. For those with more experience, it builds on the skills they have while introducing new ideas and techniques to make them more effective in their work.
— Tanya Anderson
The moment I walked into the first class I felt empowered and capable to implement change in Jackson Hole, and that is a feeling I would like everyone in this area to share.
— Peggie dePasquale
This course is an amazing opportunity for people to gain great skills and meet amazing people in the community that are interested in shaping a great future too.
— Noelle Guernsey
I have been to many leadership-type seminars before and this one was by far the most practical and applicable.
— Christy Lewis
